Schooling the Candidates

Why the '08 contenders don't talk about education reform.

By Evan Thomas | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Nov 26, 2007 | Updated: 12:54 p.m. ET Nov 26, 2007

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Posted By: 4solutions @ 05/30/2008 10:22:55 PM

Comment: Better Schools
April 26, 2008 by 4solutions
Do we really care that the US is not number one in the world in terms of school results? Ranking close to number 23, isn???t our real concern. Our concern needs to be whether all children have the opportunity to master the basics, learn responsibility, and be able to learn according to their potentials and interests.
Classroom discipline is one major challenge. Class size, learning environment, school costs, reading mastery, and a more productive learning program, are all important. These topics and much more is available to read and download at no cost at Practical Safety And Education Solutions, found byGoogling to psaes.info. After reaching the site, the article Better Schools is offered in the Personal Assisted Learning manual, or linked directly to Better Schools. The principles in this writing are based on proven experience and research. We owe it to our children and society to bring about better results.
Posted By: Dr. D. @ 12/04/2007 12:16:05 PM

Comment: Schools are a symptom of our society, not a cause of our ills. Unless you've ever set foot in a classroom with the lack of respect from administration, parents, politicitians, board members, and the media, you have nothing to say. Every time there is a fiscal shortfall, schools are targeted. Schools don't see increased funding, because the current line is "cut spending". We would have to actually give something to have equal and quality schools. Americans are selfish middle-age pigs. And paying teachers more won't help, because you cannot be lured into a classroom with money. You'll never make it. You have to want to teach to make it. You can be pushed out because of little money, but not brought in. And incentive pay will never work because you can help kids learn but you can't make them. As an educator you are dependent on the efforts of students. Evaluating teachers is completely different from evaluating other professions, and using the corporate model on schools will kill them and the institution that in years past provided the best educated workforce on the planet.
Posted By: Dr. D. @ 12/04/2007 12:13:37 PM

Comment: Schools are a symptom of our society, not a cause of our ills. Unless you've ever set foot in a classroom with the lack of respect from administration, parents, politicitians, board members, and the media, you have nothing to say. Every time there is a fiscal shortfall, schools are targeted. Schools don't see increased funding, because the current line is "cut spending". We would have to actually give something to have equal and quality schools. Americans are selfish middle-age pigs. And paying teachers more won't help, because you cannot be lured into a classroom with money. You'll never make it. You have to want to teach to make it. You can be pushed out because of little money, but not brought in. And incentive pay will never work because you can help kids learn but you can't make them. As an educator you are dependent on the efforts of students. Evaluating teachers is completely different from evaluating other professions, and using the corporate model on schools will kill them and the institution that in years past provided the best educated workforce on the planet.
Posted By: BadgerGrad99 @ 11/30/2007 11:16:59 PM

Comment: designa31- Where do you live...in my state it is illegal for teachers to strike. Has this been an issue in your area? The power our union has is from throwing money at politians.
Many young teachers also deal with the threat of layoffs. In Wisconsin, many school districts are dealing with decreased enrollments which leads to financial problems. We have been losing positions in my school district for the past 10 years. Every spring the teachers with the least tenure worry about losing their jobs.
My union contract does stipulate a duty-free 30 minute lunch, but does not define any other breaks. During the time that we are not teaching, we are expected to help students on an individual basis.
I agree that accountability should be a mix of many factors, but right now the only factor that seems to matter is the No Child Left Behind Act. We spend most of our inservice time trying to figure out how to get better scores on the state tests, instead of looking at best practices in teaching. One of our biggest struggles is getting the students to take the test seriously. Many realize that the test doesn't impact them at all (test scores are not tied to moving up a grade or graduation, etc.), so why should they try? Our test is also so long that it takes many days to complete it. Some students try at the beginning, but by the end they get so sick of it that they stop. Another problem is that we are judged just on math and English scores. Are those really the only subjects that count?
Posted By: designa31 @ 11/30/2007 6:12:45 PM

