No Teacher Left Behind (Why your children can't read or calculate)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 22 September 2006 | staff

[shrinkermd]

Schools of education have gotten bad grades before. Yet there are some truly shocking statistics about teacher training in this week's report from the Education Schools Project. According to "Educating School Teachers," three-quarters of the country's 1,206 university-level schools of education don't have the capacity to produce excellent teachers. More than half of teachers are educated in programs with the lowest admission standards (often accepting 100% of applicants) and with "the least accomplished professors." When school principals were asked to rate the skills and preparedness of new teachers, only 40% on average thought education schools were doing even a moderately good job.

The Education Schools Project was begun in 2001, with foundation funding, to analyze how America trains its educators and to offer constructive criticism. Its report card this week is significant for two reasons. First, it is based on four years of broad and methodical research, including surveys of school principals and of the deans, faculty members and graduates of education schools. In addition, researchers studied programs and practices at 28 institutions. No matter how many establishment feathers get ruffled by the results of these inquiries, miffed educators can't easily brush off the basic findings: There are glaring flaws and gaps in our teacher-training system...

[Tenacious 1]

[All schools should be private, K-12 to college to graduate schools. The government should get out of the education business. Parents should incorporate new private elementary, middle and high schools, removing states and counties from the business of educating their children. Remove government subsidies and teachers' unions.]

Here! Here! We are spending $7K to $10K a year per student on education. The government doesn't shop at wallmart but pays the most for the least and can't do any better. Give me my tax money and I will pay for their education.

[ryan71]

"Why your children can't read or calculate"

Oh, they can calculate as long as they have fresh batteries.

[television is just wrong]

schools are bureacracies, they run with strict set of guidelines and do not deviate. They will not bend to fit student needs, expecting students to bend to fit theirs.

Every employee of each school district, is a follower, not a leader. The districts have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for many things. In the 17 years (as a parent) I have been around the public school system in my town, I have had a lot of time and seen a lot of things happen that would never happen in the public sector. A teacher was let go not because of his teaching abilities, but because he stepped on someone's toes higher up.

At one time I wanted to be a teacher, after of spending this much time involved as a parent in the school district, and I know they pretty much operate the same way, I can hardly wait until the end of this school year, my daughter graduates and I am done with the public school system, well at least til I become a grandmother and have to listen to it some more.

[mathluv]

and those who can't teach, administrate

[NCLaw441]

I went through the Education Department at UNC-Chapel Hill in the late 70's. I did then what I did later for law school-- listen, regurgitate, then forget it because most of what was taught was worthless. I taught high school French for 4 years. Knowledge of subject matter is paramount, if for no other reason than that it instills confidence in one's ability to teach. Kids know whether YOU know what you are talking about. From there it is a matter of communication and discipline. I had few problems with students or parents, and my students had a good grasp of the subject matter after my classes. But, the pay stunk (I made $14K my last year teaching-- 1984), and no one can attract good talent at that level, unless the teacher is teaching for something other than to make a living. That is rare, and that is the reason why most teachers are women. They are usually not the primary earner in the family.

Teaching is not all that difficult, IF you have willing and reasonably able students, segregated by ability, along with supportive parents who value education. There is precious little of that today, which is why I am posting this from my law office, and not from a classroom.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I remember reading a few years ago that something like half of the PS teachers in California failed a competency test that included 8th grade math (apparently many failed the math).

[mathluv]

'Base their pay on how well their children perform on standardized tests. Change the tests every year and don't tell the teachers what the tests will cover. Have the tests proctored by local elected officials. For highschool teachers, have pay based on graduation rates and college admissions. Tie their pay into their performance.'

What do you do with the students who don't want to learn, or can't learn beyond a certain point?

Some students may have the ability to learn, but not the desire. Sometimes, a teacher may be able to inspire a student, but first, they must have the ability to control the classroom. Teachers are not given the authority to do that now.

'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make his drink.'

[JLGALT]

"I went through the education training ritual to get a teaching certificate. One class consisted of learning the parts of a film projector. I'm not kidding."

