[Vision2020] Teacher Liberation
Dick Schmidt
dickschmidt@moscow.com
Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:14:53 -0800
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Teacher LiberationDale,
It seems that you get your jollies from continually knocking public =
schools. There are times that I think you have never been inside a =
school. This idea of linking teacher pay to performance sounds good to =
those who are bean counters and have never taught in a classroom but =
mostly it will not work. It is an idea that can work for salesmen but =
not teachers.
I have a sister teaching 5th grade right now with 23 kids in her =
classroom and only 4 are reading at grade level. Six years ago she won a =
national presidential award for teaching math & science so she is an =
excellent teacher. In the next classroom of 5th graders there are only 4 =
who do not read at grade level. Now tell me ................how in hell =
can performance be graded there? The system cannot work grading that =
way. It is up to administrators to either bring weak teachers up to =
speed or get rid of them. Our school system is weak because of weak =
administrators who don't know how to help teachers improve and don't =
have the guts to document and dismiss poor teachers. =20
Another problem that nobody mentions is that for some reason or other =
every so many years there are a bunch of poor performing people born in =
a certain year. Ask anyone who really will be open about it and they =
will tell you that periodically they get a "dumb" class. How will =
performance evaluations work there? Performance evaluations will drive =
more good teachers out of teaching because they don't want to put up =
with any more bull sh**.=20
The biggest problem with Bush's No Child Left Behind program is that he =
dictates all these things he wants done but "where's the money"? Thank =
goodness there is a teacher's union or some of you people would still be =
paying teachers $30 a month and room & board.
Dick Schmidt
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Dale Courtney=20
To: vision2020@moscow.com=20
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 7:53 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Teacher Liberation
January 27, 2004
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Teacher Liberation
President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act calls for bringing all =
children to academic proficiency by 2014. But a no less daunting =
requirement of the law is that every classroom have a "highly qualified" =
teacher by 2006.
The latter is the impetus behind a new study by the Teaching =
Commission, a 19-member panel of business and education leaders set up =
last year to improve the public teaching corps. Their report, "Teaching =
at Risk: A Call to Action," makes a persuasive case for linking teacher =
pay to student performance and overhauling teacher certification.
These aren't new ideas, but it's progress when members of the =
establishment start stumping for reform. The Teaching Commission =
includes former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner, Clinton Education Secretary =
Richard Riley, as well as Sandra Feldman of the American Federation of =
Teachers, a union historically allergic to any and all accountability.
Retirements and rising student enrollments mean that U.S. schools =
will need some two million new teachers over the next decade, says the =
report. But the best college students are less likely to major in =
"education," which is too often a requirement to teach. The best =
education majors are in turn less likely to go into teaching. And the =
best teachers are most likely to leave the profession within four years.
Merit pay would be a big step toward reversing this trend. =
Currently, good teachers make no more money than bad ones. This =
one-size-fits-all compensation model, which is based on seniority and =
degrees rather than performance, also prevents districts from paying =
teachers more to work in hard-to-staff schools or to teach high-demand =
subjects such as math and science. The authors point out that market =
incentives work in nearly every profession -- except teaching.=20
Unions flourish in any monopoly, and they are the biggest obstacle =
to change. No sooner had "Teaching at Risk" been released than Ms. =
Feldman complained that it gave too much weight to basing pay on student =
achievement. Tom Blanford of the National Education Association, the =
nation's largest teachers union, refused even to consider merit pay.
Another solution, also opposed by unions, is more open teacher =
certification. Numerous studies have found no clear link between how =
well students perform and whether or not they are taught by a =
"certified" teacher. But today nearly all school districts require the =
completion of an accredited teacher education program -- which typically =
involves costly and lengthy (often 18-month) courses on teaching. This =
rules out retired CEOs or anyone else with expertise outside of the =
"education" field who'd like to teach.
Yet, says the report, under the current rules 38% of urban =
secondary-school students are taught "by teachers who lack either a =
college major or certification in the subject that they teach." And 56% =
of all public high school students learn physical science from an =
"out-of-field" teacher.
