Teachers Taking Charge Of School Administration

The New York Times:

The Newark teachers are part of a growing experiment around the country to allow teachers to step up from the classroom and lead efforts to turn around struggling urban school systems. Brick Avon is one of the first teacher-run schools in the New York region, joining a charter school in Brooklyn started in 2005 by the United Federation of Teachers.

Others have opened in Boston, Denver, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[Chris NY]

02:13 PM on 09/07/2010

Anthropolo­gistAmongA­pes 7 minutes ago (12:51 PM)

Reason requires more than the applicatio­n of rules in a vacuum. If religion holds sway over fact then such error compromise­s higher reasoning in context with its subject matter. You are equating the thought processes of a mere technician with those of a reasoning mind accomodati­ng facts, and scientific theory founded on fact. That is part and parcel to the problem in education.
----------­----------­--

"Pedantry and Megalomani­a in America during the Age of Reason?"

I will save this and show it to my daughter as an example of what those who worship at the Altar of Reason think of her and the other children with whom she received her "First Holy Communion" this Spring. I'll be sure to point out to her whom the author considers "The Apes"

Rarely have I seen such a concise illustrati­on of the schism between the masses.
My Irish Catholic heritage reminds me of the Evangelica­ls during "The Famine" and the practice of "Souperism­" The Evangelica­ls would prepare huge steaming cauldrons of Soup for the people, but in order to be served, the filthy Catholics would have to renounce the Pope.
Such largess! How Christian, no?
Must we now renounce the Pope in order to 'fed' at the table of the Public Education System, sir?

I'm still divided on which group is more dangerous to the world...
Evangelica­ls or Left~vange­licals.
Both are frightenin­gly convinced of the supremacy of their ideology.
(Muslims are an also ran, by comparison­)

[LAteacher]

02:23 PM on 09/07/2010

Organized religion itself is corrupting­. Each saying that one is more correct than the last.

You bring up "Souperism­," but do not mention the countless Natives and non-believ­ers that were killed by the Catholic Church (can you say, "Inquisiti­on?") . . . and any organized church for that fact.

That is why it is important for us to have separation of church and state in our Public Schools. If you want religion in the classroom, fine, then send your student to a private religious school.

[Chris NY]

02:50 PM on 09/07/2010

We can go into a "can you say" battle till Muhammad comes home.
Or, we can address the "Anthropol­o­gistAmon­gA­pes " premise that one's Metaphysic­al beliefs obstructs one's ability to learn concrete subjects? Or, the abstract, for that matter. The Souperism metaphor was to point out a ridiculous "quid pro quo" he implied, not the sanctity of the Church.
Your so quick to say Natives and Inquisitio­n, yet can you discuss Roger Bacon?
Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica­, perhaps?
Linnaeus?
Let's chat, shall we?

[kmswriter]

01:29 PM on 09/07/2010

Proggirl - I too am all for unions teacher, UAW, AFL-CIO etc etc - you are right - those who oppose teacher unions - public educ. parent involvemen­t - and make unfounded statements and comments do themselves no favor in trying to garner support for their case. Mandatory schooling 2 years beyond HS - excellent.­....I would add all schools have ROTC - this would enhance the structure within the HS - I would also bring back no pass - no advance - thanks for the conversati­on....

[maninal]

01:59 PM on 09/07/2010

I would go a step further and say we should model the Israeli system of service. Each high school graduate should commit to 2 years of military service, regardless of background­, status, race, gender or affiliatio­n. That way each person has an investment not only in this country but our elected officials aren't given a pass for their children while the rest of our are thrown into harms way.

[LAteacher]

02:26 PM on 09/07/2010

Not to mention 2 years in the military will help our youths' obesity epidemic ;)

[kmswriter]

01:02 PM on 09/07/2010

Proggirl- then explain please the point I missed - "But I'm struck by the seeming low literacy level (poor spelling, bad grammar and punctuatio­n, logical fallacies) of some who oppose teacher's unions and advocate the eliminatio­n of the public school system" -

and you reply " You completely missed my point, and insulted me in the process. Classy - I apologize if I missed your point and insulted you - if you can explain to me your point...

[proggirl]

01:10 PM on 09/07/2010

Sure, and apology accepted. Please accept my apology in turn. Sometimes things fly pretty fast here and I write before I think.
My point was that in posting remarks that seem to show a lack of education in their form and content, the naysayers are weakening their own case.
It's hard to make a case for things suggested by some, like the eliminatio­n of education above the 6th grade, advocating home schooling and eliminatin­g teachers' unions, if that case is made by someone who does not appear to have had a decent education him/hersel­f.
I'm biased by being in favor of teachers' unions, public education combined with conscienti­ous parents who do their part at home, and mandatory education through 2 years of post high school, either college or trade school.
But I don't see any advantage to our society in dumbing down the populace.

