It seems to me that in the age of "accountability" where teachers are evaluated on "junk science" and schools are rated on high stakes Common Core tests that are not grade appropriate, the students and their parents are given a pass. In New York, The State uses the 6 day tests to determine 50% of a teacher's grade while the students scores are ignored for promotion decisions (however, these useless tests are used for student placement decisions).
The drumbeat of "accountability" is constantly brought up by the education deformer organizations and their media allies. However, when you push through the "accountability" rhetoric you find that these education deformer organizations will ignore the two most important part of the "accountability" equation, that is the parent and the student. In the education deformer world the teacher is the most important part of a student's educational success. To these organizations the fact that a teacher makes up only between 1% and 14% of a student's academic success is simply an inconvenient truth they choose to ignore. In fact, one of their education deform heroes. Joel Klein and his allies hold teachers primarily responsible for the achievement gap between disadvantaged and middle-class children. In a 2010 “manifesto,” Klein and one of his protégés, Michelle Rhee, the former schools chancellor of Washington, D.C., summed up their campaign like this:
“The single most important factor determining whether students succeed in school is not the color of their skin or their ZIP code or even their parents’ income—it is the quality of their teacher.”
Joel Klein, as Chancellor, falsely claimed that he was able to narrow the achievement gap only to be canned as Chancellor by an embarrassed Mayor Bloomberg after it was shown that the income/racial academic achievement gap actually widened!
The frustration level of educators who suffer through disrespectful students, uncaring parents, and unrelenting administrative pressure and yet are blamed for a student's failure that they have little or no control over. This is not just a New York problem but is found nationally as teacher shortages spread throughout the country. Moreover, even in countries like Australia, teacher frustration has resulted in a school approving this message to parents (it may be a hoax) when they call the school While I agree with the frustration of these educators, I don't agree with the messages conclusion and maybe they should be more understanding of recent immigrants to the school district. Otherwise, I wish all schools would record similar messages and place "accountability" squarely where it belongs on the parents and the students and not scapegoating teachers.
I agree with the Australian message. (If that was done here the whole faculty of the school would be branded as uncaring, savage teachers.) The fact is no one gives a crap about these kids except their teachers, but when you're punished by everyone (even those you try to help) then it's time to emotionally detach yourself (if you can't physically by leaving the system).
ReplyDeleteThere are many articles about this message stating that it is a hoax. But the message is quite true. Teachers are not able to force kids to succeed in school, parents are. They should be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteIn other countries the teachers are allowed to beat the kids if they don't pay attention.
ReplyDeleteWe used to do it here too. But even if the teacher didn't beat you, your parents definitely would. And sometimes kids were beaten twice: first by the teacher then again when they got home.
It definitely helps with compliance.
ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION: I was at a 3 day school retreat for my public school in NYC this week. Principal went over all the Chancellors Regulations, rules, etc. However, there was NO MENTION AT ALL about Advance and or the new observation law/procedure. Does anybody know when/how the new observations are going to be implemented? (Outside evaluators and in house observation)
ReplyDeleteBecause 80% of the students and parents are trash. That's what happens when they all have the same criminal background, and its the same 16 year olds having children. Poverty and criminality never ends...And we all know if we graded honestly, 10% would pass.
