This teacher has deciphered the absurdity of the reformer crusade to put a great teacher in every classroom. Where are they now?
Periodically, I hear the illogical idea that we need “great” teachers in classrooms, as if great teachers aren’t already in classrooms. From where are all these stealthy “great” teachers supposed to come? Are they now all sitting on their hands at home, waiting to be hired? Is there a secret supply of “great” teachers, hiding somewhere? Why aren’t these armies of “great” teachers in classrooms? Does Mr. Gates really think there are millions of extra “great” teachers, that haven’t already been hired, to fill every classroom (since he implies there is a dearth of great teachers in classrooms now.)
All teachers come from the same education programs. Or is there is a covert training system that produces “great” teachers, whom are then systematically eliminated and prohibited from teaching?
I understand that some teachers are more talented than others. But I think that everyone that criticizes teachers should give teaching a try themselves. They could show the rest of us how easy it is to be “great.”
Maybe the whole system is corrupted, broken and irrelevant.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The “great” teachers will be those who are broadcast over the network to the computers of the students. In other words, this is just another example of the bait and switch the reformers love to use to game the public.
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I think that some people who spout the “great teacher in every classroom” mantra really believe that if you keep firing the bottom x% and replacing those people, you perforce raise the overall quality of the whole. The Finnish approach, of course, says something different: if you keep working to improve the quality of your teachers, you directly raise the overall quality of everyone.
Now, which system – the deformer approach or the Finnish one – do you think costs more money and effort (from a corporate mindset, anyway)? And yet, which one is likely to be more cost-effective in the long haul and pay the biggest returns on human investment of time, effort, knowledge, and, yes, money?
While this thinking isn’t the only reason that deformers are not making positive changes on US education while Finns have demonstrably been, on balance, very effective at raising the effectiveness of their education system, there is something fundamentally wrong with the entire mind-set of corporatists that makes it impossible for them to step outside of their biases to realize the obvious contradictions of what they’re forcing upon the country. I would argue that the overall impact of their efforts (regardless of the purity of their motivations or beliefs) is the opposite of what they claim to want. They are in fact lowering the quality of teaching and learning in our public schools. They’ve got pretty much everything backwards.
They mistake measuring something for changing something. They mistake saying and writing words like “rigor” for authentic student and instructor thinking and work. The ultimate indication of their foolishness may be the Common Core “State” Standards Initiative in which they’ve succeeded once again in mistaking top-down pseudo-reform predicated on the bankrupt notion that benchmarks based upon arbitrary grade/age levels for meaningful human intellectual growth and development. The only thing that can grow from that misapprehension is more of the same vapid “schooling” that has been the norm in this country for a century or so.
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It seems that Finland does a lot of selection before teachers go to a classroom. There seem to be no undergraduate teaching degrees and those admitted to the masters programs in teaching are in the top ten percent of college graduates. Perhaps the US could switch to this set of educational requirements.
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The selection begins with high school graduates. They apply to enter a five-year education program, which culminates in a master’s degree. Only 10% of those who apply are accepted.
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Does anyone know the admission criteria for education schools here in the US? I looked up my institution’s ed school, and the minimum requirement seems to around a C+ gpa, but the actual requirement might be higher. I could not find much about this on the net.
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What is the acceptance rate at schools of education in the US?
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George Carlin, saw the writing on the wall:
“…there’s a reason education sucks, and it’s the same reason it will never, ever, ever be fixed…. Because the owners, the owners of this country don’t want that. I’m talking about the real owners now, the BIG owners. The wealthy, the REAL owners. The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions…”
Catch the rest here:
It’s not parody. This is what has really happened to our America.
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I think Bill Gates is right, we need to improve teacher quality. Can you believe *half* of all teachers are below average???
[/sarcasm]
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LOL!!! Yes, we should all be above average!!!
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I am a great teacher, however, my greatness is being slowly chipped away by the lack of discipline and concern for education by many of the students within the classroom/school. There is too mcuh focus as well as funding in my opinion, going to the lowest achievers (how is that for an oxymoron) in our nation, the gifted and talented have to lower their standards and often get caught up in the nonsense and disrespect for teaching and learning that goes on in the public school classsroom. If we want to achieve greatness in America and raise our standards as well as our economy and expertise, then we must stop trying to drag those along who do not care to follow. The dead weight is killing our system and the teachers who are constantly battling a force that is against them. Imagine for a second the children in a HS classroom that absolutely do not care if they pass or fail, they are there for many times the free lunch and social aspect. Now imagine trying to teach in a class with at least 4 children of that mindset, yet we do, and we do it with complaints from politicians, parents, administrators, and the students themselves. Walk in our shoes for just a day, I dare you.
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I am frightened that the really great teachers will be leaving schools in droves. My children’s school has some very innovative and beyond dedicated teachers who make the school unique. They exemplify the school motto of ‘Individually we are different but together we are [ School Name] in everything that they do. The first round of mandated VAM tests have gone out now and these dedicated teachers who are incredible in their caring and professionalism are now so discouraged that there is talk of them leaving. The drone like replacements who don’t question this practice will drain the color and the spirit of this wonderful school.
I fear that the great teachers will leave and the drones will take their place.
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The EAA (state of Michigan taking over 15 DPS schools) hired 200+ Teach for America teachers, These teachers weren’t evaluated. So, the students will be guinea pigs for a year with rookie teachers. Will they then be evaluated and fired if they don’t measure up? Is this “great teachers in every classroom” or saving money in every classroom?
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Barb,
Just wait until they get those new teachers in the classroom for a live performance of “Kids in America who could care less about an education”
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This belief comes from the business world. Those who practice Druckerian Management by Objective believe that all underperformance is a defect in character that is rectified in all circumstances with new personnel.
The late W.E. Deming used the red bead parable to show that in every process there exists a bell curve of outcomes. Only by improving the process can gains be made. I suggest that you check out Deming’s managment beliefs.
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I do not believe in new personnel, I believe in those who want to win, win. Give me some effort and you will see results, sit and do absolutely nothing and you will also see results. One runs America and one kills America.
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When is good good enough? If we got rid of all the people who are not doing an “excellent” job, how many people would be left working? Who decides what an excellent job is? Do we fall on our swords if we are less than excellent?
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I’m not even speaking of excellent, I mean average.
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Sorry, Liz. I was pontificating in general, not responding to your post.
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I believe great teachers know their subject matter, know pedagogy, know child development, know classroom management techniques, know motivational strategies, are passionate about what they do, and are willing to try new things. Most of the teachers I have met and worked with in my 16 years of teaching have these qualities. Why is it so hard to believe that most of our teachers are great dedicated talented professionals? Don’t tell me that the key difference in student achievement between Hartford, Connecticut and Greenwich, Connecticut is that Greenwich has all the “great teachers.”
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W.E. Deming used to tell a story about management using the exhortation to “work harder.” Working harder is like the accelerator pedal on your car. One presses down and the car goes from 30 mph to 40 mph. Most people apply this learning and assume that working harder will produce excellent results without a change of inputs. Deming used to ask if one could win the Indianapolis 500 with their car.
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