Why does the US have to beg to be educated?

[treestarfae]

Why does the US have to beg to be educated? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100329/ap_on_re_us/us_education_grants#mwpphu-container

[SonshineLearner]

It's a catch. As a nation, we're just not that wise.

:(

[Snickerdoodle]

Here is the criteria they used to judge the applicants:

 

From the Ed.gov website:

 

The Race to the Top state competition is designed to reward states that are leading the way in comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform across four key areas:

 

* Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace;

* Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction;

* Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and

* Turning around their lowest-performing schools.

 

 

The peer reviewers awarded the highest scores to Delaware and Tennessee. They awarded Delaware and Tennessee high marks for the commitment to reform from key stakeholders, including elected officials, teacher's union leaders, and business leaders. In both states, all school districts committed to implementing Race to the Top reforms. Delaware and Tennessee also have aggressive plans to improve teacher and principal evaluation, use data to inform instructional decisions, and turn around their lowest-performing schools. In addition, both states have put in place strong laws and policies to support their reform efforts.

[mcconnellboys]

I'd like to find out what the strong laws and policies are that these states have implemented. I know some educators in Tennessee, maybe I'll get to ask them about it sometime soon.....

[The Girls' Mom]

Having been in a school and friends with teachers in TN that have been 'revamped' with these so-called improvements....it's not all it's cracked up to be. There's a whole lot of teaching to the test going on, and teachers that have had their love for teaching stomped right out.

[stripe]

I didn't like the idea that below average schools (which is, by definition, half of them) are penalized by...having their funds removed, which is a sure way to get good results. I don't think I've ever understood educational bureaucracy.

[mcconnellboys]

And I'm not sure what any school, good or bad, is going to do after taking such a large amount of federal money. If TN takes $500,000, do they get it all at once? Is it for one school year? Then what? What do they do the next year to pay for the teachers, supplies, etc. that they may need to continue implementing the programs they start with the 500k? They would have to be very careful about how that money is spent. It can't really be spent to hire teachers or increase salaries, etc. if they won't have the dollars to continue the next year with such payments..... I guess it could be used to buy computers, build infrastructure, etc., but I'm not exactly sure that best serves the idea of better education for the children for all the schools, at least.....

[Dmmetler]

I am a certified TN teacher, who was THRILLED when I got pregnant and had an excuse to leave the public schools, and I can tell you that this is not going to help. I taught in some of the most urban, low income, Memphis city schools for over a decade. TN is already ridiculously test driven and focused on performance, and most of the "low performing" schools are in very urban, low income areas where most of the problems aren't educational. When a 12 yr old is walking to the local police precinct station to "hang out" every night, because his mother is in Tunica at the casinos, and at least there he feels safe, that's not an educational problem. (And, surprisingly, it wasn't considered child neglect, either). When a 5th grader comes to school and tells her pregnant teacher that "Guess what! I'm having a baby, too!", that's not an educational problem. When kids come in at age 5 with 2 yr old vocabulary and sentence structure, that IS an educational problem-but one the schools caused, and not one that can be resolved by requiring all kindergartners to read on a DRA level 6 or higher.

 

 

I'm seriously considering not renewing my teaching license when it comes up next year. It's a minor protest, one no one would notice, especially since I don't plan to go back anyway, but I'D know!

[treestarfae]

I agree bad parenting creates learning problems.

[Audrey]

Having been in a school and friends with teachers in TN that have been 'revamped' with these so-called improvements....it's not all it's cracked up to be. There's a whole lot of teaching to the test going on, and teachers that have had their love for teaching stomped right out.

 

 

Yes. This.

 

And, the idea that they have to improve student performance. Well, that is easily remedied by continuing to lower the already low and bordering on laughable standards. Plus, you can always label kids who don't even meet those standards and they get a "pass" on everything.

 

Eventually what you get is a big fat bunch of stupid -- stupid kids who don't know A from B, who go to "lowered expectations" universities so they can come back to be stupid teachers and perpetuate that vicious cycle.

 

John Gatto wasn't understating it when he called it "dumbing us down."

 

FWIW, and quite unfortunately, I don't see public education as much better up here either.