69传媒

Opinion
School & District Management Letter to the Editor

Ditch the Term 鈥楩ailing 69传媒鈥

June 13, 2023 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

To the Editor:

My optimism faded to disappointment while reading 鈥Mapping the Future of Education鈥 (April 26, 2023), an opinion collection with the Aspen Institute Education & Society program. While the road map鈥檚 noble ambiguities allow varying perspectives to work together, I was surprised at the term 鈥failing schools鈥 in one of the five pathways. That controversial鈥攏ot to mention pejorative, archaic, and hegemonic鈥攖erm jumped off the page and sullied the otherwise affirmative nature of the collection.

The act of labeling schools as failing serves to stigmatize communities. In addition, the burden of 鈥渇ailure鈥 is placed on the shoulders of dedicated teachers and hardworking families and ignores the fundamental systemic issues that inhibit appropriate improvement.

The term 鈥渇ailing schools鈥 is increasingly exploited as potent political rhetoric and is, thus, inappropriate for education鈥檚 future. In my role within a local arts education nonprofit, I engage with many Title I schools, some labeled as 鈥渇ailing鈥 and threatened with closure. When I enter those schools, I see a community needing support, not stigmatization. I see gifted young learners needing relevant educational experiences and assessments, not a state-mandated schoolwide letter grade. I see hardworking teachers needing intentional and dedicated resources, not relegation as political scapegoats. And I see families who need living wages and additional support services, not threats to close their local school.

If we want to support educational opportunity, we must remove the deficit-based language of 鈥渇ailing schools鈥 and acquire asset-based terminology that inspires and supports communities through compassion and understanding.

Andrew Lusher
Artist and Programming Manager
Arts for Learning Virginia
Norfolk, Va.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the June 14, 2023 edition of Education Week as Ditch the Term 鈥楩ailing 69传媒鈥

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management Spooked by Halloween, Some 69传媒 Ban Costumes鈥擝ut Not Without Pushback
69传媒 are tweaking Halloween traditions to make them more inclusive to all students.
4 min read
A group of elementary school kids sitting on a curb dressed in their Halloween costumes.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management 69传媒 Take a $3 Billion Hit From the Culture Wars. Here鈥檚 How It Breaks Down
Culturally divisive conflicts in schools have led to increased legal and security costs, as well as staff time spent on the fallout.
4 min read
Illustration of a businessman with his hands on his head while he watches dollars being sucked down into a dark hole.
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Opinion The Blind Spot More Educators Need to Recognize
A simple activity in a training session caused a chain reaction that strengthened an educator's leadership for decades to come.
5 min read
Screen Shot 2024 10 29 at 9.19.10 AM
Canva
School & District Management Opinion 9 Ways 69传媒 Can Improve Life for Teachers and 69传媒
Educators suggest low-cost strategies to improve the education experience for teachers and learners alike.
8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week