Contrast this with how universities operate. There is a long =
tradition of professional journalists, authors, poets and others =
teaching college writing. But today Langston Hughes would be banned from =
instructing a Harlem high school English class until he obtained the =
proper New York licensing.
Streamlining the process to qualify to teach, and reducing the =
emphasis on pedagogy for its own sake, would make teaching more =
attractive. The commission suggests, among other things, giving new =
teachers "intensive on-the-job mentoring," including a month spent =
observing someone more experienced. "Teaching at Risk" can be =
discouraging about the magnitude of the teacher problem, but there is =
hope. In the past decade, Dallas, New York, Denver and other cities have =
tried some form of merit pay. Since 1985, 200,000 people have also =
become teachers through alternative certification programs.
The largest problem is that unions and the politicians who carry =
their water have successfully kept these reforms from taking hold on =
anything but the most modest scale. But if the types of improvements =
imagined in No Child Left Behind are ever to become reality, we'll have =
to think bigger. Much bigger.
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107516383217312325,00.html
Updated January 27, 2004
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dale,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It seems that you get your jollies from =
continually=20
knocking public schools. There are times that I think you have never =
been inside=20
a school. This idea of linking teacher pay to performance sounds good to =
those=20
who are bean counters and have never taught in a=20
classroom </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>but mostly it will not =
work. It is=20
an idea that can work for salesmen but not teachers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have a sister teaching 5th grade =
right=20
now with 23 kids in her classroom and only 4 are reading at grade =
level.=20
Six years ago she won a national presidential award for teaching math =
&=20
science so she is an excellent teacher. In </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>the next classroom of 5th graders there are only 4 who do not =
read at=20
grade level. Now tell me ................how in hell can=20
performance be graded there? </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The =
system cannot=20
work grading that way. It is up to administrators to either bring weak =
teachers=20
up to speed or get rid of them. Our school system is weak because of =
weak=20
administrators who don't know how to help teachers improve and don't=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>have the guts to document and dismiss =
poor=20
teachers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another problem that nobody mentions is =
that for=20
some reason or other every so many years there are a bunch of poor =
performing=20
people born in a certain year. </FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Ask=20
anyone </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>who really will be open =
about it and=20
they will tell you that periodically they get a "dumb" class. =
</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>How will performance evaluations work there? =
Performance=20
evaluations will drive more good teachers out of teaching because they =
don't=20
want to put up </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>with any more bull =
sh**.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The biggest problem with Bush's No =
Child Left=20
Behind program is that </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>he =
dictates all=20
these things he wants done but "where's the money"? Thank goodness there =
is a=20
teacher's union or some of you people would </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial><FONT size=3D2><FONT>still be paying teachers $30 a month =
and room=20
& board.</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dick Schmidt</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Ddmcourtn@moscow.com =
href=3D"mailto:dmcourtn@moscow.com">Dale=20
Courtney</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 27, 2004 =
7:53=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Teacher=20
Liberation</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><IMG height=3D1=20
src=3D"http://online.wsj.com/img/b.gif" width=3D20><A=20
href=3D"http://online.wsj.com/home"><IMG height=3D56=20
alt=3Donline.wsj.com/08084894.gif=20
src=3D"http://online.wsj.com/img/printformat_logo.gif" =
width=3D418><IMG height=3D1=20
src=3D"http://online.wsj.com/img/b.gif" width=3D10></A></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">January 27, 2004<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><IMG height=3D1=20
src=3D"http://online.wsj.com/img/b.gif" width=3D20></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">REVIEW & =
OUTLOOK<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Teacher =
Liberation<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">President Bush's No Child Left =
Behind Act=20
calls for bringing all children to academic proficiency by 2014. But =
a no=20
less daunting requirement of the law is that every classroom have a =
"highly=20
