Lessons From Locke

I am highly offended by the remark "It's the teachers, stupid!" I didn't quit after two years. I taught in the public schools for 10 years. I was there as, year after year, students became more and more unruly and neither parents nor administration did anything to help stem this tide of misbehavior. Students could not only refuse to do any work, they could refuse to stop talking or refuse to sit down ...any number of beligerent behaviors...and the teachers got NO support from the home front or the front office. When we TRULY have a system where students are held accountable for their behavior, we will have schools that work. And PLEASE, don't let me hear any comments that I was just a teacher who couldn't control the class. I also taught in a private Catholic school...not full of rich kids...but full of students whose parents were poor and mostly minorities...parents who did without so that they could pay this school's meager tuition...but they also were parents who insisted that their children behave both at home AND at school...parents who not only insisted that their kids do their homework but also took the time to help them with it...parents who showed up at PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences after long days at work. I didn't take a job teaching because I couldn't do anything else...I was on the Dean's List at college. I went into teaching because I wanted to teach. But until there's discipline back in the schools, you won't see test scores getting any better. Administrations that enforce rules and parents that support teachers are the KEYS to success.

The education system needs fixed. Check out http://detentionslip.org for the daily headlines that will shock you. It's a leader for crazy school house news.

I am highly offended by the remark "It's the teachers, stupid!" I didn't quit after two years. I taught in the public schools for 10 years. I was there as, year after year, students became more and more unruly and neither parents nor administration did anything to help stem this tide of misbehavior. Students could not only refuse to do any work, they could refuse to stop talking or refuse to sit down ...any number of beligerent behaviors...and the teachers got NO support from the home front or the front office. When we TRULY have a system where students are held accountable for their behavior, we will have schools that work. And PLEASE, don't let me hear any comments that I was just a teacher who couldn't control the class. I also taught in a private Catholic school...not full of rich kids...but full of students whose parents were poor and mostly minorities...parents who did without so that they could pay this school's meager tuition...but they also were parents who insisted that their children behave both at home AND at school...parents who not only insisted that their kids do their homework but also took the time to help them with it...parents who showed up at PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences after long days at work. I didn't take a job teaching because I couldn't do anything else...I was on the Dean's List at college. I went into teaching because I wanted to teach. But until there's discipline back in the schools, you won't see test scores getting any better. Administrations that enforce rules and parents that support teachers are the KEYS to success.

The author implies that only TFA teachers are qualified, since "Today's teachers score in the lowest quartile of college grads and too many of the schools that train them are diploma mills". The author fails to state what exactly makes TFA teachers more qualified. I do not believe a teacher with an Ivy League degree in business plus a 5-week crash course in classroom management is any more qualified than a graduate with a 4 or 5 year degree in education. If anything they are less qualified, and putting these teachers into impoverished classrooms where the kids NEED stability and then leaving after two years (assuming they make it) is only doing more harm than good. I commend those TFA alums that do decide to stay in education, but according to the article 2/3 do not. America's kids deserve better, so please give teachers the respect they deserve and work to figure out a way to attract teachers that want to stay.

I guess you get what you pay for. Increase wages and attract the quality you speak of. Being a teacher , who teaches in a poverty sticken area, I find that the we have lost many teachers to business and inducstry where there is less confrontation with kids. parents and administration. Just a thought from someone with 38 years in.

I guess you get what you pay for. Increase wages and attract the quality you speak of. Being a teacher , who teaches in a poverty sticken area, I find that the we have lost many teachers to business and inducstry where there is less confrontation with kids. parents and administration. Just a thought from someone with 38 years in.

As a teacher I resent comments like, "It's the teachers stupid". Teachers work very hard, and in some cases teachers are the ones that truly care. It's time for the media to stop blaming teachers, we do the best we can with what we are given to work with. Have you read a textbook, It's no wouder students will not read them. If a student causes trouble in the classroom, its your problem not the office. If you send the out, they come right back and laugh in your face. During all of this you are suppose to teach. You try it!!

