This teacher noticed with chagrin that David Letterman invited ten Teach for America teachers to deliver his top ten reasons for Teacher Appreciation week. Somewhat in Letterman’s defense, I have to say that the top ten reasons, which were mostly sardonic and cynical, did not reflect much credit on teachers or on the kids who delivered the lines.
I conclude that David Letterman saw no reason to express appreciation for teachers.
Our elites have gone bonkers. How else can you explain their fascination with young college graduates who agree to teach for only two years as the very best way to improve education? Their “sacrifice” is only temporary; soon they will be in graduate school or law school or working for Goldman Sachs, leaving behind their measly teacher pay.
How would our elites (talking to you, Charlie Rose, and to you, editorial boards and corporate chieftains) feel about handing foreign policy over to the recruits in the Peace Corps instead of the seasoned diplomats in the Foreign Service? The kids are alright, but why are they celebrated instead of celebrating the three million plus women and men who make a career of teaching?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
as some wit once said, standing in front of a classroom no more makes you a teacher than standing in a garage makes you a car.
I have heard this in the South: A cat can have kitten in an oven, but that don’t make ’em biscuits. 🙂
kittens
Or a mechanic.
Charlie Rose went to Henderson High School in NC– it is a mystery why he, such a curious and persistent questioner so often throughout his career, has yet to do a show where he and his guests really grapple with the currents in education policy. His format would seem a good one for a real discussion– invite intelligent advocates with disparate POVs and let the fur fly. It must have to do with NY high society or something. Somebody should make sure his producers are aware of the Nicholas Lemann piece on Rhee, all the recent Merrow backwalking and much of the recent Atlantic coverage– you’d think they would be more tuned in and recognize the timeliness of all this. Maybe they just haven’t noticed.
Maybe you could copy and paste this to a letter to Charlie Rose and have it signed by many teachers and ask him to do such a program.
Excellent suggestion. Bertis Downs, please send your psot to Charlie Rose and feel free to add my name to it. Prof. Ira Shor, CUNY Grad Center.
Because teachers with knowledge, experience, and skill can spot corporate reform and money making schemes easier than 22 year olds who are “so committed” and “ready to make change.” With inBloom, it’s now becoming very clear how wonderfully (really, you have to hand it to them!) coordinated the efforts are to privatize every aspect of public schools. The future is a bunch of kids who can answer any who, what, where question you want, but when asked to think about why, their heads will explode. At least a lot of folks will get rich off it (who also will send their kids to a boutiquey “constructivist” private school).
And we teacher types (in the schools for 10+ years) are not a sexy breed. We wear comfortable shoes and clothes that fit into our shopping and limited dry clean budget. We are practical. We are wise about group dynamics. We know who is sincere because we are experienced in reading people.
Diane,
The answer to your questions in your very last paragraph is simple:
Those television journalists/personalities/hosts who work in corporate media are very heavily directed by their executive producers, who in turn are influenced by studio and station CEO’s, such as Leslie Moonves, whose sponsors are corporate America (Johnson and Johnsons, Nike, Target, Walmart, etc.) who advertise on CBS, NBC, and ABC.
The same companies that sell goods and services to the American people are the very same oraganizations that advertise on television (and print, such as the NY Times, etc.) and that lobby the Senate and Congress. Everytime, for example, an ad for Hyatt Hotels shows up in print or film, you know there was a Penny Pritzker/Obama/Congress/Senate/Media Mogul connection, and the ONE thread that weaved all of those bacterial infections together is the agenda of the entities that PAY FOR commercials and campaign finance. Right now, we’re all in the process of developing anti-biotics to better fight those bacterial infections.
It is very easy to connect these dots.
Edward R. Murrow’s vision is but a joke now in terms of what the media was supposed to do to uphold a free democracy.
Dave Letterman, a rich Little Lord Fauntelroy, is nothing more than a high priced hand puppet of his network executives. He could care less about any of the “commoners” who watch his show and give him high ratings. . . the only time he would have a change of heart is if his ratings decline. And even then, he does not have the final say as to what he puts on the air.
Which brings me to my next perverse but potentially accurate point.
Given the anti-corporate education reform sentiment in this country right now among parents, children, and teachers, (and now even some high powered politicians), why AREN’T the major networks and Oprah, capitalizing upon this and showing more of this point of view, which is almost as popular as Rihana, Justin Bieber, and Rice Crispies? In a way, they are depriving themselves mostly of that they are addicted to the most: popularity, audience worhsip, and ratings.
Their avoidance of blowing with these major poltiical hurricane winds hurts their own bottom lines. . . not that I care about that, but popular sentiment usually sways networks.
You’re right: they’ve gone bonkers.
But none of us who know the truth about education are done with those who don’t . . . .
Diane, you’re a powerhouse, and you transform those of us who read your blog into the same.
