It
Takes a Whole Village
(Of
Real People). . .
Education
is a profession that requires human beings to be successful. There are other professions where automation
or technology can replace people, but this simply isn't true when it comes to
education. Technology, programs and
materials can support the efforts of students, families and educators, but they
can't adequately replace humans in the educational experience. We need experienced, trained professionals
available to support the needs of students and to help guide them through the
process of gaining needed knowledge and skills.
Silicon
Valley's diversity problems
start in the classroom.
Mother Jones
Our
educational systems are much more than what they appear to be on the surface. While some make the argument that our public
schools are simply training grounds for students as they prepare to become
productive and informed citizens, our schools are also barometers of the health
of our overall society. What is taught,
who achieves success, what opportunities are offered and how services are
provided in our schools all help provide insight into how our society is
functioning.
There
are many who wish that defining success for our students and schools was as
simple as looking at test scores and that success could be guaranteed by simply
following a set curriculum. We are
constantly seeking that magic formula that will provide every student with
opportunities for a clear path to success.
What we find is that our efforts to identify and replicate things that
work for all students meet with the simple reality that every student, every
school, and every community are incredibly complex and the needs of our
students are as diverse as the student population itself.
This
reality creates confusion, anxiety and fear for many who make policy and for
those observing the system from the outside.
For those of us who are at work inside the educational system, this
diversity, uncertainty and challenge is as much a source of hope and joy as it
is a challenge and frustration.
Educators, families and students all see the strengths and the potential
of our diversity on a daily basis. We
see that it is in the different and seemingly dissimilar characteristics of
every student that hope for the future lies.
The fact that we rarely, if ever, meet an average student who's every
need is met by a standardized approach shows us new ways of thinking and
provides sparks that light fires of opportunity for all of us. Yet at the same time the many, divergent
needs of our students taxes our abilities and strains our resources as we
struggle to maximize the outcomes for students with fewer and fewer supports in
place.
This
constant tension between measurable results, standardized outcomes, equality of
opportunity and an incredibly diverse population with significant needs puts
our public schools under significant stress.
Combine this with the increasingly confrontational political climate,
and the privateers who see an opportunity for huge profits in our students and
schools, and we see our public schools and public educators becoming social,
political and economic targets.
Your choice - actively work
to change the direction of these reforms or accept that you are as much to
blame as the reformers. This from HuffingtonPost: As I watch the education
"debate" ... I wond...
Save Our Schools NZ
If you define "bad
teacher" as "whoever is standing in front of these low-testing
students," it doesn't matter who stands there. Whoever it is, he's
ineffective....
The Huffington Post|By Peter Greene
As
the antipathy towards public education increases in policy and rhetoric,
educators are fighting back and trying to change the dialog about our schools. The message that we are sending is one that
seeks to counter the negative imagery around our public schools, but also seeks
to provide a counter message to the current idea that schools are simply
conduits to colleges and careers.
Education can provide pathways to future economic success, but education
is more than just an economic investment.
Education provides ways of looking at the world that spur emotional and
social growth. A quality education
provides a person with a base from which a productive, happy and fulfilling
life can be constructed.
Dennis Van Roekel, president
of the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union,
made a video, which you can watch (above) or read (see transcript below),
expressing unusual public anger for the labor leader.
Washington Post
We are raising today's
children in sterile, risk-averse and highly structured environments. In so
doing, we are failing to cultivate artists, pioneers and entrepreneurs.
The Huffington Post|By Darell Hammond
Supporters of public
education are challenging the current messages around education, not to
obstruct growth or limit opportunities, but rather to make sure that the dialog
around public education in America
is one that includes all voices and seeks to strengthen our schools.
Dr. Louisa Moats, the
nationally-renowned teacher, psychologist, researcher and author, was one of
the contributing writers of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).I will let
Dr Moats speak for h...
DCGEducator: Doing The Right
Thing
If
we truly want to meet the needs of our students and provide the best
opportunities for every one of them, then we need to make sure that we are
supporting the people who are working on a daily basis in classrooms. All of the policy debate and all of the
political action that occurs in legislatures, school board meetings and
administrative offices have no impact unless the right people are doing the
right things in our school buildings.
The efforts of policy makers and administrators should support and
enhance school based educators efforts.
The potential for powerful change lies inside, not outside, of our
classrooms.
Unfortunately,
we continue to see educators at the bottom of the heap in many ways. We are vilified for the struggles of our
students. Those who make policy often
view us as either impediments to progress, or as uninformed participants who
need to be taught the "correct" way to do things. Our resources are limited and needed supports
have been reduced or eliminated by tight budgets. Too often we are the last ones consulted (if
we are asked at all) about proposed initiatives. Our suggestions are portrayed as self-serving
and our concerns for our students are downplayed. Creativity and ingenuity are challenged, and
conformity is rewarded.