"It's the teachers Stupid!!! ?" The people that talk that way are the ones that have not been in the classroom. Teachers work very hard ,and in some cases are the only ones who truly care. If I could have gone to a 5 week course why did I have to take all those education classes? It's time to stop blaming teachers, We do the best we can with what we have to work with.

Teach For America is a good program in theory, but you can not teach a recruit 2-3 years of material in five weeks. I've had several friends who have been in TFA, and unfortunately did not complete their 2 years. They just weren't prepared for the hardships, and the lack of support systems. They were sent into some of the toughest schools with 5 weeks of teacher preparation training. You just can't do that. Teaching is a tough profession, and I am insulted that people would say teachers score in the lowest quartile of college grads. Statements like these are the reasons why there is a lack of college graduates going into teaching. Teachers do not get the respect doctors, lawyers, athletes, and other professions get. Maybe we need to look at reforms in teacher preparation programs, and the way we view teachers.

"Today's teachers score in the lowest quartile of college grads and too many of the schools that train them are diploma mills."
I???d love to know where this statistic came from. One of the biggest problems with the teaching profession is the fact that we constantly have to defend ourselves because of blanket statements such as this one. How can the public respect teachers when the media paints a picture that the vast majority of teachers are apparently morons. I think TFA is a great program, but it is terribly arrogant to think you have the magic key to fix all of our educational problems. It is really counterproductive to point the finger and say, ???It???s your fault,??? to anyone. Are there bad teachers out there? Sure. Are there lousy parents? Sure. Children???s success is dependent on so many factors. Each child is a complicated puzzle and if one little piece is missing it can have a tremendous impact on their success. Each day, on top of being prepared for my lessons, I have to navigate each child???s personal baggage. Did ???Sally???s??? divorcing parents have another blowout fight again last night? Last time it happened, she had a hard time concentrating. Is ???John???s??? mother doing better with her chemotherapy treatments this time around? He???s been so worried and his grades have gone down. I wonder how ???Mark??? handled saying goodbye to his dad who has been deployed to Baghdad for a year? I better make sure I have cash just in case ???Mary??? has no lunch money again. These are all true stories of scenarios of which I have no control. I could be the best teacher ever, and that will only make a dent when kids have other issues weighing on them. Instead of highlighting every negative story, I???d like to see the media in general start to celebrate what teachers are doing well. I guarantee there would be more stories than Newsweek could handle.

I agree that it is really the big picture that we need to keep in mind and that planting the seeds is a great way to begin moving out of the educational deficit. I believe that no matter what the intentions it is going to happen organically. Teachers and students will all go their own unique ways. We can't just pin our hopes on a cause or organization and then forget about it. But one thing is for sure, the human spirit will prevail and if it is one individual or 20,000 making a difference we are sure to see changes if we are honest with ourselves and do our best. I applaud everyone who is taking the risk of pulling their heads out of the proverbial sand. Let's keep going.

Not to discredit the teachers involved with TFA, but underpriviledged students across this country deserve to have more than two years access to top knotch college graduates. They deserve to be taught by teachers who are motivated, supported and well paid throughout their entire grade school education.

I???m the first person to say that TFA is an amazing program. It gives underprivileged children access to highly educated motivated teachers. While at the same time giving recent college grads valuable work experience, a chance to give back the community, as well as an inside look at the discrepancies of out education system. Based own my own experiences and those of my friends I???d say that a majority of the participates in the TFA program have no intention of making a career a teaching, and money isn???t the only reason why. All my friends who went did TFA did so for two reasons. First they had no idea what to go to grad school for and second to give back.

You want to make teachers stay? Then lower the class size. I???ll take a lower salary, 18-20 students to a class and June, July, August any day.

As a high school teacher for the past 8 years at a few different schools, I have come to this conclusion: there are really no good teachers or bad teachers, good schools or bad schools. There are simply good parents and bad parent. If a parent supports his/her child's education, that child will do well regardless of the school or the teachers. If a parent doesn't, there isn't much a teacher or school can do. The best indicator of the success or failure of any student is how much there parents push them to succeed. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but it is true for 95 percent of all the kids I have ever taught.

