March 1, 2006
MAKING THINGS HOT FOR TEACHER:
Leaving no stone unturned to discredit No Child Left Behind (Ruben Navarrette Jr. , 3/01/06, Seattle Times)
It's easy to see why those who prefer the status quo detest No Child Left Behind. Under the law, children in every racial and demographic group in every public school must improve their scores on standardized tests in math and science. No excuses. Schools that fall short of that goal can be shut down, and their students can transfer to another public school.The critics hate requirements like that for one reason — because good tests not only tell you if kids are learning but also if teachers and administrators are holding up their end. If the truth comes out, disgruntled parents might go from demanding accountability from schools to demanding it from the individuals who work in them.
The educational system is about protecting the jobs of those who work in it, not educating the kids who depend on it.
Posted by Orrin Judd at March 1, 2006 7:01 AM
oj. The problem in a nut shell.
Posted by: erp at March 1, 2006 8:22 AM"It begins when a teaching corps that is three-fourths white approaches minority students with what President Bush calls the soft bigotry of low expectations. It continues as those teachers, at a loss to explain why these students don't do as well in school, cling to the racist assumption that minority parents don't value education."
Ruben Navarette continues to be blasted for making this sort of statement, but if my workplace's training programs are any indication, Ruben is absolutely correct. A lot of the white teachers in predominantly urban districts like LA Unified have absolutely no idea how to handle the current (or previous) Hispanic influx.
The only way a lot of my Hispanic coworkers learn anything that my company puts out for training is if their Hispanic supervisor explains it to them. And the only language used is English, in case Tancredo ever got into a nasty fit about that.
Posted by: Brad S at March 1, 2006 8:49 AMThis is why I quit teaching, and why my kids don't go to public schools.
Posted by: Mike Morley at March 1, 2006 9:05 AMNCLB, though a good ploy early on, and a good idea from a conceptual point of view, is already torn beyond repair.
The Administration, in an attempt to protect the sizzle, has sold out the steak. This last week has seen numerous articles about relaxed standards, different standards, and the possibility that NCLB ends up undermining the NAEP test.
Until the beast is killed, it will always subvert "reforms" like NCLB.
Only choice will succeed in killing the beast. All other reforms should be looked at as mere "tactics." The current system is "un-reformable."
Posted by: Bruno at March 1, 2006 9:32 AMBruno:
To the contrary, no matter how you relax it schools can't pass its standards and because it included public school vouchers we have a voucher system in place just waiting to be expanded when the GOP gets to 60 seats in the Senate.
Posted by: oj at March 1, 2006 9:38 AMHow then to explain why white kids aren't learning anything either?
Posted by: erp at March 1, 2006 1:55 PM