Secondary School Student Activism: An Up-tight
Communication Problem
Dr. Homer O. Elseroad - Supt.
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md.
18 Feb 70
We have succeeded in teaching students to think for
themselves, to debate controversial issues, to challenge traditions
and to question authority. Now, however, many schools are threatened
by the very things they have tried to instill in their students.
Students are demanding a more relevant education, fairer discipline
practices, and a greater opportunity to participate in the decision
making processes of their schools. A great deal of student unrest can
be attributed to a lack of communication. Therefore, the following
suggestions are offered to improve the educational climate and better
human relations within our schools: (1) principals and teachers need
to develop a greater understanding of today's student and learn new
skills to deal with him and his problems; (2) Counseling services
should be expanded and improved; (3) student councils should be given
more authority; and (4) the curriculum should be modified so that
greater emphasis is placed on current problems and issues.
Some of our problems are obviously a product of our successes. We have
succeeded in teaching many students to think for themselves, to study and debate controversial issues, to formulate their own opinions, and to speak and write forcefully.
We have taught that students should be contribUting members of our
society, should be concerned about their community, and should be active
participants rather than only observers. Now, when students do speak out, do
think for themselves, do challenge tradition, do question authority--as we taught them to--we often don't like it.
The children that we have been trying to teach to be responsible citizens feel responsible for improving society. The kids we have tried to teach to think for themselves are doing it.
In many cases, in examining this communication gap--which undoubtedly
exists between many students and their schools--it is in part our successes rather than our failures that are causing us problems.
We have many students who are energetic, willing, and able enough to
challenge the existing structure of public education. They are just what we have
said we wanted students to be: curious and eager to learn, ready to explore and to innovate. But some of these bright young people have became alienated. Their ideas colored by moral confusion, by a compound of fear and rage. They have become cynics at an early age. If we are to take some of the credit for their abilities, we must also take part of the blame for their disillusion.
And we should keep in mind the words of the French social historian, Jacques
Ellul, who wrote that: "It never occurs to anyone that if the young are calling
something into question, if they are beating desperately against our walls, it is they who may be right, and that what they are attacking may really deserve to be ,attacked."
Do our schools deserve to be attacked? First, let us make a distinction between
the violence of troublemakers who seek to disrupt and destroy, to harass
and to vandalize, and the students who offer sincere and considered criticism of the schools, or who, at worst, practice civil disobedience for their causes.' The lawlessness we cannot tolerate, in school or out. But the others, the critics, are
trying to communicate, and even though we may not always approve of their actions, I think that we must listen to them, and try to communicate with them. For in the listening, in communicating, we may discover the causes of their dissatisfaction with the schools and programs we have produced for them.
What are students saying? What are their criticisms? A lack of relevant, A
lack of relevant studies is constantly stressed. These students say that we jam their heads with useless information. They argue that the curriculum is filled with required literature that has nothing to do with today, with the memorization of facts of no interest or value, and with vocational courses geared to yesterday rather than to tomorrow.
Some students tell me that their teachers talk too much, and that they are
discouraged from presenting their own ideas. They want to deal with live issues- - many of which are controversial. They say that teachers don't ask them to think, only to give back what the teacher and textbook say. Many students say that homework is drudgery which serves no useful purpose. They object to grades, saying that they can't accurately tell how a student is doing and that grades, rather than learning, have become the goal of their education.
In other words, many of the student critics of our schools are saying some of
the same things that many of us in education have been saying for a number of years.
We have talked about the problems. They are not content with talk and good intentions.
They want changes.
The student critics are demanding more opportunity to participate in the
decision-making process in their schools.
Another area of school life which seems to provoke unrest, and indeed court
action, is student discipline. Students are asking for due process, for protection of their rights, and the courts are rendering decisions which affect both them and us.
Students want a grievance procedure. They don't want dress codes. They want a student council with some powers. They don't want censorship. They complain
about a lot of things. Some are old gripes, like the food in the cafeteria or the
smoking rules, and some are relatively new, like the charges of racism and
discrimination. The list goes on. And like the army, we could say that griping is
a good thing, a healthy sign, and let it go at that. Both you and I know that much of what the secondary schools are doing is good. And much of what the elementary schools are doing is good. Our schools are staffed, for the most part, by sensitive and dedicated teachers and administrators. Our programs have been undergoing change and we are trying to keep up with a world that is moving rapidly in many directions.
Students, especially in the lower grades, are being involved in the educational
process. We ARE doing more than just talk about individualized instruction.
We HAVE BEEN cutting into the dropout rate and ARE TRYING to meet the needs of the slow reader. We HAVE recognized the cries for relevancy with courses from Black history to computer technology. So we could pat ourselves on the back, examine our test scores and count our merit scholars, and modestly admit that we are doing the best we can with the resources available.
