TEACHERS ARE THE KEY TO EDUCATION REFORM BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT WOULD RATHER 'SHAME AND BLAME'.

Byline: Joan Jaeckel

THE school board is ``stunned'' at the suggestion that a state-appointed monitor take control if its performance is subpar, according to certain criteria, because ``the appointment of a state monitor at this time, with the authority and powers contained in your document, would make it almost impossible to (attract the very best superintendent we can attract).''

This is a very important point. Now that the gun of ``accountability'' is aimed back at the board, members beg for understanding and time: ``To me it's another case of people not recognizing the fact that there is a newly constituted Board of Education and a new administration who are making changes,'' board member Valerie Fields said. ``They're not giving us a chance.''

We Angelenos ought to see this gladiator-scale cat fight as a heads-up: What we see is what we'll continue to get as long as the principles of shame 'n' blame continue as the core motivating tool of education reform in Los Angeles.

What do we expect? We watch while teachers are made to teach in an increasingly punitive and behaviorist environment, in which they have all the responsibility and none of the ``powers and authority'' over their own work as professionals.

We are about to watch 13,000 second- and eighth-graders ``fail'' according to a shoe size that may or may not fit any wearer.

They will take the heat for a system that does not understand the childhood learning curve and then shames and blames the students and their teachers.

``The single most important matter facing the district right now is the selection of the very best superintendent we can attract,'' says interim Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines.

We Angelenos ought to ask ourselves if appointing this or that official is really any kind of solution. No matter how competent they are, because an elected official is too far removed from the actual idiosyncratic needs of any particular school, we end up playing political roulette with future generations' lives.

What do the students need? Isn't the single most important thing for them the empowerment and trust placed in their teacher? How can we expect to attract the very best teachers to the profession if they are told to think inside of the box - while the rest of the world strives to think out of the box?

(State Sen. Richard) Polanco's desperate idea is no sillier than the standardized and politicized environment under which the students and teachers are expected to ``perform.''

I hope that every ``failing'' second-grader and every ``failing'' eight- grader will face his or her parent and say: ``Mom, Dad, to me, it's another case of the system not recognizing the fact that I am an evolving young person and excited about my life and my future. Our school system does not give me a chance.''

The first ``Superman'' movie had an instructive scene in which Lois Lane is carried through the air with Superman holding her: ``Don't worry,'' he says, ``I've got you.'' Stunned, she says, ``Yeah, but who's got you?''

The school board says the teachers need to be held, but who's holding the board?

Now, Polanco says the school board needs to be held, but who's holding Polanco?

What next? Will George Bush or Al Gore hold Polanco?

Who is really qualified to stand in judgment of another person's work?

It's an endless, no-win loop. We will have to put our trust into teachers to hold the students as they fly. We ought to budget no money at all to catch teachers doing badly and allocate all resources to support teacher development, and research into child development and learning.