Link to original source. (http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=552)

"Diane Ravitch poses a dozen piercing questions on education and school policy. Some of them turn conventional thinking on its ear, and each could be a starting point for reporting on elections, from the presidency on down to local school boards.


1. Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored of charter schools—that is, schools that are privately managed and deregulated. Are you aware that studies consistently show that charter schools don’t get better results than regular public schools? Are you aware that studies show that, like any deregulated sector, some charter schools get high test scores, many more get low scores, but most are no different from regular public schools? Do you recognize the danger in handing public schools and public monies over to private entities with weak oversight? Didn’t we learn some lessons from the stock collapse of 2008 about the risk of deregulation?

2. Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored of merit pay for teachers based on test scores. Are you aware that merit pay has been tried in the schools again and again since the 1920s and it has never worked? Are you aware of the exhaustive study of merit pay in the Nashville schools, conducted by the National Center for Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt, which found that a bonus of $15,000 per teacher for higher test scores made no difference?

3. Are you aware that Milwaukee has had vouchers for low-income students since 1990, and now state scores in Wisconsin show that low-income students in voucher schools get no better test scores than low-income students in the Milwaukee public schools? Are you aware that the federal test (the National Assessment of Educational Progress) shows that—after 21 years of vouchers in Milwaukee—black students in the Milwaukee public schools score on par with black students in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana?

4. Does it concern you that cyber charters and virtual academies make millions for their sponsors yet get terrible results for their students?

5. Are you concerned that charters will skim off the best-performing students and weaken our nation’s public education system?

6. Are you aware that there is a large body of research by testing experts warning that it is wrong to judge teacher quality by student test scores? Are you aware that these measures are considered inaccurate and unstable, that a teacher may be labeled effective one year, then ineffective the next one? Are you aware that these measures may be strongly influenced by the composition of a teacher’s classroom, over which she or he has no control? Do you think there is a long line of excellent teachers waiting to replace those who are (in many cases, wrongly) fired?"

Are you aware that there is a large body of research by testing experts warning that it is wrong to judge teacher quality by student test scores? Are you aware that these measures are considered inaccurate and unstable, that a teacher may be labeled effective one year, then ineffective the next one? Are you aware that these measures may be strongly influenced by the composition of a teacher’s classroom, over which she or he has no control? Do you think there is a long line of excellent teachers waiting to replace those who are (in many cases, wrongly) fired?"


I completely agree with this... 100%.

5. Are you concerned that charters will skim off the best-performing students and weaken our nation’s public education system?





How are Schools Weakened ?

the Poor preforming students bring down the class room experience, because the teacher holds back the brightest students to teach down to those that are not getting it

Politicians neither know nor care about schools unless they can get some sort of "sound bite" out of it that includes the tagline, "for the children".

The true level of ignorance involved is positively astounding.

How are Schools Weakened ?

the Poor preforming students bring down the class room experience, because the teacher holds back the brightest students to teach down to those that are not getting it

That was my experience growing up. The bright students were bored senseless, because the work was mind-numbingly easy. I was at a public school in the sixth grade, and I could hear the fifth grade class every day doing an alphabet drill - saying the alphabet sounds, because some of the kids still couldn't read.

We left that school. But, I saw this all through school.

If schools had to compete for the best students, they might change the way they do things. There's no incentive whatsoever if they have a captive audience.

That was my experience growing up. The bright students were bored senseless, because the work was mind-numbingly easy.

[Thank You !!] :buddies:

If schools had to compete for the best students, they might change the way they do things. There's no incentive whatsoever if they have a captive audience.




:popcorn:


I heard this woman talk yrs ago on 105.1 on one of the Morning Christian Radio Programs ;

the message was simple, people LEARN Differently - and children do not fit the cookie cutter programs used by the Education System ....


Education Reform—What’s the Point? (http://www.applest.com/edreform.htm)

By Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, M.Ed.

I still remember my enthusiasm during my first week as a new teacher so many years ago. As a fresh young college graduate, I was excited at the prospect of educating eager young minds for the future. Before I taught my first class, one of the "seasoned veterans" in the faculty lounge pulled me aside to share a bit of advice.

"You know," he said confidently, "most of the kids you’re going to be teaching aren’t even school material." I must have looked puzzled as he continued. "Take my advice," he offered. "Just teach the kids who’ll listen and let the rest fall through the cracks in the system. You’re gonna waste your time trying to talk to kids who don’t want to listen anyway. Just drop ‘em through, teach the rest, and you’ll survive just fine."

