This is a fitting post to begin a new year of blogging about (education) policy. Good policy does not only work to solve problems; it must also be vigilant in monitoring what problems exist. This notion calls us to not merely focus our attention on one problem, but to pay attention to the larger system within which we interact.

For example: If I were to pay attention solely to the uses and limitations of standardized testing in elementary schools, I may completely overlook the recent trends of racial segregation in Southern charter schools. This might happen despite any new advances in understanding whether or not Common Core is perceived as successful.

We must always be cognizant of the larger picture, being open to integrating new considerations and concerns. A holistic approach to policy is our best bet at improving the whole of our society. For me this sentiment is true of all policy, but especially education policy.

Jack Schneider, who writes the bulk of the opinion article in the above link, offers a critique of the current debates in education policy. His argument is that those engaged with education policy are too caught up in maximizing student test scores, fixing school administrations, and improving the academic credentials of their faculty. “Where is the talk of care in policy circles? Where is the talk of teachers as role models? Those are the characteristics that actually make a difference in kids’ lives”.

While I do not wish to answer the questions professor Schneider raises here in my blog post, I do want to encourage his approach to thinking about policy. We ought to be relentless in our defining what constitutes issues worth addressing in education policy. I recognize there is a division of labor among those who study and engage in education policy, but we must not focus our attention only on one cog of the machine. In between our thoughts about how the school choice movement impacts the academic achievement among low income students (if this is your drug of choice), we should pause to learn about and consider new realities which may play a role in how education is effectively delivered to the public. Maybe you’ll notice that the kindest of teachers can improve SAT scores.