‘Accountabilty 25 Although the theme of my essay revolves around teachers and student, it should not be overlooked that, in the end, for change to occur we must hold policymakers accountable, Accountability in our society has been given a nega- tive connotation, evoking a sense of blame, with policymakers seizing control of the true purpose of accountability—growth. Dewey is consumed by the sense of ‘continuous improvement, believing “the closest to an all-inclusive educational ‘end was the principle of growth” (Hook, 1959, p. 12). Teachers and students alike ‘ean grow and value the educational experience, if we use accountability measures for their original purpose. Itis through accountability that teachers can learn from their mistakes and new experiences to help foster their growth, Similarly, students need to better understand themselves as productive students and hold themselves responsible for their education. However, until policymakers see accountability the same way Dewey does—as a means through which we grow and change— then our system of accountability is nothing more than a system of blame. References ‘ Dewey Ja & Tis, J. (1985). The moral ef mJ. A. Boyton (Ed), jon Deve: The ter works, 1925-1953:Vo. 7.1932 (pp 286-310). Cabondl: Southern Ilinois Univesicy Pres. (Original work published 1932) Hook, S. (1959) John Dewey Philosopher of growth Jounal of Phibaphy, 562), 9-17. No Child Let Behind Act of 2001, Pub L. No. 107-110, § 118, tat 1425 (2002). Romzek, B.S. 2000) Dynamics of pubic sector accountable inan er of form. nr atonal Review of Adminsative Scenes, 66, 21-44 ART AND ACCOUNTABILITY Kyle Greenwalt ‘Common thins a flower a lea of moonlight, the song ofa bird, not things rare and remot, are means with which th deeper levels of ie are touched so that they spring up as desire and thought. This process is art... Artists have alvays been the ral purveyor of news, for iti not the outward happening in itself which is ney but the kindling by i of emotion, perception and appreciation. —The Public and Its Problems, Later Works 2: 35026 Experiencing Dewey ‘Teaching, a5 Maxine Greene (1973) reminded us through her many writings, is anart. Recently, was rewatching the film Ete et avoir (2002) by the French director [Nicolas Philibert. In the film, a scene ripe with the emotional labor that artful teachers must undertake most every day of their careers unfolds between two young boys, Olivier and Julien, and their teacher, Mr. Lopez. Mr. Lopez, as he does throughout the film, speaks in a voice that is simultaneously warm, reticent, and authoritative. In the scene, we see Mr. Lopez tactfully navigating Olivier through a range of difficult emotions—alienation, fea, anger, and despair. Not without hesita- tions and missteps, Mr. Lopez nonetheless works Olivier through this incident, Masterfally mobilizing both the nostalgia for times past and the apprehension of things yet to come, Mr. Lopez reminds us of the embodied wisdom that can help teachers navigate the most delicate of circumstances. Mr. Lopez restores Olivier to the sense of community that is necessary if meaningful learning isto ever take place. ‘The Role of Criticism and Policy ‘What role mighe works lke Be et al play in improving che lives of exchess and students in the current educational landscape? Put more broadly, what do art and accountability, criticism and policy, have to do with one another? For Dewey, the answer is pretty clear: they are all forms of inquiry that eck to enrich the life of individuals. Over the past 25 years in the United States, we seem to have buile a whole system of schooling around failure: its constant detection and punishment for it. There continue to be beautifil things happening in schools across North ‘America, but those things happen in spite of, not because of, ecent educational policy. Dewey would have shuddered at this. Today's educational bureaucrats would do well to heed his statements on policy. He writes: Policies and proposals for social action {should] be treated as working hypoth- ses, not as programs to be rigidly adhered to and executed. They will be ‘experimental in the sense that they will be entertained subject to constant and well-equipped observation of the consequences they entail when acted upon, and subject to ready and flexible revision in the light of observed consequences. (Dewey, 1927/1984, p. 362) ‘The key here is the notion of revision in light of observed consequences. Any program for education reform—indeed, any action undertaken by a human ‘being—will set into action a series of desired and undesirable consequences. The‘Accountability 27 world isa web of interdependency. Ie is amenable to our interventions, but never completely so ‘The critic, Dewey says is that person who, through long experience and train~ ing, brings herself to the point where she is quite good at noticing things. She puts this noticing to good use, by evoking for her contemporaries some of the same things she notices. She reeducates the perception of the community. Teachers as Artists How does society improve? How will schooling be made better? The answer, says Dewey,is through shared inquiry and communication—through the socialization of intelligence. Films like Eve et avoir help educate the public on the intimate, complicated, and multifaceted work of the teacher, Scenes like those between Mr. Lope2, Oliv- ier, and Jolien help us rediscover the tact and acumen, that the skilled teacher needs to possess. They remind us that education is a matter of the heart as well as the head and hand. We need more films, more novels, and more television pro= grams like this to broaden the way the public thinks about schoolteachers and the importance of their work. ‘But as teachers, we might undertake this work more directly by inviting the public into the very conditions of our work. An outstanding classroom teacher is every bit a creative genius as any Mozart or Bronté. But if the conditions for our ‘work are to improve, our work needs to be more effectively communicated to the public. We are in desperate need of a forum wherein parents and politicians ean rot only observe but also join in tactful pedagogical work. In this way, we might hhope to kindle the type of “emotion, perception and appreciation” that will make of everyone a connoisseur of teaching. References Dewey J (1984). The pubic and i problems. InJ.A. Boydson (Ed), Jn Deve: The oer wos, 1925-1983: 2, 1925-1927 (pp 288-372), Carbondale! Southern linois Univesity Prev, (Original work published 1927) Greene, M. (1973). Taher a srener Belmont, CA: Wadsworth liber N. (Directs). 2002). ie et ari Motion picture]. France: Maia Fils,