Teachers are the latest scapegoat in the attempt to improve education. Bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. and legislators in Olympia are devising ways of assessing students and collecting student data for evaluating teachers and principals. Bureaucrats should allow districts the freedom of local control and allow those closest to the students to find appropriate solutions.
Veteran teacher Bob Dean describes what unintended consequences are likely to occur in his commentary in The Columbian.
The student was pressured into eating cafeteria “nuggets” instead. After this incident was reported, the Carolina Journal states that other parents came forward with stories of their experiences. Read the original article, and the follow-up articles.
The disturbing education issue that is not being mentioned in the media or by policy makers is the massive amount of personal information that will be collected on every child, all in the name of “education.” Ultimately, the government will have archived massive amounts of personal information about every person from birth.
Money can’t buy everything, it’s true…..but it can buy quite a lot. This article explains how major foundations–primarily the Gates, Broad, and Walton Foundations– influence national education policy.
Sadly, if a lie is repeated often enough, it eventually becomes believed as the truth. Educators, legislators, the media, educators, and others have all been referring to the MSP and HSPE—and the former State assessment, the WASL—as “standardized” tests. Not True.
Fade out of academic gains, academic harm, emotional harm….these are some consequences of early childhood programs. Read the article on studies of effectiveness of these programs.
The Shanker Institute called for the adoption of Common Core national standards for the entire United States. Many professors, governmental officials, analysts, educators, experts, and parents disagree. Read the critical response.
Are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) the solution to all our education ills? No, but they are the pet project of bureaucrats, data-analysts, employees at the Federal Department of Education, and the like.
Whatever happened to reading, writing, and arithmetic as the focus of teaching in public schools? This is what happens when the school feels the need to teach “Higher Order Thinking Skills” instead. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announces his push for “green” education. See the press release.