“In a way, they are depriving themselves mostly of that they are addicted to the most: popularity, audience worhsip, and ratings.”
Deprive them of an audience. Turn off the tube!!
Yes
I agree! It’s their egoes and stupidity. Plus mainstream media is basically owned by a Fox News. Maybe he wants to get in good with Fox? Do we have corruption that abounds In this country? Oh yeah….
Teachers, real teachers, are typically not 22 with tanned tight bodies, wearing the latest style of clothing. They look more like regular folks, at times lovingly wearing the seasonal embroidered sweaters, and glow when talking about their kidlets.
Far cry from TFAtypes! But, they make better ad campaigners for Old Navy & Beneton while talking about saving the very last kid, curing cancer while tutoring the homeless. As a group, teachers look like every bodies’ mother and father. Nothing wrong with that!
How shallow our society is, but the $$ rules and will never change in our lifetime. We were young once, but we had teaching credentials under our belts. We did not just play one on TV.
Thank you
I didn’t realize just how demoralized and broken down my poor end of the year teacher brain really was until I read this. I am inspired to know that people really ARE in the know as to who is connected to whom. Now if I just be left alone to teach my kids, pass out stars and band aids, encourage them to become great citizens and honest, hardworking people without fear of the corporate world of greed breathing down my neck ! Please, speak out more. We are so tired. Like bullies, they steal our lunch money and kick sand in our faces. How much more can our kids take? The problem has always been poverty!!!!
Welcome to the crew of folks who “get it!”
Like
Letterman is an entertainer…thats all. And not a very good one, but thats another story. Folks like him use thier soap box …which the general public is denied, by the way…to spew thier views….which most people dont want to hear in the first place.
Twitter: @LateShow
Email: cbsmailbag@aol.com
How about if we had a flock of educators that would bombard, for example, CBS and @LateShow with tweets when something like this happens? If companies are following what the social media say about them, then let’s make ourselves be heard where they are listening. We could have a twitter account where any educator could post, for example, “David Letterman was on last night and he had ten TFA teachers for teacher appreciation week” (and post CBS’ twitter account). When the flock sees this, they all post comments to CBS.
Thanks! I emailed them with a few choice words!
I just sent an email msg to cbsmailbag.
Who’s David Letterman, anyway!!
A TV personality who isn’t actually that funny and has affairs with his underlings.
Damn, can I have affairs with my underlings and still get paid millions???
David who? Charlie who? Stopped watching them about the same time I stopped shopping at Walmart. Corner store has most of what I need. And friendly too. 🙂
I will post two links separately so I don’t have to await moderation:
Two great video clips on Chris Hayes, All In last night – Chicago, Karen Lewis and that amazing little boy, only 9 years old. Please share:
Remember the schools closings started with Vallas and Duncan…actually three schools Arne Duncan opened and praised as models are now being closed under Rahm.
So there will just be a cycle of opening and closing schools and THIS they call reform?
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/all-in-/51996421#51996421
Second one..All In with Chris Hayes, featuring Karen Lewis and Pedro:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/all-in-/51996421#51996420
This joke fell flat for a couple of reasons. The audience applauded hopefully for every teacher appreciation set-up line, as though they took him at his word.
Then, when the lame put-down jokes were delivered by the TFA corps, there was no straight man. I think watchers responded with confusion and disappointment. Applause was muted, and there was no laughter except Letterman’s self-conscious snickers.
So what did they gain with the snarkiness? TFA put this up on their website, and they look like a bunch of nincompoops, but that reflects on them, not on real teachers. The Letterman writers are promoting a contemptuous attitude not shared by the people we serve, and they can’t even make it funny. Let’s just roll our eyes and keep our chins up, colleagues.
It reflects poorly on TFA’ers than authentic pedagogues in my opinion, so I was not offended and welcomed it as TFA shooting itself in the foot.
Robert Rendo and H.A. Hurley make good points about why David Letterman got his teachers from Central Casting. As a parent of a public school student, I’d be much happier if more teachers on TV — and at some of our kids’ schools — were older, experienced people who really see educating children as a vocation not a strategic career move.
I can add this fact to “The Top Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Watch Letterman” List!
Low cost, 2 years term not vested so no pension. Can’t think of any other reasons.
Actually they cost more than you think: a $50 k finders’ fee for each TFAer.
Then must be union busting. 2 year teachers aren’t concerned or are even hostile towards unions based on my experience.
Also, the TFA students are members of the prime “target” audience – late teens and very young adults and they thought getting people of the same age would get them more viewers in that age group.
BTW, I did not see the show.
My thoughts exactly. Very disappointing.
Love the analogy of having Peace Corps volunteers run foreign policy.
