Amy Prime teaches second grade in Iowa. She writes frequently about education issues in her state. When the politicians began passing laws to “fix” teaching, Amy decided they should know what teachers want and need.
This is the article she wrote.
Amy is engaged not just in teaching second grade, but in educating the public. This is crucial, as we must build public understanding, demolish the myths about teaching, and allow the public to recognize the realities of education today.
She concludes her article with this message to Governor Branstad:
“The governor’s desire to help support teachers is noble. His administration has acknowledged many times that Iowa has great teachers. So let’s not fix a nonexistent problem and create more hoops for teachers to jump through. Instead let’s provide real assistance. Let’s make sure facilities, materials and technology are current and that support staffers are plentiful. Let’s find ways to provide more time for teachers to prepare for students and find ways to help kids be ready for school. And, most of all, let’s stop sending the message that the dedicated professionals of this state who put their hearts, minds, time and money into the kids of Iowa are somehow failing them.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Tis interesting to see which postings get the most chatter. And perhaps it is a sign of the times that anything to do with the “celebrity” (sic-most publicized) edudeformers getting many responses while a non-“celebrity” teacher from the hinterlands of Iowa get none in almost 24 hours. Not sure what it all means but just saying.
Amy wrote: “time for lesson preparation, data analysis, collaboration with peers and paper checking. Having a full day every two weeks or so for this would be a huge benefit to students.” and “Maybe students could have an Art Day. . . Perhaps foreign language instruction could be incorporated into that day.”
My response: How about giving the students the opportunity for art and foreign language everyday. That could free up two hours for each teacher (I’m assuming that Amy is talking elementary level herer) to plan, collaborate (and that is a way over-hyped concept) and do paper work. No need for data analysis, either, but time for student assessment which would be checking (not “grading”) papers, projects, etc. . . . Or heaven forbid if it’s been a particularly tough day a time for a catnap to refresh. But having the full time art/FL teachers costs money and don’t you know there is just not enough wealth in this country to fund that.
“The elephant in the room of education reform is, of course, the growing number of children who live in poverty in the state.”
My response: Agreed and the bull in the china shop are politicos and edudeformers who have never taught or never taught long enough to master the craft (and teaching is a craft, just like custom cabinet making, nursing, doctoring, etc. . .) .
Excuse me, but Art and Foreign Language (along with PE, Music and other stuff) are taught by TEACHERS too, who are equally burdens by all the reform BS going on (that is if they still have a job that hasn’t been cut due to “reform”) and they are absolutely FED UP with being refered to as the “break” for “real teachers”, thank you very much.
I personally am glad that I taught long enough to be able to retire when I was “reformed” out of my Art and Foreign language teaching jobs 3 years ago instead of just being another “Reduction In Force” that ended a career that was killing me anyway. But somehow, as the art teacher, kids were learning more actual application of science, math, and consequences of history than they were learning in the “real classroom”–to the point where students asked why I wasn’t teaching those subjects.
In short, a whole education goes beyond testing and no subject is more important or real than another. But, when reform makes education all about money, there’s a major problem with philosophy (another major that doesn’t make money).