I can always tell when people have stopped thinking and are just repeating something they heard without a critical look at the premise. 
She said without thinking, “I just don’t see why they can’t make it easier to become a teacher.”
And I said, “And of course, we shouldn’t stop with teachers. I don’t see why they can’t make it easier to become a dentist.”
She looked confused.
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(From the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, New York, March 16-17, which brought together the top performing school systems in the world)
One of the distinguished dignitaries participating in the from education unions and education ministers, reported on a remark once offered after a presentation of solid, undisputed education research, “Well, that may be true, but it sure isn’t what anyone believes.”
He was making the point that it doesn’t matter what the research says if the political realities are that most people don’t believe it. Powerful people who have any old idea about what they’d like to try to improve public schools will trump solid, undisputed education research if most people think the any old idea seems to make sense.
Like, for instance, something called “market reforms” for schools. Powerful people have an idea that if we ran schools like businesses, we’d see better “outputs”. If we motivated teachers with bonuses for higher test scores, they’d be inspired to work harder.
If we threatened to fire them for low test scores they’d be afraid and work harder. If we standardized instruction and standardized assessment and standardized textbooks then we’d be able to count on the standardized consistency of a global McDonalds where a Big Mac tastes the same to a poor child as a rich child.
The dignitaries in this world conference are sharing the truth of their success.
Here’s the truth. (more…)
The United States of America has some of in the world.
May I repeat? The United States of America has some of the best teachers in the world. And some of the best teachers in the United States are leading us to something better… through their unions.
Now, you wouldn’t know that listening to the Talking Heads’ pontificate during National Bash a Teacher month. There is a convergence of politicians, activists, venture capitalists and even movie-makers for heaven’s sake, looking for a slick, simple storyline as to why, in neighborhoods with growing crime, unemployment, drug use and incarceration rates, students are failing and dropping out.
Their answer: Those kids must have bad teachers.
You hear it from the liberal-leaning; you hear it from the conservative-leaning. They have different motives, but they need things boiled down. They need a sound-bite answer. They need a villain. They decided, without research or evidence or analysis that the one-size-fits-all finger points to: The Teacher…
…and that teacher’s union.
Our critics are fond of saying that “we are for the teachers” and not the students.
It makes me angry, because I know something they don’t know.
The clock is ticking. The House has passed the most compassionate and just piece of legislation we’ve seen for children in decades. They overwhelmingly said yes to giving the children of undocumented immigrants, who were brought here years ago by their parents, a path to citizenship.
Now, the Senate must act. Because of the special rules the Senate set for itself, they require 60 out of their 100 votes to allow the Dream Act to even be debated. A minority of Senators can stand in the way of a good thing happening to children who made no decision to come here.
These are our children. Many of them don’t remember their old country. We’ve invested in their education. We know them from Scouts and soccer teams and Sunday school. The kids who can take advantage of the Dream Act are kids who have kept out of trouble, finished high school and attend college or serve in the military for at least two years.
Only the Senate can make this dream come true. They can do it next week. They need to hear from you. Now. Right now. Even if they plan to vote “no” on the final bill, tell them to allow the debate.
We’ve never been this close. Tell them it’s time to let these good and gorgeous children dream that the country they call home will finally claim them as its own.
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