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“For about a minute, I focus on things that have me worried or sad. You might call it a prayer or a moment of meditation. But whatever you call it, I take a few moments to pause and just think…I think of everything possible that could get me down. And I remind myself to leave those problems in the car. They have no place in Room 56. There are kids there with problems far greater than mine, and without the adult sensibilities to handle them.” Rafe Esquith, Real Talk for Real Teachers.

The Center for Education Reform (CER) is a leading advocate for issues related to charter schools, teacher quality, online learning, standardized testing, and federal policy. CER aims to make sure that parents are aware of school choice, that teachers make use of their resources, and that all students receive the education that they deserve. Rafe Esquith, a fifth grade teacher at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles, shines as an educator. CER, in regards to the issue of teacher quality, believes that teachers carry a heavy influence over their students. Therefore, it is imperative that children are taught by the best, and that the best should be rewarded for their hard work.

In Real Talk for Real Teachers, Esquith offers advice to the 22-year-old with a baccalaureate starting out his or her career as a teacher and to the master of the classroom who began perfecting the art of education…well, years ago. Nonetheless, Esquith suggests for both the young folks and those more experienced in the profession to not only believe in Churchill’s concept of never ever giving up, but to also put their students first.

As Esquith tells his students on a daily basis, a task cannot be accomplished some of the time; nor can it be accomplished most of the time. A task can only be accomplished if it is done all the time. Therefore, effective teachers are the ones who plan and care for their students all of the time. Throughout his book, Esquith mentions that teaching is a profession that comes with much joy, but it is also one that holds many challenges. A teacher must decide whether or not he or she will burn out in front of their students or burn brighter for them.

Esquith chooses to burn brighter. Like any person, Esquith is worried about buying his wife, Barbara, the new kitchen she has been longing for and cannot seem to help thinking about his daughter struggling with her pregnancy. His problems and concerns for other people and even for himself are very real, but he chooses to leave them in the car. There are students in his classroom, however, who truly struggle. Their problems are not only real to Esquith, but also tangible; their problems touch his heart. Esquith is not trying to “save” every student, but rather he desires to open doors for the children in his classroom. However, it must be the student’s choice whether or not to walk through those doors.

An effective teacher does not push, but encourages his or her students to take initiatives. CER takes the initiative to ensure that teachers like Esquith are the ones who will be teaching our future students. They wake up in the morning, drive to school, park the car, think about their own problems, and leave those thoughts in the car. They then help their students grow academically, but more so personally in the classroom. They drive home—planning a lesson or two on the way back and can hardly wait to teach it the next day.

There may be nothing new under the sun to an experienced teacher, but challenges will always exist. The effective teacher, like Esquith and those that the CER believe in, welcome all obstacles and overcome them—all the time. I hope to become a teacher someday myself. The response I usually receive is: “Why? You could do anything – why would you want to teach?”

Days after my high school graduation, I went back to visit. I saw one of my teachers, who quite frankly I never felt knew how to teach, and he asked me how I thought I did on the AP exam. In my heart, I was thinking, “How do you think I did having you as a teacher?” But I just said, “Pretty good, I think. I’m hoping for a 4.” He replied back, “You’re not good enough to get a 4. Maybe a 3” and because I had already graduated, I had that power to leave him standing there in the hallway without so much as a goodbye. I just left him with a smile, something I do out of habit.

However, the reality is that some students do not have that ability to leave—they must stay in the classroom with that one teacher for the entire school year! I did not care about how my teacher thought I would do on the exam; I did well for myself and that was all that mattered to me. I do care, though, that he told me—to my face—that I was not good enough. So teachers, I tell you: NEVER tell your students they are not good enough unless you want to encourage low expectations and widen the achievement gap.

Part of the reason I want to teach will always relate back to that dream of being able to decorate my classroom walls, buy teacher clothes, and teach A Separate Peace. However, more of it has to do with the fact that I never want any student to leave my classroom thinking he or she is “not good enough.” In the same manner Esquith leaves his worries in the car, I will tell my students to leave such thought alone—or better yet get rid of them not just some or most of the time, but all of the time. That type of negativity will not have a place in Room…TBA.

