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Time to Speak Up! (December 2010) |
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By Troy Cardenas
In Matt Hotsinpiller's article "A Call to Action!", he correctly states: "We [educators] are under siege. Media pundits and politicians are taking aim at our classroom performance, our salaries, our benefits, and our pensions." He continues, "Further, we do not seem to be doing much to fight back." Unless we wish to live the oft quoted Roy Batty in his final scene of Blade Runner, where he states, "Time... to die" we indeed must, as Mr. Hotsinpiller says, "Fight back." Many, though, might wonder how exactly do we fight back? Is it a time for a march on Sacramento or Washington, D.C.? While the idea of educators confronting the very edifices of politics is not a bad idea, there is another way that might be even more effective. We educators must now engage in the actual dialogue, hijack it as some might say, in order to show exactly what it is we do that very few people see. With so much negative publicity about the failings of our educational system, there is very little, if any, publicity about what it is that we educators confront on a daily basis. Our side must be heard, but to be heard, we must speak. It is now time for us to speak, and speak loudly, so that people have an insight into our world.
One issue we must address is the fact that private institutions and the many laws that act to place a consumerist model onto education do not strictly apply to the public school system. Public schools are now being treated as corporate entities that operate under the principle: "The customer is always right." It is certainly true that students are consumers, and we as educators have a responsibility to deliver the best product we can, yet this consumerist model has one severe flaw which few in the media seem to discuss. Many of us know the saying, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." A private institution has that right. And, these institutions use that right. Many employ strict admission standards, ensuring that faculty will have only the brightest and most motivated students in their classes. On the other hand, if a student is disruptive, that student can, and often times will be, denied the services of that school very quickly and with little fear of consequences. Here at community college, we are proud of the fact that we do not turn anyone away. And, our source of funding dictates that we educate our students properly.
We at community colleges serve the taxpayer and the student, whereas for-profit institutions serve their corporate boards and their shareholders.
According to the November 17 issue of Inside Higher Ed, community colleges enroll 44 percent of all undergraduates, roughly 7.3 million students. For-profit institutions enrolled approximately 1.5 million students. Further, the February, 2010 Policy Alert from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that open-access colleges are responsible for the greatest increases in graduation rates. We who serve community college students are proud that we are often the last hope of a good formal education for many of those whom we serve.
It is our responsibility to let people know that if they want to place us in a corporate model where "the customer is always right" that they must recognize that since we have very little "right to deny services" to any student that all efforts must be made to send us the best customers they can.
Most who read periodicals or watch the news must realize that Mr. Hotsinpiller is right. If anything, he understates the urgency of our situation. His article "A Call to Action!" is urgent, and we must no longer allow the media to hijack our narrative and define in their terms what defines education. If we sit this one out, we might find ourselves with much more time to indulge in sitting. Stand up and let our side be heard.
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