Educating for Democracy: Obama Flogs Teachers to Teach Better

[Bluebear]

by Joel Shatzky, English professor

One of my favorite expressions was written on a sign in my colleague's office when I first started teaching at SUNY, Cortland in the late 1960's: "The flogging will stop when morale improves." President Obama's new proposals for improving graduation rates in "failing" schools by firing "half the staff" (which half?) as a way of giving incentives to other teachers to "do better or else" reminds me of that witty saying. Only the results aren't going to be very funny.

Faced with losing their jobs, as has been happening in New York City under similar circumstances, teachers in threatened schools will not only "teach to the test" until all semblance of learning is driven out of the classroom: their supervisors will do the kind of "creative accounting" that will miraculously increase graduation rates, including the use of "credit recovery," a way of granting failing students high school diplomas without their passing the required exams...

It's unfortunate that the public assumes that the best students have the best teachers, and the worst students the worst teachers, because that simply isn't true. There are many "good teachers" in low-performing schools and more than a share of bad ones in outstanding schools. But to increase the number of good teachers in all schools, they have to be given conditions in which they can teach their best and that means when students can be raised in the best learning environment, an environment free of poverty....

Most, although not by any means all, of our educational issues can be ameliorated by addressing the underlying problems which contribute to the likelihood of a poor education: poverty. With no mention of the many factors caused by poverty that lead to poor learning conditions, Obama's program for improving education in the United States is as likely to succeed as getting better weather by firing the local meteorologist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-shatzky/educating-for-democracy-o_b_489362.html

[jody]

1. Didn't teachers know candidate Obama's disdain for them? Why did they support him? n/t

[madrchsod]

2. we`ve been duncanized....!

[Chemisse]

3. That comment bears repeating

"With no mention of the many factors caused by poverty that lead to poor learning conditions, Obama's program for improving education in the United States is as likely to succeed as getting better weather by firing the local meteorologist."


As a teacher in a 'failing' district, I am very weary of taking the brunt of the blame. I work my hardest to bring enthusiasm and rigor to the classroom, but tell me how I am supposed to reach a kid who falls asleep at his desk every day because he works nights to help support his single mom, or the girl whose dad just lost his job and she can think of nothing else all day long. How about the girl who lugs around a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew and complains that she can't concentrate on schoolwork, or the boy who really does not care about school whatsoever and is only in attendance because he doesn't want his mother to get in trouble if he is truant.

I could go on and on. It is no coincidence that the 'failing' schools are in areas where poverty dominates. Yet there is rarely a mention of the baggage the children bring to the learning environment. If the kids are falling short on the standardized tests, the teachers must be doing a bad job. Period.

[DFab420]

4. Stop blaming the children.

Oh yea, you sure do sound committed to those kids and their "baggage". How about my dad, whose Mom died when he was young and whose Dad wasn't much of a help in raising him. Now? He paid his way through college by working long hours during high school. You know what happened if he fell asleep in class? He got a smack upside the back of his head from his teacher.

You can't blame kids for their "baggage"!

You can help them cope with it, you can give them a place of peace and learning from it, but how DARE you whine about their "baggage" What is this "Dangerous Minds"?

I have an idea for you and your baggage handling issues. How about you try to impress upon them the dangers of falling short in schooling? How about you grow a pair and tell the soda drinking kid to f*cking stop drinking soda in your class? How about that kid who doesn't want his mom mad? do you think she'd be mad if you called and mentioned your concern over her sons lack of involvement?

How about this as a thought. We fire teachers who view their students issues as "baggage" and then hire teachers who are willing to wade through the BS to help...oh wait...

You know what man. I'm done with this discussion. Yes the kids have issues at home, and yes it tends to be from lower poverty areas, but that is not their fault! Honestly if you were my teacher and you said things like this about me online, I wouldn't want to listen to you either.

[tonysam]

5. Bottom line: It's up to the kids to learn.

Nobody can force them to.

[DFab420]

11. Truth

..but a quick kick in the rear never hurt..well literally yes..but you know what I mean.

[DFab420]

12. double post delete n/t

[madfloridian]

6. If you don't hold kids responsible for their education....

then there is a problem.

Perhaps you should be "done" with the discussion if you are afraid of holding young people accountable.

And most teachers recognize kids that need extra TLC and give it to them.

Your post is insulting to teachers and to the poster above.

[DFab420]

8. Haha wait just one moment...

Holding them accountable and saying nothing can be done cause of their "baggage" are two entirely different things. I thought I was saying "impress upon the the dangers of a failing education" which I thought was holding them accountable.. I guess that isn't trying to make them accountable enough.

I love teachers. I have been blessed to have ones that recognized and helped not just me but fellow classmates.

But for someone to whine about how their student "drinks to much soda" or "sleeps in class"..is that TLC?? All I was pointing out is instead of making excuses for their "baggage", why not help them, teach them the skills to carry it, to work through it, and hopefully, eventually, step past it??

You want to make an impact in these kids lives? Stop letting their BS slide as "baggage" and TEACH them to proud of themselves and I bet they would be more willing to invest time back...

[madfloridian]

9. That's it. Time to back off.

Bye.

[Chemisse]

7. Are you kidding?

I love the kids, and I particularly enjoy working with difficult teenagers, since I hard a hard time at that age myself. Most of my students try their hardest, but many have the 'baggage' that I referred to, that hinders them in doing their best.

Why on earth would you assume I have animosity toward the students? I enjoy the challenge, quite frankly. There is nothing more satisfying than helping a kid succeed when the odds are so against him.

But at the same time - when I work MY hardest - I resent being told that I am doing a bad job, and should in fact be FIRED if I do not succeed in getting good test scores from these students.

[DFab420]

10. I was inferring

The feeling of animosity due to the discussion of too much soda etc. I apologize for putting words in your mouth, or characterizing your post as something it wasn't

I just am finding it increasing difficult to discuss this issue, especially here, due to the high amounts of hyperbole and conjecture being tossed around.

I also agree, and it's unfortunate that we are so focused on test scores that we have forgot what learning was actually about. I just cannot abide by the fact that as you state, people working their hardest are weighed, judged, and found wanting without ever stepping foot inside their classroom.

That being said, were most of my frustration stems from is this over-arching sense that every school and every teacher is trying THEIR hardest. I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe, given the current state of our children's' educational standings. ( I say our children and I'm 24 haha).

So again, to YOU Chemisse I apologize. I won't apologize for my stance on this matter, but I misjudged and spoke to flippantly, so again. Sorry.

[Chemisse]

13. Thanks :) I do appreciate that.

There are definitely bad apples, as in any profession. Sometimes they are just tired out teachers who have lost their spark. It's not an easy job, overall. Other times, they are inexperienced and ineffective. It takes a few years to figure out how to teach in ways that can excite kids, yet still maintain an effective classroom environment.

I recall my years in school. There were a handful of really good teachers, the bulk seemed mediocre to me, and a couple of really bad teachers. Techniques in those days were lecture and worksheets. No hands on, no projects. Praise was scarce, criticism ample. School was boring and unpleasant. But I got a very good education.

Now, we cater to shorter attention spans (due to tv, video gaming, etc) with multi-media presentations and hands-on activities; we worry over children's self-esteem and how well they are adjusting, we consider a variety of learning styles to allow all children to excel as best they can, and on and on. And yet the test scores are poor!