President Obama laid out his education plan today, and I’m a little confused by it. Specifically, I’m looking for the part that is completely bizarre and makes no sense. I’m not seeing it.
I’m not sure that this will ever be anything but rhetoric, though:
he urged states to develop standards “that don’t simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity.”
I mean, I wasn’t aware that “problem-solving” and “critical thinking” were unique to the 21st century, but even ignoring that, I’m not sure how he intends these tests be structured.
One thing I’m 100% behind, though, is this:
[T]he president warned that ineffective teachers should not be allowed to remain on the job.
“If a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching,” he said. “I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences.”
Teachers’ unions have opposed merit-based pay, arguing that it is unfair because it leads to competition among teachers and because teachers face different challenges depending on where they are located.
That last paragraph is all you need to know about why teachers’ unions should just be done away with completely. Opposing merit-based pay? Because it would create competition? As though competition to be a better teacher would be a bad thing?
Jesus, give me a break.
All in all, I’m glad the President is doing something worth-while in Washington.
EXCUSE SAVIOR OBAMA….can we first get the economy MOVING again…..WE NEED JOBS! EDUCATION SHOULD NOT BE ALL THAT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW…….BRING OUR GUYS HOME FROM IRAQ……These people in the Mideast have been fighting ouer camels and religions for 1000 years. Do you really think it will ever stop…..NO…….JUST SPEND MOR TIME ON OUR ECONOMY right now and get us back to work……
My opinions:
I think Obama might be referencing getting rid of the tenure process, which I disagree with.
If I’m going to be judged as a successful teacher based on the success of my students, then I’ll leave the profession right now. You can be a truly amazing teacher and do everything in your power to help your students, but the bottom line is they have to actually care. If the student doesn’t CARE or DO ANYTHING, then they will fail regardless of their amazing teachers.
Teachers are already held to ridiculously high standards. Education isn’t working because the whole system is effed up. The teachers are fine. WHAT we are required to teach students and WHEN we are required to teach it is the problem.
I hardly expect a new teacher to like the idea of getting rid of tenure… but it really is a cancer.
See, e.g., this article:
I have to wonder, though, if your performance shouldn’t be judged by the performance of your students, what should it be judged by?
How do you propose doing away with the teachers’ union?
Let’s be honest, if I knew how to do that I would be doing it rather than sitting in an office building programming computers, right?
Well played Mr. Holiday, well played.
In Texas, collective bargaining is prohibited for public school employees. Thus, there are unions (really associations) of teachers that some teachers join, mainly for member benefits and advocacy, but no collective bargaining means no rules that come along with it!
President Barack Obama, the first Irish-African-American president, recently released plans to increase the school day and school year.
Will extending our youth’s time in school make us a smarter society and nation?
Personally, I believe extending the school day will only detract from
the generation’s extracurricular activities and personal time. However, I do strongly believe in the extension of the school year. Our youth’s brains drain and format itself to shut down for 3 months in
the summer each year. More proactive learning in this meltdown time can only add to our future generation’s prosperous-to-be minds!!