Navraj Narula, CER Intern

On Thursday, July 31^st the CER staff and interns embarked on a tour of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). During our visit, we gained knowledge on the variety of internships, fellowships, and scholarships offered by NASA, walked through the Integration Testing (I&T) and Innovation labs, and we had the opportunity to learn about the Optimus Prime – STEM challenge presentation.

NASA team members stressed the importance and need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational programs, emphasizing that it is the main pipeline for filling high-skilled jobs demanded by their industry. In addition, NASA members urged us to continue our fight in support of science and engineering-based programs. As tour guides walked us around rooms filled with complex pieces of machinery that produced even more intricate parts, it was evident that these tasks were meant for highly qualified and trained individuals.

Through persistent efforts, NASA recruits and develops individuals who are interested in the sciences and engineering. Its One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI) is an innovative, mission-enabling, NASA-wide approach to help build links to bring together STEM education programs and workforce needs, as well as to attract and motivate talented young people. The Optimus Prime (OP) challenge, named after the fan favorite and lead Transformer, is one such program. One high school-aged intern in the Optimus Prime challenge program left us all in awe as she presented a three-dimensional virtual world she and her fellow high school interns had created from scratch. As if this was not impressive enough, we were all surprised to learn that she taught herself how to use the computer program as well. Extraordinary NASA interns in high school, college, or graduate school serve as evidence that STEM programs are necessary for providing a venue for individuals to develop and express their ideas.

Many of these ideas and products created at NASA became everyday tools for people in the public. NASA has coined this transition as a “spinoff.” Spinoffs have impacted many aspects of our every-day life. For instance, in the health industry, water treatment technologies inspired healthy beverages and telescope innovations improved speed and accuracy of eye surgeries. In the transportation industry, anti-ice formulas now prevent train delays and shuttle repair tools are now used to automate vehicle maintenance.

All in all, by taking a step back to really digest my experiences on the tour, I came to the understanding that we are witnessing an ongoing cycle that yields progress. First, STEM education programs are nurturing and growing the minds of students. Next, organizations such as NASA do their part in bringing their students into the workforces where they can further develop their skills by applying them to real world problems. Finally, ideas that were once dormant in the minds of students become active and find their way out of the lab, and get injected into society to help promote human progress.

Tigran Avakyan, CER Intern

On Tuesday July 29^th, the CER Interns had a unique opportunity to meet with Katherine Haley, policy advisor to John Boehner, the Speaker of the House. As we walked through the marble halls of the United States Capitol building, the echoes of our group’s excitement bounced off the walls. We marveled at the architecture and muttered a continuous, “Wow this is so beautiful.” Our excitement only escalated as we were escorted into a conference room where we waited for Ms. Haley.

Ms. Haley has been working on Capitol Hill for 12 years, and has been working with Speaker Boehner for more than five of those years. Prior to her life on Capitol Hill, Ms. Haley spent her undergraduate years taking pre-med classes in anticipation of pursuing a degree in medicine. After graduation, she decided to spend her summer applying to medical school and interning on the hill in Washington, D.C. Ms. Haley said it was during this summer that she had her “ah-ha” moment, at which point she realized she wanted to begin her career in policy. Ms. Haley went on to describe what she has learned from working in Washington, D.C., such as how networking is a crucial aspect of being here and how it helped her move along from one job to the next.

We discussed the policy that Ms. Haley has seen go through her office regarding education, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, and the more recent Student Success Act. One of her focuses in this position has been changing policy to consolidate the current funding for elementary and secondary schools into fewer funding streams. She said that this may be a bold move, but it will allow schools to be dealt with on a more local level.

I found it particularly interesting when Ms. Haley brought up a comparison of how the United States sees education versus other countries around the world. She mentioned how certain countries value their teachers as some of the most respected professionals in the workforce, whereas teachers in the U.S. are not treated this way.

It was an honor to have the opportunity to meet with Ms. Haley, such an intelligent and influential person in policy. All of the interns were very grateful that she was able to take the time out of her day to speak with us and give us advice regarding education policy.

Mandy Leiter, CER Intern