David Letterman and Teach For America http://thegindenburg.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/david-letterman-and-teach-for-america/
Teach For America is a piece of the “education reform” movement’s agenda, privatizing public education in lockstep with their corporate and political ilk
TFA and Peace Corps are both about equally ineffective in doing any lasting good in the communities they affect. I have a niece who was a PCV and a cousin who tried a TFA clone — they both let me know it was a big waste of time and money and that they helped no one.
I saw that Letterman Top 10 … and I , too, was very disappointed in his choice of all TFA recruits. They aren’t what represents American education, nor are they the solution.
I have become very jaded and saddened, particularly in the last 4-5 yreas with the worms coming out of the woodwork and exposing themselves boldly, daring anyone to stop them. I am not calling those kids the worms, but the ALEZC and Michelle Rhee related corporate “think” tanks that are bull-dozing the educational system and livelihoods of so many people.
I see no end in sight. There push to double college loan rates is another example of how we are being bullied into paying more for everything if we are in the 2% … while they just accumulate their funds and laugh.
I am so sick of “journalists” extolling TFA recruits as classroom heroes while they ignore or pass along unfounded vilifications of experienced teachers who’ve dedicated their lives to their students. This recent TFA inspired puff piece was in my local rag: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/24/2915699/drescher-duke-grad-plays-central.html. It prompted me to fire off this letter:
Mr. Drescher:
Your article “Front line in ‘Blackboard Wars'” in today’s newspaper was extraordinarily tone deaf and incurious.
For instance, nowhere do you show the slightest interest in why 22-year-old Baye Cobb is thrown into a classroom with the most challenging students after she has had only 5 weeks of preparation.
Nowhere do you show any curiosity about why Teach for America has become a fascination with celebrities like Oprah Winfrey while experienced teachers working in similar or worse conditions are being vilified for being “ineffective.”
You accept without any hint of questioning that Ms. Cobb’s “success” is bona fide on the basis of her principal’s word and the end-of-grade test scores.
Your reporting is completely void of any context including New Orleans’ status as having the worst performing schools in one of the worst academically performing states in America.
You provide your readers no perspective whatsoever about efforts in our own state to push ill-prepared teachers like Ms. Cobb onto the most impoverished, most difficult to teach students.
It’s extraordinary that at a time when we’ve seen teachers risk and actually lose their lives protecting school children in Connecticut and Oklahoma — while our state legislature attacks public school teachers’ tenure and working conditions — you’ve chosen to focus on celebrities extolling a program pushing temporary workers (the average TFA recruit leaves the profession after only 3 years) on the nation’s most at risk students.
If you really do have some interest in delving into the lives of teachers working in today’s schools, I strongly recommend you watch this: http://wapo.st/136k8QR
Sincerely,
Jeff Bryant, Chapel Hill
My niece was in TFA.
She is now in Medical School.
A group of us talked her and 10 others out of ever going into the Teaching Profession…did not take long to convince them as they saw what had happened to the excellent teachers they had in school.
Teachers….excuse me..TESTERS..are the most abused and harassed group of workers in the USA.
Who butters Letterman’s bread.
A former student of mine became a TFA member trained for a few weeks and became a social studies teacher in a charter school in Newark, NJ. She now a special education supervisor-supposedly. True story.
This story is a sad commentary on the worth of professional teachers by Letterman’s team of advisors. Sorry to read the article but not surprised! Thank you again Dr. Ravitch for calling our attention to the elitist snub, sarcastic countdown, and stereotypical slap by people who condemn what they don’t understand rather than uplift what they appreciate. For all of my colleagues, our work is essential and we do not need reinforcement from a man who makes a living being sarcastic!
I have seen TFA cups on Molly’s desk from the show “Mike and Molly” on CBS; and TFA posters on the show “The Big Bang Theory.” Although they are both favorites of mine, I am boycotting CBS for their blatant disregard for public education and their despicable attempt at brainwashing.
________________________________
I and several others would love the opportunity for rebuttal in this Koppian state.
I don’t think that Dave had a choice in who was chosen for that segment. I have friends that are connected with him personally and they are sure he would not have made that choice as a political statement. If you want to send him and email or tweet that will get to him suggest that he should have had real teachers from his alma matter, Ball State University that produces the most teachers in the state of Indiana. Ball State was founded for the purpose of creating teachers, so the whole TFA thing is a big “dis” to his school which he loves dearly.
They are only doing this in urban schools because urban parents are blind to what is really going on.These people don’t care about urban students. Urban students are money makers for corporations, charter schools and other people who want to get rich over of poor children. Closing schools and opening charter schools would never be tolerated in suburban districts because the parents would stand up immediately and fight. Urban parents have a bad habit of falling for things like charter schools, then when it gets out of hand then they want to fight. What we need is to close charter schools and bring prayer back into public schools. The government needs to stop lying and making it look like urban schools are failing and that is why charter schools are here. The real reason is because cities are struggling financially. So it is easier to sell urban students to the highest bidder.