OGKnickfan
Enlightened
I've had one teacher, Pat, send me a private message. Perhaps there are more of us, on this site. Whether or not that's the case is not important. As a teacher, who feels that the bureaucrats in charge are mismanaging the educational system, I think that this cabinet selection will be extremely im portant.
If Obama chooses Michelle Rhee, or Joel Klein, two very agressive, anti-teacher chancellors/school executives, I think that the coddling of asshole behavior, on the part of students and parents, will continue, at the expense of teachers, whom are almost exclusively blamed for the failures of a society that values all that is superficial, and, as a result, produces superficial, incomplete people.
The article I've linked two describes Obama as having two choices: select a "pro-teacher" person, which the author insinuates would mean that the person would be against improving education, when it actually means they don't believe that attacking teachers is the solution needed to solve this problem, or a "reform" person, which the author insinuates, and this is true, means that he or she believes that teachers should be blamed for the failings of individuals that, in my professional opinion, often don't want to do well in life.
Ideally, if I could choose the secretary of education, I'd pick Bill Cosby, who was a teacher and holds a Education doctorate. He speaks the truth, no holds barred, about what a lot of these kids are like. He doesn't react to everything with some sort of liberal, or other ideological, cookie-cutter response. I've heard him talk about kids with nothing in their bookbags, sagging pants, no respect for themselves or others. He links their attitude, and rightfully so, directly to their academic deficiencies.
I believe that there is a lot more that school systems can do for kids, insofar as college prep., college writing, career research, just overall personal development, but the people who attack teachers are actually the ones with the authority to institute these programs. Their attack on teachers is based on their feelings that the test scores, and graduation rates, are too low. In my opinion, if you can't get out of a US high school academic program, you're not doing your job as a student. To me, the main challenge faced by American students is that of inexperience, in the face of entering the very challenging world of college, universities, trade schools, etc.
Anyway, below is an article that provides more details, if you're interested. I'd be glad to read, and respond to, your comments.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iT--F725ypsNTaNrulnuCGd8vt0QD94ULED00
If Obama chooses Michelle Rhee, or Joel Klein, two very agressive, anti-teacher chancellors/school executives, I think that the coddling of asshole behavior, on the part of students and parents, will continue, at the expense of teachers, whom are almost exclusively blamed for the failures of a society that values all that is superficial, and, as a result, produces superficial, incomplete people.
The article I've linked two describes Obama as having two choices: select a "pro-teacher" person, which the author insinuates would mean that the person would be against improving education, when it actually means they don't believe that attacking teachers is the solution needed to solve this problem, or a "reform" person, which the author insinuates, and this is true, means that he or she believes that teachers should be blamed for the failings of individuals that, in my professional opinion, often don't want to do well in life.
Ideally, if I could choose the secretary of education, I'd pick Bill Cosby, who was a teacher and holds a Education doctorate. He speaks the truth, no holds barred, about what a lot of these kids are like. He doesn't react to everything with some sort of liberal, or other ideological, cookie-cutter response. I've heard him talk about kids with nothing in their bookbags, sagging pants, no respect for themselves or others. He links their attitude, and rightfully so, directly to their academic deficiencies.
I believe that there is a lot more that school systems can do for kids, insofar as college prep., college writing, career research, just overall personal development, but the people who attack teachers are actually the ones with the authority to institute these programs. Their attack on teachers is based on their feelings that the test scores, and graduation rates, are too low. In my opinion, if you can't get out of a US high school academic program, you're not doing your job as a student. To me, the main challenge faced by American students is that of inexperience, in the face of entering the very challenging world of college, universities, trade schools, etc.
Anyway, below is an article that provides more details, if you're interested. I'd be glad to read, and respond to, your comments.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iT--F725ypsNTaNrulnuCGd8vt0QD94ULED00