In his 1988 speech to the National Press Club, Albert Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers, addressed the shortcomings and challenges in American public education and proposed a bold, second-wave reform agenda. Reflecting on the initial wave of education reforms following A Nation at Risk, Shanker praised improvements such as higher standards and teacher testing but criticized the overly regulatory, top-down approach that failed to serve the majority of students.
He introduced a “second reform movement” — one that would empower teachers and communities to create innovative, autonomous schools within existing school structures. These schools would focus on reaching the 80% of students left behind by traditional systems, emphasizing flexibility, student-centered learning, and collaborative teaching environments.
Shanker proposed allowing groups of teachers and parents to form alternative school units with freedom in instructional methods, governance, and assessment — provided they uphold equitable standards and outcomes. He emphasized voluntary participation, local accountability, and the importance of experimentation to discover what truly works in education. His call was not for a one-size-fits-all fix, but for structural mechanisms that enable sustainable innovation from the ground up.
Transcript
Outline of the Speech
I. Introduction
- Context: Five years after A Nation at Risk.
- Education is still in crisis.
- AFT’s openness to reform and critique.
II. The First Reform Movement
- Mandates: curriculum, standards, tests.
- Benefits: improved requirements, higher salaries.
- Drawbacks: rigid regulations, overemphasis on standardized testing.
III. Critique of the Status Quo
- The pendulum swing: tough vs. soft education cycles.
- Ineffectiveness for 80% of students.
- Analogy to medicine: schools blame students for not responding to the “pill.”
IV. Introduction of the Second Reform Movement
- Bottom-up innovation in a few districts.
- Driven by teacher leadership, trust, and collaborative governance.
- Includes efforts like peer review, differentiated staffing, and creative pedagogy.
V. Proposal: Schools Within Schools
- Small groups of teachers and parents opt into alternative educational models.
- Not bound to traditional classrooms or schedules.
- Encourages experimentation, personalized learning, and diversified instruction methods.
VI. Operational Guidelines
- Teacher-driven governance.
- Student-centered methodologies.
- Focus on real-world skills, creativity, and cooperation.
- Clear metrics for success, transparency, and data-sharing.
VII. Implementation and Safeguards
- Voluntary participation.
- Approval by school leadership and community.
- Long-term commitment to ensure stability.
- Budget autonomy, not more funding, but different spending.
VIII. Challenges and Responses
- Avoiding anarchy.
- Preventing stigma.
- Differences from magnet schools.
- Cost-neutral, adaptable, and potentially cost-saving.
IX. Broader Support and Next Steps
- Need for national policy mechanisms and support structures.
- Development of teacher knowledge networks.
- Comparison to Japan’s comprehensive educational commitment.
X. Conclusion
- We must try bold experiments or remain stagnant.
- Need a president who genuinely cares about children and education.
Get QR Code
