Sunday, March 27, 2011

real reform vs. faux reform

Teachers have been advocating for real reform: 
  • fully funding education, especially at the most high-needs schools
  • hiring highly qualified, credentialed teachers and administrators
  • implementing a deep, well-rounded, developmentally appropriate curriculum 
  • elimination of developmentally inappropriate academic standards
  • reinstatement of vocational education 
  • smaller class sizes 
  • elimination of high stakes testing 
  • freedom from scripted curriculum 
  • freedom to innovate 
  • openly addressing the effects of poverty on our children 

Rhee, Arne, Gates, Broad and Company want faux reform: 
  • more testing
  • larger class sizes
  • minimally educated teachers
  • more charter schools
  • merit pay based primarily on one test score
  • laying off our most experienced and effective teachers by eliminating LIFO based layoffs during budget crises
  • hiring non-credentialed teachers with no background in education (TFA, TNTP, etc.)
  • longer school day, week and year
  • no due process rights for teachers
  • scripted curricula
  • privatization of public schools to enrich charter management organizations with taxpayer dollars
  • administrators without a substantive background in education
  • mayoral control of school districts
  • closing “failing (poverty)” schools

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