Crazy Things People Say To Teachers --
And How To Respond: Stop Blaming Teachers!
Yes! Read the excerpt below from an article in the National Education Association Magazine.
While complaining about a circumstance you knowingly entered is vexatious, and every profession has its challenges, there is something in the article and its cartoons that is fresh. Most people are appreciative and kind to their teachers and teachers of their children. Yet, for some that got detention or an F when they were in school their citizen right to free speech and vote is an opportunity for revenge.
"The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines scapegoat as one that bears the blame for others, or one that is the object of irrational hostility. Those of us in the education profession would define scapegoat this way: teacher.
Scapegoating teachers has become so popular with policymakers and politicians, the media, and even members of the public that it has blurred the reality of what’s really happening in education. What’s more, it’s eroding a noble profession and wreaking havoc on student learning, says Kevin Kumashiro, author of Bad Teacher!: How Blaming Teachers Distorts the Bigger Picture.
In his book, Kumashiro...professor of Asian American Studies and Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explains how scapegoating public-school teachers, teacher unions, and teacher education masks the real, systemic problems in education. He also demonstrates how trends like market-based reforms and fast-track teacher certification programs create obstacles to an equitable education for all children."--Cindy Long
Algorithms, tax codes, special interest groups, corruption, snake oil salesmen, and more lead to a downward spiral. Far more superior to leaving issues to a market is leadership, individual responsibility for learning, parental duty, and civic engagement by community members in the way of volunteering in schools and voting for quality candidates.
Listening to understand other perspectives is a great way to have meaningful conversations, to find common ground, and sharpen sensibilities.
"In The Privateers, Josh Cowen lays bare the surprising history of tax-funded school choice programs in the United States and warns of the dangers of education privatization. A former evaluator of state and local school voucher programs, Cowen demonstrates how, as such programs have expanded in the United States, so too has the evidence-informed case against them.
...Through deliberate policymaking, legislation, and litigation, Cowen reveals, an insular advocacy network has enacted a flawed system for education finance driven largely by dogma" (Harvard Education Press).
"Josh Cowen, a professor at Michigan State University, has been a voucher researcher for two decades. The more he studied vouchers, the more he realized that they harm children" (Cowen).
For instance, Professor Josh Cowen observed the commodification of learning by elites and the donor class. In spite of this fact, the majority of parents, teachers, and students work together and value teamwork within their public schools.
Analyzing the credibility of claims is essential to decipher between policies designed by the elites and experts. It is an essential citizenship skill to determine if an author provided facts, opinions, highly emotional claims, or propaganda (Purdue).
Credits
Cowen, Josh. The Privateers.
Photo by BOOM 💥: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-pupils-sitting-in-a-classroom-with-raised-hands-12716111/
NEA Today, Cindy Long, David Clark, Kevin Kumashiro
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment