Agreed. And here's the saddest fact of all. After NCLB has rendered any of those schools you mention "in failure," which teachers would you expect to see there? It won't be those who have dedicated their lives to children and families in those schools and still remain enthusiastic, optimistic, and committed. They will run for the suburbs as fast as they can because they can't take the abuse and demoralization of "failure to make AYP." Or the new acronym - PLAS (persistently low-achieving schools). So our children who most need the expertise of teachers, whether TFA or traditional, will be deprived of those very teachers. In my area of the country, there is a mass exodus out of those schools, and it's breaking the hearts of dedicated teachers to leave there, but there's only so much professionals can live with and still hold up their heads. I'm anxiously awaiting President Obama's and Secretary Duncan's promise to measure children's progress not child-against-child, but so far, I'm still waiting. . . . . . . . . . . . .
On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Randal Lichtenwalner < rlichtenwal...@tufsd.org> wrote: > I think that the single most important thing is a teacher's ability and > willingness to meet their students where they are, and teach them what they > need, regardless of the student's level or ability. These might be teachers > who entered the profession > through traditional teacher education programs, or through alternate means. > I had the opportunity to teach some Teach for America candidates during > their first year, and I have to say that they were like most other teachers > I knew, with the exception > that they were highly motivated to learn, change, and succeed. While many > of my colleagues were flexible and enthusiastic, the TFA teachers' drive and > tenacity far surpassed my colleagues'. Too many teachers in hard-to-place > schools get stuck, or are > happy to do enough to get by in some very trying circumstances. I found > that the Teach for America candidates and Teaching Fellows candidates > brought a breath of fresh air, and what they lacked in pedagogy they more > than made up for in enthusiasm and > dedication to their students. I'm not sure how TFA works in Florida, but > TFA teachers are not taking jobs away from 2-3 year teachers in New York -- > here, the Teaching Fellows and TFA teachers go where other fear to tread: > the schools with the lowest > rankings in terms of test scores, discipline, and conditions. I think it > would be great for teachers with a decade of experience to come to teach in > these schools, but sadly, there aren't many volunteers. Its true that they > are learning the pedagogy > while they are teaching, but the students deserve to have someone there who > is really interested and invested in them. I've met many teacher who > graduated undergrad programs -- and some who went straight on to grad > programs -- who began the real-world > teaching experience only to find that they don't like it. Now, $100,000 > later, they decide to "stick it out" because its what they've prepared to > do, even though their heart isn't in it. And heart is the most important > ingredient...regardless of how > one enters the profession. > > Randy Lichtenwalner > Assistant Principal > Washington Irving School > Public Schools of the Tarrytowns > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > -- "There is nothing so unequal as equal treatment of unequals." Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