In this op-ed, a high school
teacher explains why the majority of teachers spend their summers working.
TakePart
Teachers earn a bit more than
the average American and they are...
scholasticadministrator.typepad.com
Most reasons the most
talented and productive people flee a given workplace can be avoided. Here are
common mistakes, along with better alternatives.
www.ragan.com
The
current debate over the MMSD budget gives us examples of these problems. Take the Teacher Match proposal as a case in
point. Despite the many concerns and the
significant objections from community members and staff, the proposal continues
to be considered. After all the feedback,
the vote will be delayed so that district administrators will be able to “do some more stakeholder engagement.” It would seem that the stakeholders have
spoken already and are in support of smaller class sizes, increased
opportunities and diversity in programming and a commitment to supporting
building level educators. There isn't
support for initiatives like Teacher Match from the community, nor is there
adequate evidence that results will support such a large expenditure.
Our
students need the support of the best people possible, who are operating with
the full support of administration and the most freedom possible. Instead of micromanaging and working to make
sure that every educator is following the same "scripts" educational
leadership needs to be informed about what is happening in classrooms. Communication between all levels of our
educational system is vital and decision makers should be visible presences in
our schools. Too often, those making
decisions rely only on data, or on the testimony of administrators who are
rarely in classrooms as a basis for their conclusions. The successful education of our youth relies
on people, assisted by programs and technology, working together and sharing
ideas as we work to improve the quality of our schools for all students. As we continue through the summer I encourage
all people to pay close attention to the issues surrounding our public schools
and to be prepared to offer ideas and opinions to the discussions.
The board voted 4-3 to
approve the preliminary budget, which includes a 1.99 percent property...
madison.com|By
Lee Enterprises
The
Good, The Bad and
The
Ugly. . .
The Good . . . It's important to remember that there are people all over the nation
fighting to protect the rights and freedoms of everyone. If we stay connected and support each other,
the power of each individual act can spread.
The Green Mountain
State is doing something
no other state has done to...
By PolicyMic
The Board ruled that the name
was "disparaging to Native Americans" and...
Think Progress
The Bad . . . It is going to be difficult to undo the damage that the Walker administration has done to Wisconsin.
Now that Act 10 and other policies are in place, it will be challenging
to return our political and economic landscape to pre-Walker status. Republicans would have us believe that as
Rick Esenberg, a conservative lawyer said, “The horribles that the Democrats
predicted didn’t happen and Walker
is going to be able to point to a pretty good fiscal record and a lot of local
success stories.”
Democrat Mary Burke lays out
her position on Act 10, which launched an...
madison.com|By
Lee Enterprises
Gov. Scott Walker famously
promised during his 2010 campaign that he would bring 250,000 new
private-sector jobs to Wisconsin
by the end of his term in 2014. How's he doing? We're keeping...
madison.com|By
Lee Enterprises
Yet, we know that the
economic results that are being trumpeted are not all that they claim to
be. We also know that the damage done to
Wisconsin is
only partially economic. The real
lasting harm may have been done to the social and political cohesiveness and
stability of a state that had long prided itself on sound, fair and just
government.
What does it mean to say our
politics have grown more polarized? According to a new national...
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|By Craig
Gilbert
A glimpse of political life
in a divided region.
Washington Post
What follows is an account of
the brutal arrest of 71-year-old Ann Fleischi...
bluecheddar.net
The Republican Party of
Wisconsin mirrored Burke's campaign site,...
madison.com|By
Lee Enterprises
Gov. Scott Walker is going on
the offensive.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|By Daniel
Bice
This Wisconsin claim of "clean" government will forever be
tainted by the Walker
administration. We have become a
national political joke, all while those who are the punch line continue to
feign ignorance of any misdeeds.
Five county district
attorneys allege a nationwide scheme to illegally...
The New York Times|By
Monica Davey and Nicholas Confessore
It's complicated.
Washington Post
Stephen Colbert spoke about
Governor Walker's refusal to take a stand on gay marriage: "This is...
bluecheddar.net
The Ugly . . . Anti-union propaganda has deceived many people into thinking that
unions are no longer needed, or even are the enemy of working people. The data tells a different story, but too
many people don't realize just how important unions and worker's rights are to
the success of our society and of our economy.
Target is America's third-largest retailer.
It is also as staunchly anti-union as they come. In 2011, we showed you the
cheesy anti-union video all Target employees were shown. We now bring you the
new cheesy anti-union video...
Gawker|By
Hamilton Nolan
"The fact that CEOs make
almost 300 times what workers make should set off alarms," stated EPI
President Lawrence Mishel. (Photo: milfodd/cc/flickr)CEO pay is massively
outpacing that of regular workers, a new study shows.
Common Dreams
