Imagine that 25 years ago that nation's schools were below international averages in math and sciencesImagine that nation had large differences between schools with affluent students versus those with poorer studentsImagine that nation now has almost no difference in performance between schools with affluent students and those with poorer studentsImagine in that nation teachers are so respected that the best students compete to become teachers, not just for two years, but for a careerImagine that that nation's schools are now internationally respectedImagine that our nation might actually be able...
Thoughts About Teaching in a Democracy
They are not mine, although I will give my assent to them. I encountered them when reading a book.Allow me to share them so that you can ponder them, before I tell you the author, because the value of thought should be independent of what we know of the thinker, should it not?Let me begin with this:Teaching is powered by a common faith: When I look out at my students, I assume the full humanity of each. I see hopes and dreams, aspirations and needs, experiences and intentions that must somehow be accounted for and valued. I encounter citizens not consumers, unruly sparks of meaning, making energy,...
Is there a "Virulent Left-Wing" Bias in Education?
[Cross-posted from Technopaideia]It's no secret that the people who control public schools are at war with our nation's history, culture and achievements. - Phyllis SchlaflyI’ve recently become interested [again] in the question of whether an allegedly liberal bias in educators and academics has had a large impact on American schools and…through them…on the beliefs of Americans at large.The question has come up most recently because of something my Dad wrote in a comment on a discussion I was having with a couple of my (professor) colleagues on Facebook. We were talking about the...
Student Grades, Test Scores, and Rankings
originally posted at Huffington PostSome want to tie teacher evaluation to student performance on external tests. They may advocate a value-added methodology, which in theory should allow us to rank teachers by how much their students improve. While there are methodological issues about whether we can truly isolate what the teachers have actually contributed to the student performance, I found myself asking, if the way some propose to evaluate teachers is by how much the students improve, why are we not similarly evaluating students? Why do we insist upon artificial levels of performance, determined...
This teacher reacts to seeing "Waiting for Superman"
crossposted from Daily Kos for which it was first writtenFriday schools across Maryland were closed, so I went to the first show at Noon. On the way home I thought long and hard about what I would say.No matter how I parse it, my reaction has two key points.1. Davis Guggenheim feels guilty about not sending his kids to public schools, and the result is a film which basically trashes public schools, public school teachers, teachers unions, while unjustly glorifying Geoffrey Canada, Michelle Rhee, charters, Kipp, and union busting.2. The film is intellectually dishonest, so much so it is laughable.I...
New Book: Social Class, Social Action, and Education: The Failure of Progressive Democracy
Shameless self-plug. My first book just came out. You can read the introduction here. Find it here. Middle-class progressives in the early 20th Century wanted to transform a corrupt and chaotic industrial America into an "authentic" democracy. But they were led astray by their privilege. Focused on enhancing the voices of individuals, generations of progressives remained blind to the rich culture of "democratic solidarity" infusing labor unions and organizing in poor communities. This book traces the problematic evolution of progressive democracy in America, focusing on schools as a key site...
A Bunker Mentality Among Inner-City Chicago Youth
Miller McCune reports on a study by Mario Small about Chicago youth, arguing that the violence of these neighborhoods destroys trust on a very basic level. Youth have "associates" not friends. What does this do to any even minimal hope for collective empowerment in these areas?[See Small's website for links to a range of other really important work.]Small said they were floored when they found that a kind of “bunker mentality” held sway at both schools, even to the point that the children, both boys and girls, routinely tested their peers and were conducting “background checks” to see whether...
Good Stuff on Neuroanthropology
A lot of interesting and relevant links on neuroanthropology this week, including, Christian Jarrett, Power Leads Us to Dehumanize OthersJohn Lehrer, How Much Should We Practice?Practice 50% less by “combining periods of task performance with periods of additional stimulus exposure.”Greg Hickok, More Problems for Mirror NeuronsIt’s not all mirrors in the mindJustin Smith, More on Non-Western Philosophy (the Very Idea)Martin Robbins, Cocaine Detectors for Parents are a Terrible IdeaChristopher Furgeson, Attempt to Revive Video Game Law a Waste of Money“Claiming that the research consistently links...
United States of Poverty
via Real World Economics Blog-The U.S. poverty rate is now the third worst (above only Turkey and Mexico) among the developed nations tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.-According to one recent survey, 28 percent of all U.S. households have at least one member that is looking for a full-time job.-1 out of every 5 children in the United States is now living in poverty.More he...
The problem with NBC's Education Nation - where are the voices of parents and teachers?
cross-posted from Daily KosBeginning Sunday, Sept. 26, NBC will be broadcasting a national "Summit" on education, which it has titled Education Nation. There will be panel discussions, an exhibit hall, and it will begin with an electronic town hall with Brian Williams, broadcast live at 12 Noon EDT (so much for people on the West Coast who might be attending religious services). NBC hopes to have several hundred thousand teachers signed up for that town hall.In theory, one might think what NBC is doing is good - it is a focus on education as a national priority. In practice there are some...
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