Comment: Teacher's are not the only people who are working long hours. They are also not the only ones doing meaningful, honorable work. Most people in white collar jobs are working 12+ hours a day, often under the constant threat of layoffs. I invite any teacher with tenure to walk a mile in those shoes. I am sure Mwalimu???s union contract includes a lunch period and other very well defined breaks. If he is not taking advantage of them, it???s not our fault. Also, most other white collar workers are evaluated every year, and their "product" is often as difficult to quantify as is that of teachers. Accountability for teachers doesn't have to be based solely on students scores, they can be rated by their supervisors just like everyone else. The best process would probably require some trial and error, and yet, the unions won???t even allow the conversation.

Respect for teachers and education has dropped, but I believe it???s directly related to the overwhelming power of the teacher unions, and their ability to control school board elections and hold kids and parents hostage for money with strike votes. When people in industry strike, they are risking their jobs, the management is risking the company, but the customers can go somewhere else. When teacher???s strike, parents and kids have no alternatives. I am required to send my kids to school or I will be arrested. I am required to pay my property taxes or I will lose my house. Why should the teachers have the right to withhold their services?
Posted By: Mwalimu @ 11/29/2007 1:06:52 AM

Comment: I discovered egrigious errors in the comment I just posted. Here is the revised edition.

I just retired from teaching. Like Julz, I also chose to work in an inner city school. In fact my entire adult life was spent in the inner city.( If I wanted to find out about the "white" experience, I'd read short stories by John Cheever. ) I totally agree with Julz. Evan Thomas does not get up at the crack of dawn every day for over a quarter centtury to arrive in an unheated classroom between 6:30 to 6:45 AM. (If I showed up after 6:40, I'd find students waiting for me in the hall way.) He does not spend 12 to 14 hours a day planning. lessons, tutoring, contacting (or attempting to contact) parents, and grading papers. (That includes weekends.) The students I taught were throw-away kinds, according to most of the pundits in Newsweek - that also includes Joe Klein. Evan Thomas does not spend a life time, as I have done, trying to convince students not to go along with the program. I might also add that I rarely ate lunch like a civilized human being. (Coffee breaks were a decadent no-no.). Lunch time was just an extension of my school day My students needed a safe place to hang out. And I could use the time to advise, tutor, listen, and counsel. Julz is right. Evan Thomas just doesn't understand what Margaret Walker meant when she wrote "To my people, lending their strength through the years..." He needs to walk a mile in our shoes.

I also resent the condescending remarks about teachers' unions and the NEA, which Rodney K. Paige labeled as a "terrorist" organization.( I keep imagining the NSA wiretapping my phone as I conducted parent phone conversations in Spanish.) If you teach in an inner city school, you quickly understand what Tupac meant when he said "Me against the World." That's the way it is. You need some one to watch your back. Unions do that. They're the only people you can trust.
PS.
Sorry for the errors in the previous post. But I can't let errors slip by without correcting them
Posted By: Mwalimu @ 11/29/2007 12:36:38 AM

Comment: I just retired from teaching. I also chose to work in an inner city school. I totally agree with Julz. Evan Thomas did not get up at the crack of dawn every day to arrive in an unheated classroom (between 6:30 to 6:45 AM) every day. (If I showed up after 6:35, I'd have students waiting for me in the hall.) He does not spend 12 to 14 hours planning lessons, tutoring, contacting parents, grading papers. (And that includes weekends.) The students I taught were thow-away kids according to most of the pundits in Newsweek. Evan Thomas just does noit understand. I also get sick and tired of all the labels about NEA and teachers' unions being the bad guys. If you teach in an inner city school, you quickly understand what Tupac means when he says "Me. Against the world." Because that's the way it is. You need someone to watch your back. Unions do that. Evan Thomas does not.
Posted By: Julz @ 11/28/2007 4:02:03 PM

