Presidential Teachers Corps: Sen. Michael Bennet Proposes Mobile Army Of 100,000

Denver Post:

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Michael Bennet wrote in a letter to President Obama today that he will propose the "Presidential Teachers Corps" to craft an army of 100,000 new mobile teachers in the next five years.

Read the whole story: Denver Post

Comments

[bleu girl]

12:46 AM on 02/14/2011

Bennet got the job as Superintendent of DPS the way he got all his jobs - through connections. He had no experience in education at all. He was in that position for 3 years at best and there was very little improvement in the district.

[DenverBigDaddy]

06:04 AM on 02/11/2011

As long as it costs $100K to get a degree that gives you a job with a starting salary around $30K with what are now marginal benefits with the exception of pension/retirement, there is a lot of talent that will look to other fields.

[Olderandwiser55]

12:32 AM on 02/11/2011

I don't know if this will work. but there are some ideas. Universally, we know schools aren't good enough the way they are. I'm really very disappointed that teachers don't add their own ideas. I hoped for bright, articulate responses.

[teacher39years]

05:00 PM on 02/11/2011

Teachers, Parents and anyone who actually works with children are not allowed to think these deep thoughts and present them in a Reform conversation. That honor goes to Politicians , Billionaires, and Corporate Interests.

[Olderandwiser55]

05:26 PM on 02/11/2011

I don't believe that-Bennett was asking for ideas on his website. I posted the link on several education articles with not one response. I don't understand the reason-I guess suspicion of reform but I don't see that as a good reason. Even being suspicious of government, we should vote(for instance). Even if we feel we are not heard, it makes no sense to drop out.

[cjaco]

09:58 PM on 02/10/2011

Stop the teacher bashing and blame game and the threats of your non-research based draconian reforms and you might attract the new talent.

[Ariel Bonzai]

04:31 PM on 02/13/2011

We have talent, experienced and fresh--what we need is some political leaders not influenced by Big Brother Business and voters who take Democracy seriously enough to weigh in of the future of PUBLIC education before it is too late.
Visit www.Perdaily.com

We're working on it and need your help!

[teacher39years]

08:21 PM on 02/13/2011

Thanks for the link.

[DR2]

08:39 PM on 02/10/2011

There are several questionable assumptions in Bennet's proposition.

1. That many college students are just begging to enter the teaching profession which is generally underpaid, overworked, and are targets for the all the ills of society. That they will be thrilled with all the hoops they will have to jump through.

2. That salary, bonuses, health benefits, and retirement benefits are commensurate with their education.

3. That the teachers will be thrilled to be moved around to anywhere at the whim of some controlling body. Of course, I assume the cost of moving will be paid by someone other than the teacher.

4. That there is reasonable job security.

There are probably some other assumptions that I haven't considered, but I think you get my drift.

[lcr999]

08:49 PM on 02/10/2011

However, given the job prospects for many recent college graduates, some will welcome it.

[DR2]

10:35 PM on 02/10/2011

Ahh...another questionable assumption. I wouldn't bank on it.

[mrnormalpants]

09:10 PM on 02/10/2011

I get your drift but most of your notes seem to just be pointing out what being part of the teaching profession is like these days, regardless of whether this program exists or not. I think his proposal is supposed to address some of those issues although the pay specifics aren't mentioned so it's hard to guess whether it'd have much success. In other words, I doubt his proposal makes it LESS likely that prospective teachers would join the field than we might see in its absence.

I agree with you that the whole moving around thing doesn't seem appealing...possibly one more thing the potential bonus needs to account for.

[DR2]

10:53 PM on 02/10/2011

It is early, yet the assumption that vagueness in proposals will lead to a good program is questionable. (Although I agree it does not negate it either.) However, as the saying goes, "The devil is in the details."

I didn't read any mention of special help or forgiveness of student loans. This could be an important incentive.

It will be interesting to see how and if all this materializes. It will also be interesting to see if they really put their money where there mouth is.

[Olderandwiser55]

12:01 AM on 02/11/2011

It doesn't say they have to move anywhere-"With the special license, teachers could move anywhere — from Florida to Colorado to Washington, D.C. — and would not have to navigate burdensome certification differences in states."

And I've known teachers that had to move to other states and the re-certification is no fun.

[serz4u]

06:01 PM on 02/10/2011

An ARMY of mobile teachers... What a brilliant idea! Maybe we can equip some Predator drones with math and English handouts and have them air-dropped on underperforming school districts. Bombs to follow if performance does not improve.

[hawkseye]

08:15 PM on 02/10/2011

Excellent!

[Ghoulish]

09:38 PM on 02/10/2011

Best idea ever!

[leannk]

03:04 PM on 02/10/2011

Nothing more fustrating than reading about people that believe they have the answer to education, when it is NOT their field.

If you want to improve education, then look at teacher and parent partnership. You can't do it without both support.

[mrnormalpants]

07:30 PM on 02/10/2011

Not his field? He was the superintendent of the denver public school system for years--surely that qualifies him to have an opinion on how we might improve education.

[hawkseye]

08:17 PM on 02/10/2011

You're right, but an ARMY of mobile teachers? Sounds like a non-solution headline grabber to me---a gimmick.

[Olderandwiser55]

12:03 AM on 02/11/2011

Yes, I'm not really hearing a lot of ideas. Not many details but could be interesting.

