This is first in a series of ten summertime articles mapping the common ground upon which parents, educators, and communities can unite regarding one of the most divisive topics in America: public education.
I know it sounds crazy, but I contend that common ground on the issue of education not only exists, but that it may be the only remaining common ground in American culture. I am not dreaming the nostalgic myth of a lost Atlantis or the elitist dream of the flying island of Laputa. On the contrary, most public schools are practical, functioning, and redeemable places where parents, educators, and communities work together every day, regardless of differences. These islands function because 80% of parents and 80% of educators actually agree on 80% of the issues. (The 80/80/80 rule.)
I confess that this does sound a little crazy, even as I write this. Wherever I turn, public education is either extolled or demonized, and when extremes are our only options, everyone is forced to become an extremist. Despite the rhetoric, however, I have met few extremists. I see signs of them on social media and in news clips, but I cannot ever recall meeting one at the supermarket, at church, or in the drop-off line at school. Nevertheless, our national discourse is increasingly controlled by trolls behind keyboards and ogres on parade. In such a culture, anyone who rejects any element of our orthodoxy is no longer human. At least that’s what the trolls and ogres on my cable news channel tell me!
No subject illustrates this more than the topic of public education. We are told to choose between either rabid resistance to any change in public schools (except for more public funding) . . . or rabid commitment to dismantle public schools (while using the same public money). When such false choices wholly dominate national media, no wonder so many people naturally assume that their local public school is a boiling cauldron of controversy and contention. Far left and far right social engineers are surely battling it out in our hallways and classrooms, using our children as human shields. Judging by the national narrative, 80% of educators are evil, 80% of students are delinquents, and 80% of parents don’t care. If only God or the Government would save us!
So when I propose the 80/80/80 rule, I understand why you might think I am crazy, but think about it. Virtually all parents want their children to one day graduate, earn a living, and be part of a community. Educators want the same, and despite what you see on the interweb, few educators entered this profession because they hate children or parents. Sadly, the national media have 10/10 vision; they focus on the 10% of radical left issues and the 10% of radical right issues, painting everyone with these wide brushes. Your neighborhood school certainly includes these perspectives, but they make it work, because 80% of parents and 80% of educators agree on 80% of the issues. When they don’t, they have the capacity to disagree amicably and to work together. Otherwise, our schools would all be on fire.
I know the 80/80/80 rule seems preposterous to many, but I understand. Some subjects are easy, like career-ready graduates, safety, and security. Others, like school choice and faith, are a little more complicated, but the 80/80/80 rule applies even to tough topics. Next week, we will start off with the most revolutionary of ideas – that the parent is the most important educator in any child’s life. This ideal is the bedrock upon which our entire system depends, and believe it or not, most parents and most educators agree on this issue. Please join me this summer as we explore this elusive common ground. If my instincts are correct, we will discover it is bigger than ever imagined. Heck, even those searching for schools on Atlantis and Laputa might discover real estate they can share, even if they do choose to live on opposite sides of the island.
Tom Deighan is a public educator and currently serves as Superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. He may be reached at deighantom@gmail.com
