Teachers, and a Law That Distrusts Them - New York Times

I could not have said this any better myself so I will just quote from MICHAEL WINERIP's article in today's New York Times.

Teachers, and a Law That Distrusts Them - New York Times:

As readers know, I?m not a fan of No Child Left Behind, the 2002 federal law aimed at raising education quality. Instead of helping teachers, for me it?s a law created by politicians who distrust teachers. Because teachers? judgment and standards are supposedly not reliable, the law substitutes a battery of state tests that are supposed to tell the real truth about children?s academic progress. The question is: How successful can an education law be that makes teachers the enemy? Even No Child?s strongest supporters acknowledge that one of the law?s most important provisions ? to guarantee a highly qualified teacher in every classroom ? has been the most poorly carried out to date. So, to improve classroom teaching and make teachers more enthusiastic about the law, I have three departing suggestions for when the legislation is expected to come up for reauthorization next year. First, why not add a provision rewarding states and districts that mandate small class size? It?s an idea that enjoys great support among parents and teachers and is easily carried out on a national scale. Why small class size? Deborah Meier, the teacher, principal, author and MacArthur Award winner who has created successful public schools in New York and Boston, says the best chance for educating poor children well is surrounding them with as many talented adults as possible. The same premise drives one of the most hopeful efforts in urban education today, the Gates Foundation?s small schools movement. Joe Gipson, a black public school parent in California, which has had a mandatory cap of 20 in grades K to three for a decade, told me small class size is the best thing that?s happened to his children?s education, giving them what rich private school pupils have. While small class size is no guarantee that teachers will be good, he said, with just 20, you can tell faster if teachers are performing well, and get rid of them if they?re not.

So, once again, the question is if teachers are so damned untrustworthy why do so many Americans trust their children with them for some six hours every day, 180 days a year?

Zoundry

Technorati : NCLB, education
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No Child Left Behind and Wasted Resources

The three articles posted below point out the inordinate amount of time and resources wasted on No Child Left Behind. Is there something gone significantly wrong with a system that spends so much time concerned with the high-stakes outcomes of school children and so little time on curriculum and content in educational practice? We need sanity in this nation or I fear we are headed down an irredeemable road toward mediocrity.

JournalStar.com

USA Today

Arizona Central

Zoundry

Technorati : NCLB, assessment, democracy, education, instruction, performance, power, standards, teaching
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Reading Gains Slowing, Study Says

Reading Gains Slowing, Study Says - Los Angeles Times:

The Los Angeles Times reports on a study that is critical of No Child Left Behind. In part the article states:

Since enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002, "a lot of governors and a lot of state school chiefs have celebrated and claimed significant progress in terms of reading and math achievement," said Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at Berkeley and lead author of the new report. But, he said, "in many cases ? including in California ? state officials seem to be exaggerating progress that has been made in children's basic reading skills."

In fairness, the article also points out that the Department of Education called the Fuller study "flawed and misleading" but it is important to read what the DOE says with a critical eye. I would argue that the DOE is guilty of egocentric thinking in that, when faced with criticism, their first reaction is to discount that criticism. In part, egocentric thinking is the result of an egocentric view of truth:

• It is true because I believe it.
• It is true because WE believe it.
• It is true because I WANT to believe it.
• It is true because I have ALWAYS believed it.
• It is true because it is in MY SELFISH INTEREST to believe it.

What is becoming clear through empirical research and anecdotal evidence from across the country is that NCLB is significantly flawed. This is not surprising. Principled positions rarely lead to appropriate political solutions. The push by the radical right to standardize schools is one that is doomed from the start. I would argue that education should be left to the professionals and that one significant reason for perceived school failure in this country is political interference.

Zoundry

Technorati : NCLB, assessment, democracy, education, instruction, performance, standards, teaching
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Black-White Gap in IQ Scores Closing, Study Finds

Black-White Gap in IQ Scores Closing, Study Finds.

I wonder if any intelligence test actually measures intelligence. Perhaps they measure something else:

• Values
• Class membership
• Attitude toward education
• Understanding of the Western cultural experience

If this is the case, then, as African-Americans move toward assimilating into the middle class in this country, it should come as no surprise that the gap that exists on intelligence test scores between blacks and whites is closing. Middle class values, a growing assimilation into Western values and cultural experience and a positive attitude toward education may help explain the closing gap.

Whatever the explanation, it seems clear that racial or inherited traits have little to do with measurable intelligence.

The Mismeasure of Man

Zoundry

Technorati : assessment, class, culture, education, performance, race
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