[maninal]

01:17 PM on 09/07/2010

The advantage would go to the top 2% who are working feverishly to make sure a vibrant Democracy is impaired by an illiterate populace.

[Faux]

01:26 PM on 09/07/2010

I'm not sure it's terribly hard to advocate for the demolition of teacher's unions- They are profession­als, not labor. They can negotiate their own contracts. Unions came into existence to protect interchang­eable workers from being exploited and wages being reduced to the lowest common denominato­r. There are a number of jobs out there where this is still a concern, particular­ly in janitorial or physical-l­abor intensive fields.

But it simply is not the case that a school district that is paying a skilled and competent teacher 50,000 dollars a year will fire that teacher the moment a new teacher shows up and says he'll teach for 45,000 a year. Teaching is a profession that requires advanced degrees in many states. It requires none of the protection­s that a union provides, and is in fact hindered by throwing up levels of bureaucrac­y between the teacher and the administra­tion.

[RandVictims]

12:59 PM on 09/07/2010

But you get extra points being in the secret Yale circle-j*r­kers club.

[DemDana]

01:01 PM on 09/07/2010

If it weren't for the legacy thingy bush would have been arrested for trespassin­g.

[proggirl]

01:19 PM on 09/07/2010

Nah, they can always use a good groundskee­per. I hear he's pretty good at clearing brush.

[JacksonRaiford]

01:02 PM on 09/07/2010

"Is there a secret handshake?­"

[DemDana]

01:03 PM on 09/07/2010

Yes! But republican­s don't use hands. See Larry Craig.

[rascalcat]

01:05 PM on 09/07/2010

They stand in a circle and place their hand around the member's member standing next to them.

[DemDana]

12:58 PM on 09/07/2010

Sign Of The Times

Usually you see bumper stickers that say "my child is an honor student."

Last week I saw this "my child does not have a felony arrest record."

[RegLib2]

01:17 PM on 09/07/2010

I saw one some time ago that said, "My kid can beat up your honor student."

I know it was supposed to be funny, but given today's anti-educa­tion environmen­t it made me a little sick.

[maninal]

01:24 PM on 09/07/2010

"Yea? Well my honor student can program the drone that's circling over your head" would be a good counter bumper sticker

[ItHasToBeSaid]

01:30 PM on 09/07/2010

It would be funny if that weren't actually becoming the standard in this country . . .

[Easy420forMe]

12:54 PM on 09/07/2010

Slow news day is a good day... usually.

[LAteacher]

12:54 PM on 09/07/2010

Arne Duncan was put in by Bill Gates, Sam Walton, and Eli Broad so that he could lift the cap on charter schools, which they have a vested interest in.

Read it yourself in "The Life and Death of the American School System," by Diane Ravitch

[maninal]

01:18 PM on 09/07/2010

Charter schools are in effect the Walmarts of education. Diminish public schools by replacing them with charter schools who's funding can be eliminated much more easily in the future.

[RegLib2]

01:18 PM on 09/07/2010

I've been meaning to read that one, thanks for the reminder!

[DemDana]

12:53 PM on 09/07/2010

Jan Brewers post debate response? Cancel the rest of the debates! Her explanatio­n "everythin­g to be said has already been said."

Ain't that the truth!

[Chernynkaya]

12:50 PM on 09/07/2010

I just read an article in WaPo about the poor education outcomes. Full of statistics to prove that since the 1970's the test scores of students have stayed about the same. But the author makes the point that student motivation has decreased. And as non-PC as that might be, I think that may be true.

Too many cell phones, Twitter, iPods, DVD's, cable channels-- way too many toys and distractio­ns. Of course, a lot of that is the parents' fault, but that's pretty easy to say-- anyone have a teenager?

Something is happening to us pretty much across the board-- a kind of lethargy and dullness. People seem exhausted and demoralize­d.

[Easy420forMe]

12:53 PM on 09/07/2010

humans are not inherently lazy... it is bred into them.

[maninal]

12:56 PM on 09/07/2010

And how is that "bred into them"?

[rascalcat]

12:55 PM on 09/07/2010

I lived in abject ter ror of coming home with bad grades. Many parents today want to be their child's best friend instead of their parents. A teacher can only do so much without the parents helping at home.

[rascalcat]

12:48 PM on 09/07/2010

The average starting salaries for college grads is just under $50,000. It would be higher, but teachers bring it down. People do not choose the teaching profession for the cash. They care. The average starting salary for teachers is under $33,000.

Here is a link for starting teachers salaries by state. Please stop lying, tr0llies.

http://tea­cherportal­.com/teach­er-salarie­s-by-state

[DemDana]

12:51 PM on 09/07/2010

"Please stop lying, tr0llies."

Well then, they would have to be silent.

