With 3,000+ hours of group experience--a chunk of them at a Navy human relations project in the 70's as well as some church connected ones--I assure you lasting change does occur. There are many factors that contribute to lasting or little lasting change.
But in any standard school, there should be many stories, real tear jerking stories of lasting, memorable, growthful, overcoming change. I salute them.
Perhaps you are unaware of persistent research findings that EXTREMELY DISADVANTAGED kids can turn out to be paragons of success. And they persistently trace it to incredibly sparse encouragements--ONE TIME IN THEIR LIVES WHEN ****ONE**** TEACHER SAID SOMETHING AFFIRMING that demonstrated the teacher really cared.
I encourage you to get a cynicism check, if not a colonic removal of same [joke].
I agree the schools are a mess. Society's a mess. The NEA is guilty a million times over of working overtime to destroy our culture, our families, our lives, our nation. I have plenty of cynicism of my own to keep in check.
But when something praiseworthy occurs, I think we need to encourage it instead of just reflexively throw rocks.
Alrighty! So let's insist the teachers find one positive thing to say about each student, once per week. And leave the pseudo-psycho BS out.
The whole thing is a joke. Not because teachers don't matter or kids who are bad can't change, or even because I'm cynical. I'm not a cynical person at all. I'm a very upbeat and positive person.
The problem is this isn't the school system number one, two, or three priority. When the school is getting their main job done then they can take on more tasks. I very consistent on this. I don't think they should buy new football uniforms when they need new textbooks. They shouldn't repave the student parking lot until all the toilets work in the school.
Do the most important job first.