Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

The War on Teachers: Why Is the Public Just Watching It Happen?

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles Donate to DU
 
KoKo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-14-12 02:08 PM
Original message
The War on Teachers: Why Is the Public Just Watching It Happen?
Published on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 by The Washington Post
The War on Teachers: Why Is the Public Watching It Happen?
by Mark Naison

All over the nation, teachers are under attack. Politicians of both parties, in every state, have blamed teachers and their unions for the nation’s low standing on international tests and our nation’s inability to create the educated labor force our economy needs.

Mass firings of teachers in so-called failing schools have taken place in municipalities throughout the nation and some states have made a public ritual of humiliating teachers. In Los Angeles and New York, teacher ratings based on student standardized test scores — said by many to be inaccurate — have been published by the press. As a result, great teachers have been labeled as incompetent and some are leaving the profession. A new study showed that teachers’ job satisfaction has plummeted in recent years.

Big budget films such as Bad Teacher and the documentary Waiting for Superman popularize the idea that public school teachers prevent poor children of color from getting a good education, while corporate funded organizations perpetuate the idea that the only way for children to excel is if their teachers lose their job security and bargaining rights.

Why has this campaign attracted such strong bipartisan support and why has the public failed to speak out loudly against it?

More on an answer of "WHY" at........

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/03/13-10
Refresh | 0 Recommendations Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
Kokonoe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-14-12 04:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. I went to grade school in the inner city 1960's.
It was a crime, to call it education.

Maybe times have changed.

But I can see how poor people would shake up our education system thats based on the value of a students home.
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
lbrtbell Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-14-12 10:30 PM
Response to Original message
2. While I'm vehemently against the war on public schools
I can understand the dissatisfaction.

I went to a lot of schools and dealt with a lot of teachers, and I can count on the fingers of one hand, the teachers who actually deserved their jobs.

The majority of teachers turn a blind eye to bullying, act hostile/threatened toward smart students, and won't lift a finger to help kids who are struggling. When I was in the 8th grade, a friend of mine had such poor reading skills, that he sounded like a kindergarten kid struggling to read a picture book aloud. Not one teacher did anything to help him--I was the only person who tried to give him any assistance. Most of my teachers were right-wingers, which pretty much tells you all you need to know.

There are very good teachers, but sadly, they're in the minority. I know the Republicans don't have the answers, and their policies would only make a bad situation worse.

Still, our schools are failing our kids, and the downward spiral started long before the disastrous "No Child Left Behind" fiasco.
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Wed Dec 04th 2024, 10:18 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC