Archive for August, 2008
Peace, Teacher quality
1) Promote the California Peace Movement that states all schools, libraries and training/vocational centers are Peace zones/truce zones. The level of California gang intimidation and urban crime presents a clear and real danger to students, staff and parents or community members. Mentors and community partnerships working with schools are critical to close the achievement gaps. Communities must work in collaboration with city officials to reclaim our neighborhoods and schools in California. Not a RED State (Northern Gangs) Not a BLUE State ( Southern Gangs) but a neutral Purple Truce Zone for California Peace Through Literacy and Community Service.
2) Early education..First Five or Preschool for under served communities is necessary
This [Read more...]
Improve teacher quality
I would tell the president that in my opinion, the best way to begin improving education in this country would start with improving teacher quality. Then, I would suggest that his first task in addressing the issue would be to consider some obvious questions related to the teaching profession - questions that would hopefully lead to the development of a set of goals to improve the profession.
- Who is entering the teaching profession and why?
- Is there a reason why most teachers are female? How does the answer to this question impact the profession?
- Why are their teacher unions? Is unionization a good structure for the profession?
- How difficult is [Read more...]
Re-think teaching & classroom environments
If teachers are so crucial to the learning process, then why are home-schooled and students from one-room schools (Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana) so successful? In quiet, supportive environments children want to learn everything.
In crowded, noisy, distracting environments children seek safety or join in the commotion. Obviously our schools need to provide better student to teacher ratios.
Can anyone teach? Probably not, but some individuals teach better than others. In a classroom of 20, 25, or 30 students, there are good students, that is, good learners who succeed regardless of who is in front of the class.
This post was submitted by Michael Osterbuhr.
More money towards education
You requested suggestions: attitude toward spending big money on education needs to change. this is an investment in our country’s future. Quality facilities well maintained and well staffed — an inviting environment. Big windows, light, openness —- no long dark corridors or closed in classrooms. Small classes — max. 20. Volunteer helpers in all classes—parents must be in the room— like a co-op and business must forgive the time away just as they would for jury duty or national guard duty.
This post was submitted by Nancy Kaplan.
More accountability and standards
I would like the next president to return to the intent of accountability and standards. That is to set standards and hold schools accountable for meeting them, and then get out of the way. As long as they are meeting the standards, they should have freedom to be innovative and creative.
Our experience with NCLB and Reading First has been a nightmare of micromanaging and constricting mandates that have forced creative teachers to return to textbook teaching. For example, the Feds came up with a regulation for 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction for Reading First schools. The state of Florida then mandated this for all elementary schools. This resulted in [Read more...]
Better data means better policy
First is the way you present the issues and problems. Lay off the data hysteria! The propaganda of bad number stories simply clouds perception, and you don’t see what the problems are. Get your data ONLY from the National Center for Education Statistics and not from unofficial purveyors who sell numbers off pushcarts on North Capitol St. just to leverage influence and gain business. The Bush Administration bought those numbers and we wound up with that silly Spellings Commission report.
Second: International statistical comparisons, in particular, are incredibly faulty, and even OECD knows that: other countries define higher ed participation and degrees differently than we do, and [Read more...]