qualified" teacher by 2006.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">The latter is the impetus behind a =
new study=20
by the Teaching Commission, a 19-member panel of business and =
education=20
leaders set up last year to improve the public teaching corps. <FONT =
color=3D#ff0000>Their report, "Teaching at Risk: A Call to Action," =
makes a=20
persuasive case for linking teacher pay to student performance and=20
overhauling teacher certification.<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">These aren't new ideas, but it's =
progress=20
when members of the establishment start stumping for reform. The =
Teaching=20
Commission includes former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner, Clinton Education =
Secretary=20
Richard Riley, as well as Sandra Feldman of the American Federation =
of=20
Teachers, a union historically allergic to any and all=20
accountability.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Retirements and rising student =
enrollments=20
mean that U.S. schools will need some two million new teachers over =
the next=20
decade, says the report. But the best college students are less =
likely to=20
major in "education," which is too often a requirement to teach. The =
best=20
education majors are in turn less likely to go into teaching. And =
the best=20
teachers are most likely to leave the profession within four=20
years.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><FONT color=3D#ff0000>Merit pay =
would be a big=20
step toward reversing this trend. Currently, good teachers make no =
more=20
money than bad ones. This one-size-fits-all compensation model, =
which is=20
based on seniority and degrees rather than performance, also =
prevents=20
districts from paying teachers more to work in hard-to-staff schools =
or to=20
teach high-demand subjects such as math and science. The authors =
point out=20
that market incentives work in nearly every profession -- except=20
teaching.</FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D-1> </FONT><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Unions flourish in any monopoly, =
and they=20
are the biggest obstacle to change. No sooner had "Teaching at Risk" =
been=20
released than Ms. Feldman complained that it gave too much weight to =
basing=20
pay on student achievement. Tom Blanford of the National Education=20
Association, the nation's largest teachers union, refused even to =
consider=20
merit pay.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Another solution, also opposed by =
unions, is=20
more open teacher certification. <FONT color=3D#ff0000>Numerous =
studies have=20
found no clear link between how well students perform and whether or =
not=20
they are taught by a "certified" teacher. But today nearly all =
school=20
districts require the completion of an accredited teacher education =
program=20
-- which typically involves costly and lengthy (often 18-month) =
courses on=20
teaching. This rules out retired CEOs or anyone else with expertise =
outside=20
of the "education" field who'd like to =
teach.<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Yet, says the report, under the =
current=20
rules 38% of urban secondary-school students are taught "by teachers =
who=20
lack either a college major or certification in the subject that =
they=20
teach." And 56% of<I> all</I> public high school students learn =
physical=20
science from an "out-of-field" teacher.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Contrast this with how =
universities operate.=20
There is a long tradition of professional journalists, authors, =
poets and=20
others teaching college writing. But <FONT color=3D#ff0000>today =
Langston=20
Hughes would be banned from instructing a Harlem high school English =
class=20
until he obtained the proper New York =
licensing.</FONT><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Streamlining the process to =
qualify to=20
teach, and reducing the emphasis on pedagogy for its own sake, would =
make=20
teaching more attractive. The commission suggests, among other =
things,=20
giving new teachers "intensive on-the-job mentoring," including a =
month=20
spent observing someone more experienced. "Teaching at Risk" can be=20
discouraging about the magnitude of the teacher problem, but there =
is hope.=20
In the past decade, Dallas, New York, Denver and other cities have =
tried=20
some form of merit pay. Since 1985, 200,000 people have also become =
teachers=20
through alternative certification programs.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><FONT color=3D#ff0000>The largest =
problem is=20
that unions and the politicians who carry their water have =
successfully kept=20
these reforms from taking hold on anything but the most modest =
scale.</FONT>=20
But if the types of improvements imagined in No Child Left Behind =
are ever=20
to become reality, we'll have to think bigger. Much =
bigger.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">URL for this article:<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107516383217312325,00.html">ht=
tp://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107516383217312325,00.html</A><BR></BLOC=
KQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><I>Updated January 27,=20
2004</I></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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