In a message dated 11/15/2010 3:27:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
cbrianwatk...@gmail.com writes: anyone can teach
======================
Not just anyone.
Anyone 1) who has a command of the subject matter and continues with
refresher and advanced courses; 2) who has a knowledge of teaching styles and
methods and continues with career-long professional improvement plans (PIPs);
3) who has the right temperament; 4) who knows how to communicate with the
age group involved; 4) who is mentored by experienced teachers; and 5) who
is carefully supervised by competent administrators before tenure is
granted -- just for starters.
I speak from experience in a district which for decades has been rated
among the top in the county based on standardized test scores. The district
has high rates of college admissions, low absenteeism, lots of involvement
by parents who respect education, and close supervision of teachers by their
supervisors.
And in that almost ideal environment, scores of novice teachers couldn't
measure up to the tasks in their job descriptions.
Fortunately for the students, the district was able to dismiss them after
reasonable interventions didn't work.
A competitive salary scale always guaranteed an ample pool of applicants,
highly qualified on paper, from which to choose replacements.
Among those who couldn't cut it were many coming from the private sector
via various well-meaning fast-track credentialing programs.
I don't know the answer for "troubled" school systems. I followed Michelle
Rhee closely as she tried to reform the D.C. system. She recently
resigned, apparently because her job security was threatened after the mayoral
election there.
PBS's NewsHour devoted considerable coverage to both Rhee and to those who
tried to rebuild and reform New Orleans' system after Katrina.
Three of those NewsHour reports can be found under "External Links" at the
Wiki entry for Rhee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Rhee .
The titles for the reports prior to her resignation are revealing: Part 1:
D.C. Schools Chief Rhee Faces High Expectations for System Reform; Part 2:
In Battle to Revamp D.C. Schools, Education Leader Faces Resistance; Part
3: In Washington, D.C., Schools Chief Faces Tough Choices.
Very complex issues. And it doesn't help to have a governor in NJ whose
only tactics seem to involve scapegoating teachers and unions.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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