Comment: I am a veteran educator. I teach in the urban school that is my alma mater---I also choose to live in the same community. I hold a BA in English with a minor in Spanish, a MS in Education, and am currently working on a third endorsement to teach ESL---to better service the needs of my students. I have bent over backwards to help my struggling students, parents are as apathetic as their children. I would say that I am about as highly qualified as I can get, and yet somehow it is my fault that students choose to fail. I suggest that the author walk a mile in my shoes before ignorantly judging educators like me.
'c
Posted By: rutz @ 11/28/2007 9:53:09 AM

Comment: I am a 36-year veteran in education and the accountability issue bothers me. We can only attempt to teach that which show up at our doors. Are parents accountable?What about the children who have no semblance of a nurturing homelife? We live in a society that no longer values learning.popular media portrays educators as semimoronic blathering idiots. Big entertainment will spend more money on a music video or electronic game development than entire school districts have in their budgets.The pressure is on to pass everyone so grad rates are up then criticize educators because grads are illiterate. What soes our society actually want and need?Come to a consensus and we can do it.Give us the tools and give us the opportunity to fulfill the goals society wants.
Posted By: chewy @ 11/28/2007 12:27:38 AM

Comment: I invite Mr. Thomas to come and spend a day in my classroom...a class for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders ready to be expelled from school. Their home lives are shattered, their parents are either jailed, addicted, or unable to function in society. Idiots like Mr.Thomas and the politicians behind No Child Left Behind want to blame teacher's unions for a failing system. A moronic and simplistic answer to a complex social problem. How would Mr. Thomas like the Bush administration to dictate how he could effectively perform his job? His lack of knowledge about the reality of public education is staggering. Get a clue.
Posted By: Mako @ 11/27/2007 7:36:56 PM

Comment: "educators who are respected, rewarded, and held accountable for their performance in the classroom. "

I agree with just about everything the article says. However, you only seem to talk about the last point of the finding. While accountability is a major issue in education reform you neglected the first part of the study. Respect for educators and the education process is at an all time low. Too many people see teachers as glorified baby sitters, there to handle any and all problems a child faces during the school day. Sadly too many parents care little about what happens to their children during the school day.
Unfortunately this argument has been used as a counter to accountability. I see it as part of the issue. Accountability for teachers is a great idea, though I think there needs to be accountability for students and their parents as well. If a student fails all their classes or does not try on a test, they should not receive a free pass to the next grade. If a student brings home all F's then maybe the parent should be required to attend a weekend tutoring session with their child. Education is a three part system consisting of a teacher, a student and their parent. Lets bring responsibility to education, but lets make sure we cover all of the parts.
Posted By: demosthenes24 @ 11/26/2007 2:39:35 PM

Comment: Scool reform has no place in the election as far as issues go because it is a state issue according to the Constitution. We have already messed up big time with No Child Left Behind. We need to get the federal gov't out of our schools. In addition, wouldn't you be worried about your job, if the federal government could put you on the street based on some mysterious "accountability" factor? There are MANY more factors involved in student learning than teacher quality.
- Posted By: mjkittredge @ 03/17/2008 12:44:52
  
  Comment: One of the problems with k-12 education, is that a lot of seemingly random subjects get taught to students. Their time gets wasted, they are forced to sit through classes that aren't the least bit interesting to them. No wonder they fail. Ask any student after graduating high school (or "dropping" out) what they remember from all those years of school, and what information they learned in school that they actually make use of on a regular basis (or at all, ever). You'll most likely find that years of their lives were spent listening to long dull lectures, copying notes into a notebook, and filling in either (A)(B)(C) or (D) with a number 2 pencil. How that prepares them for the "real world", I have yet to discover.
  
  The most useful things I learned in school, were basic math, basic english, and how to touch type. Everything else was a big waste of my time, unfortunately. I have yet to find any use for the 8+ years of music class or gym class or art class or history class or science class.
  
  Education reform shouldn't be about improved test scores or lower dropout rate. Focusing on those things wrongly assumes by default that what is actually going on in schools for 12 years is worthwhile. Reform begins when USEFUL subjects get taught, things that people will actually make use of in their lives on a regular basis. To me, school beyond elementary is a bad joke.