In chapter 8, many different educational “fix” programs were discussed. The one of main focus seem to be the classic “No Child Left Behind” that so many teachers love and believe is working today….at least that’s what the government would like us to think. “No Child Left Behind” cannot and will not work as long as it is in place under this administration. When there are as many different types of learners and ability levels as there are in this country, you cannot place a blanket standardized test to evalute teacher effectiveness. Is a child with a 70 I.Q. supposed to perform on the same level as a gifted child? And is that gifted child supposed to be held to a lower standard because the teacher can’t teach past the lowest achiever in her class? It’s creating more of a problem than it is fixing by causing anxiety in the education field and a downfall of teacher morale. Teachers feel more like they are answering to the government’s manadates rather than educating children, and I’m pretty sure that’s not why they got into teaching in the first place.
Chapter 9 discusses many states’ attempts to desegregate schools in order to create more diversity in schools. I agree with biogirl that this chapter felt very redudant as far as what is covered. And while I am all for learner diversity and integrating schools, is putting money into a program that buses kids to schools outside of their district the most efficient decision? What if that money placed in by the governments was put toward increasing teacher salaries or improving building conditions in the districts? Would it possibly create a society of more quality teachers and better suited schools that parents would not mind sending their kids to? Possibly the integration would work itself out if those things were fixed, but that is only my theory on what could happen. Increasing teachers’ salaries and fixing buildings may do nothing but give us nice segregated schools, but we have to be willing to look in other directions to find answers.
March 9, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I vote that we look in ALL directions….