ReplyDeleteAre we now going to blame parents, because teachers have run out of everyone else to blame for student failure. Has anyone ever heard of self reflection? I have a child in high school, who was not doing well. I went to see her guidance counselor, who told me that she could not tell the teachers that I wanted to speak with them. I had to take a morning off from work to come into the school, and personally leave written messages in each teacher's mailbox, because my emails and phone calls went unanswered and this "wonderful" counselor at an A school with a principal that gets lots of kudos in the press, would not work with me. I then resorted to calling the chairperson of each department to explain my plight, and those that were willing to listen to my child's problems, told me they would pass along the message. One teacher called me back. I went to the school several times, again, after taking days off from my nursing job, and was told that I did not have an appointment and teachers were in the classroom teaching and could not be disturbed. I tried to see the principal, but he was always in a meeting the 5 times I showed up to the school. And, he never once returned my phone calls. The AP Guidance refused to recommend my child be tested for special ed because obviously the failing and the cutting were due to behavior issues. I tried to partner with the school to help my child, and I could not find a teacher, an administrator or a counselor that was willing to work with me. This school is notorious for this, and I repeat, it has one of the finest reputations in the city. When my child was finally tested, we were treated badly, I was accused by the school psychologist of wanting to label and throw away my child. The report, which was shared with my child labeled my child "emotionally disturbed." It was a nightmare. I took my daughter out of the school and placed her in private school. I took her to the neurologist who ran a series of tests, and a year after this whole ordeal began, my child was diagnosed with narcolepsy and anxiety. She was successfully treated for these medical conditions and went on to flourish academically. So, please don't moan and groan about how parents need to be held accountable. I am one of many parents whose children's needs have been ignored by teachers who refuse to partner with the families. This comment will most likely not be approved by the blog author, since it does not support the one sided views of all who write and post on it.
ReplyDeleteMe too...until I learned my parental rights... The parents that DO care, are treated like we are beneath the teachers and are ignored.
DeleteMe too...until I learned my parental rights... The parents that DO care, are treated like we are beneath the teachers and are ignored.
DeleteIf the above comment was made by a teacher, this is what's wrong with schools today. Families are viewed as inferior and disposable by those employed to serve children.
ReplyDeleteAre we now going to blame parents, because teachers have run out of everyone else to blame for student failure. Has anyone ever heard of self reflection? I have a child in high school, who was not doing well. I went to see her guidance counselor, who told me that she could not tell the teachers that I wanted to speak with them. I had to take a morning off from work to come into the school, and personally leave written messages in each teacher's mailbox, because my emails and phone calls went unanswered and this "wonderful" counselor at an A school with a principal that gets lots of kudos in the press, would not work with me. I then resorted to calling the chairperson of each department to explain my plight, and those that were willing to listen to my child's problems, told me they would pass along the message. One teacher called me back. I went to the school several times, again, after taking days off from my nursing job, and was told that I did not have an appointment and teachers were in the classroom teaching and could not be disturbed. I tried to see the principal, but he was always in a meeting the 5 times I showed up to the school. And, he never once returned my phone calls. The AP Guidance refused to recommend my child be tested for special ed because obviously the failing and the cutting were due to behavior issues. I tried to partner with the school to help my child, and I could not find a teacher, an administrator or a counselor that was willing to work with me. This school is notorious for this, and I repeat, it has one of the finest reputations in the city. When my child was finally tested, we were treated badly, I was accused by the school psychologist of wanting to label and throw away my child. The report, which was shared with my child labeled my child "emotionally disturbed." It was a nightmare. I took my daughter out of the school and placed her in private school. I took her to the neurologist who ran a series of tests, and a year after this whole ordeal began, my child was diagnosed with narcolepsy and anxiety. She was successfully treated for these medical conditions and went on to flourish academically. So, please don't moan and groan about how parents need to be held accountable. I am one of many parents whose children's needs have been ignored by teachers who refuse to partner with the families. This comment will most likely not be approved by the blog author, since it does not support the one sided views of all who write and post on it.
Parent Vue:
ReplyDeleteFirst, the fact that you believe that the A rated school means its good is false. The grade A-F was not based on academic excellence but on credit accumulation and graduation rate which were manipulated. Read the news reports on the credit recovery fiasco and the bogus graduation rates. The letter grades were a joke and were eliminated.
Second, principals in the paper are usually the ones looking out for themselves and not the students. The truly effective principals are the ones with a supportive staff and you never hear about them.
Finally, maybe you should be holding your child accountable and not just blame the teachers who deal with large class sizes and not the small class sizes of a private school setting.