My dismay at his suggestion only increased as the first year passed. I found most of the students that were considered not to be "school material" were my favorite kids. They were bright, creative, intuitive and—well, a little obnoxious. I liked that. They seemed to think school was boring. Actually, so did I—and I was the teacher! I kept thinking there must be a better way to reach students than we were using. Did we really want to let so many of these great kids just drop through the cracks?

Every summer I went back to work in the corporate world, both to earn a little extra money and to find out what my students were really going to need when they graduated. From the very first summer I was amazed to find out that, for the most part, people were getting hired for most of the traits that got them in trouble at school! Those who had talked too much were now successful sales people and public relations executives; those who always seemed to have a great comeback and a smart aleck response were now sought-after consultants and troubleshooters; those who had insisted on trying new things and taking a non-traditional direction were now entrepreneurs and CEOs. So many of the strengths necessary for success in life were almost completely discouraged during the school years.



You Can’t Make Me! (But I Can Be Persuaded) (http://www.applest.com/teachers.htm)
--Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, M.Ed.


God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth. --2 Timothy 2: 24-25

"Do I have to do this assignment?" The question came from a notoriously strong-willed student with a reputation for being a troublemaker. Her eyes flashed an unmistakable challenge: just try and make me. I gave her a casual glance.

"No," I replied. "You don’t have to do it." She couldn’t hide her surprise.

"You mean I get an ‘A’ and I don’t have to do it?" she asked incredulously. I shook my head.

"No, you get an ‘F’—but you don’t have to do it." She frowned, shrugged her shoulders and went back to her seat. In moments, she had begun work on the assignment. She just wanted to let me know she could get an ‘F’ if she wants to. That’s right. She always has a choice.

No one knows that better than I do. I have been a "Strong-Willed Child" all my life, and I know you never grow out of it. That’s actually a good thing—especially if you understand just what being strong-willed really means.

Politicians neither know nor care about schools unless they can get some sort of "sound bite" out of it that includes the tagline, "for the children".

The true level of ignorance involved is positively astounding.

Since the education industry controls the production and performance of teachers, who do you believe should be accountable for the pizz poor performance of today's students? Don't give me 'The parents' on this one because the really interested parents who want their kids to succeed have take their kids out of the public schools in droves.

Looking at the original article, there's very weak support for the claims made. And I am always distrustful of "studies" unless I know about the conditions and how they are done.

I guess it doesn't make any sense to me that rewarding good teachers and failing to reward bad teachers makes no difference. Most of the real world operates this way - you're judged by the results you produce. If you coach a team that consistently loses, there's a good chance you'll be fired.

I don't see how a system that largely rewards people based on seniority rather than accomplishment can be successful, nor can I see a problem with allowing students and parents to have a choice in selecting schools. There are dozens of PUBLIC schools in this country which have such high standards of excellence, students MUST pass entrance exams to be admitted. If schools in any way had to complete for students, they might work harder.

I understand that judging a teacher based solely on exam scores can be a losing strategy. But I can't think of a much better approach off the top of my head. If I knew a doctor who lost patients or a mechanic who consistently failed to fix cars while charging to replace this or that - I'd drop them.

My brother is a teacher. Some years ago, he taught an AP History course, and the number of students who got a 3-5 on it soared (I think it went from a handful to several dozen). By all rights, he clearly demonstrated that he did a good job teaching. He was one of the first ones out the door when they started cutting teachers. He has a good job now, but I always wondered what they were thinking - his example for a few years could have been a movie.

I understand that judging a teacher based solely on exam scores can be a losing strategy. But I can't think of a much better approach off the top of my head. If I knew a doctor who lost patients or a mechanic who consistently failed to fix cars while charging to replace this or that - I'd drop them.

My brother is a teacher. Some years ago, he taught an AP History course, and the number of students who got a 3-5 on it soared (I think it went from a handful to several dozen). By all rights, he clearly demonstrated that he did a good job teaching. He was one of the first ones out the door when they started cutting teachers. He has a good job now, but I always wondered what they were thinking - his example for a few years could have been a movie.

Yet every single year, every single year, there's an article in the local newspaper about a single teacher who is being singled out as a "Teacher of the year" based on some popularity-contest criteria. The letters of support from parents and school administrators always tell of the personal attention this teacher pays every struggling student in the classroom. The teacher is always involved in extra-curricular activities and (this is a stretch on my part) has a handicapped pet back home that needs constant attention.

But in no instance is the teacher promoted or given a step-raise because usually that teacher is so involved in teaching (and handicapped pet advocacy) to kiss azz and do the tenured teacher bit.

There are no "Stand and Deliver" teacher/administrators out there any more.