[Olderandwiser55]

12:06 AM on 02/11/2011

"then look at teacher and parent partnershi­p. You can't do it without both support."

You will never get that in all cases-ever. Parents may work too much or not get along with particular teachers or not support their kids school work or...many things. Then what. Either give up or plan B?

[Allthosewhowander]

02:51 PM on 02/10/2011

Under this model, will veteran teachers who have worked in high need, low income schools be given the same bonuses if they show growth. I have been teaching for 8 years in a high needs/low income school. I also taught abroad for 2 years, so I have seen and experienced other functional school systems.
My current school had grown in test scores each of the last 7 years, but never enough to be seen as successful under Bush's NCLB. My affective administrator, who was very involved with families and the community was removed, in favor of a beauracrat with little, if any, classroom experience, and my school is falling apart. If it were a growth model, my school would have been seen as exceptional, and everybody on my staff would have deserved the bonus that this politician is talking about. My current administrator brought in his canned agenda, with complete lack of regard for the students, teachers, families, or community, and we are back to square one.

How will his plan work? How will teachers like me who love working in the low income environment be compensated if we show growth?

[mrnormalpants]

07:41 PM on 02/10/2011

The link explains the plan pretty well if you check that out.

As for your other question, I assume you already know that it depends on where you work. Some areas of the US do give teacher bonuses including the city where Bennet used to run the schools. In most other areas teachers negotiate contracts that have very specific and transparent stepwise increases in salary based on years experience and their degree. This new proposal has nothing to do with existing teachers and the agreements they have already made regarding their pay.

[Allthosewhowander]

11:20 AM on 02/11/2011

I read the link. I guess my question should have been, "How will this create a fair and equitable teaching environment for veteran teachers and teachers under this plan?" How will this influence collaboration and communication among teachers in the same school? Ultimately, this will divide the teaching industry further. I know how the pay scale works. I'm a veteran teacher, so I have experienced it in action. I work in a school district where my pay was frozen 3 years ago, and this year will be cut by 5%. That is the reality of teaching where I live. The state government decides what happens here, and the union in this state is a figurehead like the queen of England.

[Ariel Bonzai]

05:08 PM on 02/13/2011

SAME thing happened at my HS!!! We have been sabotaged by leaders who stand to profit by de-stabalizing campuses--in LA the district is handing the failures--usually schools in working poor hoods with crummy conditions and low scores--to charter school profiteers, who are milking the success of a paradigm that works--when operated by teachers & parents. We hear horror stories about how these schools pretend to be better, but are actually worse than what we have now. Some seem to belong to shady people who reject special education students, certain races and any teacher who wants to weigh in on the schools' approach to pedagogy.
District officials are looking at this like a business. They don't care about children, communities or the truth. Employees like us are just collaterial damage. It is like the solid administrator and teachers are punished for success while the abusive autocrats are not just enable but encouraged to go on a rampage. FAILING schools are good for BUSINESS.
We hear this a lot at

www.perdaily.com

We need more people like you to lend credibility to our crusade. Help us influence PUBLIC education reform before it's too late!

[GlennWatson]

02:41 PM on 02/10/2011

Song to the tune of Wonder Woman (OK, I have too much time on my hands. Its a snow day.

Wonder Teacher, Wonder Teacher.
All the kids are waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

Fighting Michel Rhee’s fight,
Fighting for student rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Teacher, Wonder Teacher.
Now the schools are ready for you,
and the lessons pre approved.

Make a paper a dove,
Stop failure with love,
Make the union tell the truth.

Wonder Teacher
Get us out from under, Wonder Teacher.
All our unrealistic hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic teaching that you do.

Stop NCLB cold,
Make the Praxis fall,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Teacher, Wonder Teacher.
You're a wonder, Wonder Teacher

[Ariel Bonzai]

05:22 PM on 02/13/2011

Can we post this on www.PERDAILY.com ? Let me know, super man.

[GlennWatson]

07:03 PM on 02/13/2011

Sure, if you like. I just took the original version and changed a few words.

[GlennWatson]

07:04 PM on 02/13/2011

Get rid of the second 'a' after 'paper' in the 4th verse

[changing]

01:08 PM on 02/10/2011

It never stops. Experienced, qualifed teachers being booted out every day and this corporate senator is going for some corps teachers that are indoctrinated in testing and market principles
Of course, this newbies won't be paid as much and the will bust up the profession. A roving band of federal interveners to spread the market model of education. Please quit trashing and meddling with teachers and take care of all the other important business unattended in our nation.

[carester]

01:52 PM on 02/10/2011

and why if parents want this?

[daughterusmc]

03:02 PM on 02/10/2011

what if they wanted basket weaving instead of algebra? it is not sound academically, so why do it? parents concerns should be a consideration, but certainly not the deciding or the only one.

[mrnormalpants]

07:47 PM on 02/10/2011

I think this is more focused on (a) bringing new people into a profession that is going to have gaps to fill as boomers retire; and (b) incentivizing people to work in the high need schools that are traditionally hard to staff. As you can see from the article, established universities get funding for agreeing to train corps members. A university that is ideologically opposed to the "indoctrination" you talk about could just as easily support corps members as one that focuses on market principles, although I don't really know of any teaching preparation universities that do that as they themselves rely on the current system we have now.