In this post that appeared on Valerie Strauss’ “Answer Sheet” at the Washington Post, David Lee Finkle takes on what passes for education “reform” these days.
Finkle is a cartoonist and middle school teacher in Florida.
Finkle takes on the myth that American schools are failing and points out that they are far more rigorous than ever.
The federal government’s obsession with test scores is not improving education. To the contrary, it is ruining real education and demoralizing teachers.
He concludes:
“We have a choice in this country. Keep listening to the story told by the “reformers” and end up with test-score mills even worse than the ones we have now, or listen to teachers who want a public education system that isn’t an industrial factory spitting out test takers but that offers schools that are places for deep thinking, learning, creativity, play, wonder, engagement, hard work, and intense fun.”
Which will it be?
You decide.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
THANK YOU, Finkle!
I had a thought.
Since we know that Obama and Arne like charters, we connect dots that link RttT with creating chaos to give charters a chance.
Could it be that RttT is more just a “do nothing ’til you hear it from me, and you never will” type mentality? Rather than really wrestle with where NCLB fell short and come up with real answers (like letting states be less controlled by DOE) they just threw some slop at the public and really don’t care? So rather than it being malice with intention it is really just more lackadaisical do nothingness, which allows for the reformers to sweep in? Is it really in tandem or is it just a timing issue?
Is it like Bob Marley ignoring a soccer injury on his foot that festered into cancer and killed him? (We know Bob Marley probably did not think he would ignore his foot so he could die, he just ignored it and it let to bad things). Has Obama simply delegated and just doesn’t care, or does he really want public schools shut down?
I cannot fathom an American president having disregard for a public institution like education. Yes charters are “public,” but not really. What does he know that I don’t on this. I don’t get it. I am reading Lipman’s new book about neoliberalism and I still don’t get it.
Does it have to do with growing up with parents who were not together?(many fall in that category). I simply do not get it.
Follow the money is not a good enough answer for me. I want to understand what Obama is thinking. Not Arne. Not anyone else. Obama. (Education is why I wrote in a presidential candidate last election). It will, again, be the top thing on my list in choosing next time.
And furthermore what does Bill Clinton have to say about what is going on? What about Hillary? What about Al Gore? Can the nine year old boy featured on an earlier post get their ear? Who is listening?
Is this going to be like the abortion issue now? Pro -charter or pro-public? (As if it were that black and white). Will we be on a see saw now with schools?
I want to see a round table discussion of these leaders. Not Arne. Not Rhee. Real leaders. The buck stops with Obama. So what does he have to say?
Apparently, I failed miserably at being a quantitative learning skills facilitator. I was unable to raise reading scores from K-6 to 9-12 in one year. To the higher ups my special ed students were no more than lexile scores. Poverty was the norm for the school; a brief tour of the facilities and perusal of resources (or lack thereof) would tell you more than you needed to know. And yet, our days were filled with laughter and learning. Maybe that’s why I still received an effective rating.
“Maybe that’s why I still received an effective rating…” when they laid off.
For the past four weeks, I have been a college student volunteer in an Upward Bound summer class program hosted by my university. It has been incredibly fascinating to observe the kids, teachers, and myself in this learning/teaching environment. For the first time in a long time, I feel like the “big kid” who has some useful tips, stories, experiences, advice, etc. to impart to a younger crowd that I used to be a part of. The reversal of perspective has been really good for me. I’ve learned a lot from the kids and their teachers – I think far more than they’ve learned from me. I’m re-learning some things that I had forgotten since high school, and also picking up some new tidbits here and there about teaching people and navigating a professional, collaborative environment.
I’ve noticed how teaching styles during summer classes like this are different from normal school year teaching. On the whole, this group of teachers and students are especially invested in success and improvement, as demonstrated by their consistent presence and engagement in class. The focus in teaching is – I think – more where it should be. The pressure to perform on standardized tests is absent in this environment, and so the teaching/learning process is far more effective and enjoyable for both parties. These classes feel much more like true college preparation: they are modeled after the structure of college classroom experiences and curriculum. For this reason, I feel this program is doing a pretty good job with legitimately preparing students for a collegiate future. They’re learning skills they will actually use in college classrooms, but that have nothing to do with standardized tests. I like the emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. I re-examined the differences in curriculum focus and teaching style between this summer program and my personal experience of public school during the normal school year. I could see that the impact of this difference was positive from an individual enrichment standpoint. The students reaped great benefits from the emphasis on critical thinking over recitation of facts and formulas.I really see these kids rising to the challenges they are given. If their mentors expect more from them, they will think they are capable of more, and will act accordingly.