Part ONE
Communication Problem
Dr. Homer O. Elseroad - Supt.
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md.
18 Feb 70
We have succeeded in teaching students to think for
themselves, to debate controversial issues, to challenge traditions
and to question authority. Now, however, many schools are threatened
by the very things they have tried to instill in their students.
Students are demanding a more relevant education, fairer discipline
practices, and a greater opportunity to participate in the decision
making processes of their schools. A great deal of student unrest can
be attributed to a lack of communication. Therefore, the following
suggestions are offered to improve the educational climate and better
human relations within our schools: (1) principals and teachers need
to develop a greater understanding of today's student and learn new
skills to deal with him and his problems; (2) Counseling services
should be expanded and improved; (3) student councils should be given
more authority; and (4) the curriculum should be modified so that
greater emphasis is placed on current problems and issues.
Some of our problems are obviously a product of our successes. We have
succeeded in teaching many students to think for themselves, to study and debate controversial issues, to formulate their own opinions, and to speak and write forcefully.
We have taught that students should be contribUting members of our
society, should be concerned about their community, and should be active
participants rather than only observers. Now, when students do speak out, do
think for themselves, do challenge tradition, do question authority--as we taught them to--we often don't like it.
The children that we have been trying to teach to be responsible citizens feel responsible for improving society. The kids we have tried to teach to think for themselves are doing it.
In many cases, in examining this communication gap--which undoubtedly
exists between many students and their schools--it is in part our successes rather than our failures that are causing us problems.
We have many students who are energetic, willing, and able enough to
challenge the existing structure of public education. They are just what we have
said we wanted students to be: curious and eager to learn, ready to explore and to innovate. But some of these bright young people have became alienated. Their ideas colored by moral confusion, by a compound of fear and rage. They have become cynics at an early age. If we are to take some of the credit for their abilities, we must also take part of the blame for their disillusion.
And we should keep in mind the words of the French social historian, Jacques
Ellul, who wrote that: "It never occurs to anyone that if the young are calling
something into question, if they are beating desperately against our walls, it is they who may be right, and that what they are attacking may really deserve to be ,attacked."
Do our schools deserve to be attacked? First, let us make a distinction between
the violence of troublemakers who seek to disrupt and destroy, to harass
and to vandalize, and the students who offer sincere and considered criticism of the schools, or who, at worst, practice civil disobedience for their causes.' The lawlessness we cannot tolerate, in school or out. But the others, the critics, are
trying to communicate, and even though we may not always approve of their actions, I think that we must listen to them, and try to communicate with them. For in the listening, in communicating, we may discover the causes of their dissatisfaction with the schools and programs we have produced for them.
What are students saying? What are their criticisms? A lack of relevant, A
lack of relevant studies is constantly stressed. These students say that we jam their heads with useless information. They argue that the curriculum is filled with required literature that has nothing to do with today, with the memorization of facts of no interest or value, and with vocational courses geared to yesterday rather than to tomorrow.
Some students tell me that their teachers talk too much, and that they are
discouraged from presenting their own ideas. They want to deal with live issues- - many of which are controversial. They say that teachers don't ask them to think, only to give back what the teacher and textbook say. Many students say that homework is drudgery which serves no useful purpose. They object to grades, saying that they can't accurately tell how a student is doing and that grades, rather than learning, have become the goal of their education.
In other words, many of the student critics of our schools are saying some of
the same things that many of us in education have been saying for a number of years.
We have talked about the problems. They are not content with talk and good intentions.
They want changes.
The student critics are demanding more opportunity to participate in the
decision-making process in their schools.
Another area of school life which seems to provoke unrest, and indeed court
action, is student discipline. Students are asking for due process, for protection of their rights, and the courts are rendering decisions which affect both them and us.
Students want a grievance procedure. They don't want dress codes. They want a student council with some powers. They don't want censorship. They complain
about a lot of things. Some are old gripes, like the food in the cafeteria or the
smoking rules, and some are relatively new, like the charges of racism and
discrimination. The list goes on. And like the army, we could say that griping is
a good thing, a healthy sign, and let it go at that. Both you and I know that much of what the secondary schools are doing is good. And much of what the elementary schools are doing is good. Our schools are staffed, for the most part, by sensitive and dedicated teachers and administrators. Our programs have been undergoing change and we are trying to keep up with a world that is moving rapidly in many directions.
Students, especially in the lower grades, are being involved in the educational
process. We ARE doing more than just talk about individualized instruction.
We HAVE BEEN cutting into the dropout rate and ARE TRYING to meet the needs of the slow reader. We HAVE recognized the cries for relevancy with courses from Black history to computer technology. So we could pat ourselves on the back, examine our test scores and count our merit scholars, and modestly admit that we are doing the best we can with the resources available.
Part ONE