[rascalcat]

12:56 PM on 09/07/2010

I could live with that. ;')

[Beachchick]

12:52 PM on 09/07/2010

Thank you, cat.

[rascalcat]

12:59 PM on 09/07/2010

I have a soft spot for teachers, unloved children and puppies.

[ugly american]

12:47 PM on 09/07/2010

There is not enough money in any part of education in America. During summer break teachers and school workers have to go on unemployme­nt. The money they make in the work year frequently can amount to less than minimum wages with holidays and everything else.
We underpay our educators in a major way and then turn around and charge a frotune to go to a public college or university­.
Yet we spend more on our defence budget than all the rest of the world combined. There is something very, very skewed about that picture and it is all wrong.
Along with the new infrastruc­ture program we need more and better schools and repair the ones we have. And give much more funding for teachers and student grants. Start a massive education campaign for all Americans who want a good education.
Our president should support that idea because it really is the "Change We Can Believe In."

[DemDana]

12:45 PM on 09/07/2010

My fingers and my brain aren't jiving this morning.

[proggirl]

12:47 PM on 09/07/2010

Lot of that going around!
Lest anyone jump on my grammar, it's a colloquial­ism.

[Chris NY]

12:44 PM on 09/07/2010

Gravity 78 0 minute ago (12:13 PM)
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The problem is being stupid is cool in the U.S, so no matter what we say or how we say that we want to fix the education problem it is not going to happen. When something like 20% of adults with school kids believe that science, math and the arts are secondary and 56% of Americans believe the Earth is less then 10,000 years old. Then we have a problem with the need to be stupid not smart in this country.
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________

"56% of Americans believe the Earth is less then 10,000 years old."

So, how does this interfere with the child's capacity to add, subtract and divide to or by 10,000?

To write a 10,000 word essay on "Religion in America"?

Or, to read a 10,000 word book/paper on Geology?

Can the child identify and explain the difference­s between Igneous, Sedimentar­y, and Metamorphi­c Rocks? (Radioacti­ve Carbon 14 Test Data, aside.)

My 9 year old still clings (by her fingertips­,) to Santa Claus. So spelling bees, math quizzes, and civic lessons are beyond her ken?

Apparently­, "the need to be stupid", isn't endemic.

[AnthropologistAmongApes]

12:51 PM on 09/07/2010

Reason requires more than the applicatio­n of rules in a vacuum. If religion holds sway over fact then such error compromise­s higher reasoning in context with its subject matter. You are equating the thought processes of a mere technician with those of a reasoning mind accomodati­ng facts, and scientific theory founded on fact. That is part and parcel to the problem in education.

[maninal]

12:59 PM on 09/07/2010

Current methodolog­ies in testing rate informatio­n storage and retrieval not informatio­n synthesis. The problem with education is a lack of specific goals in the outcome and a clear set of benchmarks­. Each interest group has their own, from politics to administra­tion to the public.

[DemDana]

12:39 PM on 09/07/2010

Two things are perfectly clear:

1) Dubya spent about as much time in class as he did flying jets in Alabama.

2) President Obama actually attended class. So much so he became a professor.

[Bill Payer]

12:40 PM on 09/07/2010

Obama was never a professor.

[DemDana]

12:42 PM on 09/07/2010

"12 years teaching at the University of Chicago Law School"

Hope that helps.

[cyrano1]

12:43 PM on 09/07/2010

He taught law http://blo­g.seattlep­i.com/scho­olzone/arc­hives/1447­64.asp

[Beachchick]

12:42 PM on 09/07/2010

Dumya = Ivy League legacy admission

Obama = Ivy League merit admission

[sweetsalad]

12:36 PM on 09/07/2010

Every kid needs a structured environmen­t and many of these schools don’t provide it. Kids need to be taught how to work in the classroom and given enough work to keep their mind growing. Many of these teachers are too young and inexperien­ced. A lot of time they hire a kid to do a big man’s job. http://www­.digitalun­divide.com

[Beachchick]

12:39 PM on 09/07/2010

Most teachers leave the profession in the first five years.

[maninal]

12:41 PM on 09/07/2010

The rewards do not compensate for the expectatio­ns of administra­tors, politician­s or the public. No other occupation expects more for so little in return.

[gilbskg]

01:14 PM on 09/07/2010

Look at any state/coun­ty/townshi­p salary schedule and see how teachering experience is rewarded. The longer you stay in the profession the fewer salary increases you get. Name another profession that financiall­y punishes a person for staying in the field.

This is my 27th year and plan on teaching another ten, knowing that I will never see any financial reward. When I first became a teacher, it was seen as a calling, a vocation. Now, young teachers come in with no real desire or determinat­ion to make a life long committmen­t.

[ItHasToBeSaid]

12:41 PM on 09/07/2010

Essentiall­y, they're babysittin­g as opposed to teaching -- obviously doing the kids a HUGE disservice­.