I am a teacher in an impoverished school. I have sunken my heart, soul and considerable passion in helping children see their potential, thus raising test scores. If TFA can teach me something I don't already know, BRING IT ON. That is not meant to be arrogant. But, if you think teachers are the only answer, you are arrogant, desparate, and deluding yourself. We must all work together. For children suffering abuse and tragedy, learning they even have a potential must first be understood, before they can attempt the middle class value of succeeding on a state/national test. There is no "Wall Street Model" that can help children in this way. Love, passion, committment, and oh yeah, love are the answers.

I have to wonder what parents are doing about this. It amazes me that a child will spend about 990 hours in school during a given year but about 2600 waking hours after school at home. Now by my calculations the most effective teacher will be outside the school. Reading aloud is the most important activity one can do with a child. It is enjoyable at any age really. There are books with only pictures for illiterate parents that give that parent a chance to interact with their child. Books are free to use at public libraries. There really is no excuse monetarily why more reading cant be done in the home. That being said many children will not get the chance to be read to so why not do it more in school. "The more you read the more you learn and thus the more your earn" (Jim Trealease, The Read Aloud Hand Book.)
We spend more money on ineffective worksheets that could go towards more books in school. Elementary teachers should make it a priority to read out loud in class everyday and give time for silent reading also. In Junior High and High School reading both aloud and silently should be half of the English class and writing the other. Reading is the only effective way of learning vocabulary, punctuation, and grammer. If a child can read well they can do well in every other aspect of education. How can they read a math text book or biology or any other subject if they cant read.
Our education system needs to focus on creating lovers of reading. That should be our number one priority. Read, read and read. For an excellent book on the studies of reading and others read, The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. It also has an excellent treasury in the back with wonderful books for different ages that are appropriate for reading aloud.

I have to wonder what parents are doing about this. It amazes me that a child will spend about 990 hours in school during a given year but about 2600 waking hours after school at home. Now by my calculations the most effective teach will be outside the school. Reading aloud is the most important activity one can do with a child. It is enjoyable at any age really. There are books with only pictures for illiterate parents that give that parent a chance to interact with their child. Books are free to use at public libraries. There really is no excuse monetarily why more reading cant be done in the home. That being said many children will not get the chance to be read to so why not do it more in school. "The more you read the more you learn and thus the more your earn" (Jim Trealease, The Read Aloud Hand Book.)
We spend more money on ineffective worksheets that could go towards more books in school. Elementary teachers should make it a priority to read out loud in class everyday and give time for silent reading also. In Junior High and High School reading both aloud and silently should be half of the English class and writing the other. Reading is the only effective way of learning vocabulary, punctuation, and grammer. If a child can read well they can do well in every other aspect of education. How can they read a math text book or biology or any other subject if they cant read.
Our education system needs to focus on creating lovers of reading. That should be our number one priority. Read, read and read. For an excellent book on the studies of reading and others read, The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. It also has an excellent treasury in the back with wonderful books for different ages that are appropriate for reading aloud.

The big reform in our public schools (No Child Left Behind BS) etc was simply a ploy by book companies to put pressure on schools to buy new $80 textbooks every five years. There is so much paperwork for teachers now that they have no time to grade their students' work!!! There are hundreds of pages of "goals" for students, teachers and schools to meet that it's ludicrous. AND, it 's absolutely meaningless. MEANINGLESS. When high school students cannot read (a lot of them can't), but they are pressured into expressing themselves on a NCLB assessment, It's just a racket and schools have bought into it.
If the average parent knew what their kids "don't know", they would rise up and demand better. Their students cannot read, write a sentence, add, subtract or multiply. If they fail, there are countless state and federal after -school programs where teachers spoon feed students trying to get them caught up. Then, there are summer schools, which are jokes. A student cannot learn an entire class in 2-6 weeks, especially if he didn't learn it in one whole year.
One year, one school in our state was put on "probation" because of low test scores when in reality, the tests had never been scored because the truck carrying them to New Jersey or wherever, wrecked and the tests were destroyed. Yet, before someone dug into the facts of that case, the school lost state and federal funds for the next year and some teachers lost their jobs.