He is definitely NOT kidding. At one point in my youth I though about becoming a teacher and took the same class. I was appalled! I was supposed to spend six hours a week in class and three hours a week at the lab learning how to work a slide projector! I already knew how to do this complicated task so I blew off the class and only attended the class for the final. I worked the projector perfectly and got an A!

This changed my mind on becoming a teacher!

[Tenacious 1]

[What do you do with the students who don't want to learn, or can't learn beyond a certain point?]

Are you suggesting that "its not fair?" I don't know about you, but in my career, excuses about the performance of my contractors or employees don't garner any sympathy from upper managment even when I am "forced" to use them. It is clear to me that the buck stops here regardless of what caused the issue. I had a client ask me why he should pay for damages caused by a hurricane during a construction project. I asked him why I should have to pay for it (The claim was to small to turn into insurance).

There is something to be considered from your comment. But the percentages suggest that more should succeed than fail. If a teacher gets a particularly stupid group of kids one year, he/she might want to complain to authorities about how unfair her situation is. He/she might have to put in some extra effort that year too. In my fantasy, a teacher is motivated to call the parents of a student and get to know them. Ask them what they are doing at home to help their childs educational endeavors. Tell the parent he/she needs their help getting a kid to participate in school. Get help with a discipline problem from home. Whatever it takes. If teachers truly want their students to be smarter, they will get back to teaching the basics and really challenge students to learn. They will find innovative ways to get the students to be interested, to learn the material, to retain the lessons. The ones that don't will not bode well and will likely go look for other work. The job will just not be "for them."

Finally, I would have the pay scale match the environment. Innercity public schools would offer a more lucrative incentive package than higher achieving schools. The tougher the job, the greater the pay.

[Elsie]

The government should get out of the education business.

Now; just HOW you gonna CONTROL the folks like THIS???

[TASMANIANRED]

The problem with education is "Schools of Education".

[Obie Wan]

I debated with people teachers among them the possible benefits over time of a voucher system.Besides giving an alternative to the monopoly of public schools for parents,over time the private education system I believe that would grow through vouchers could offer an alternative avenue for teachers also !!!

[yankeedame]

....helped my son nail fuzzy math right on the head. He came home with a homework question something like this: 34,925 divided by 642, estimate the answer. Well, I am an estimator by trade. I told him to write down 1 as the answer. He asked me how I came up with that. I told him, it is just an estimate, not a good estimate, but an estimate just the same....

I grinned from ear to ear reading your post! Many moons ago, when my daughter was in jr. high (or whatever they call it today) brought home one of these me-and-my-karma Q&A her teacher wanted each student to fill out.

At first I was going to tell her to chuck the whole thing. Tell the teacher the dog ate it, or something like that. Then...then hubby, daughter, and I decided to have fun with it. A whole lot of fun.

Alas, I can only remember three Q&A :

Q: My father gave me this advise...
A: Never play cards with a guy they call 'Doc'.

Q: My mother gave me this advise...
A: Squeeze, don't jerk, the trigger.

Q:When I get older I will always remember...
A: To never buy a car from a guy named "Frenchie".

[dfwgator]

You want teachers to perform better? Make their pay 50% commission. Base their pay on how well their children perform on standardized tests. Change the tests every year and don't tell the teachers what the tests will cover. Have the tests proctored by local elected officials. For highschool teachers, have pay based on graduation rates and college admissions. Tie their pay into their performance. Once teachers get back to making a personal committment to the education of the students (Without cheating the system) the most best will rise to the top and the "others" will find a new line of work. Competition for teaching jobs will drive better education of teachers.

Your ideas make tremendous sense. It will never happen.

[Big Horn]

Here! Here! We are spending $7K to $10K a year per student on education. The government doesn't shop at wallmart but pays the most for the least and can't do any better. Give me my tax money and I will pay for their education.



My school district spends 12K per student. The teachers are the only people in town that can afford to retire in their fifty's.

[Dianna]

The education department was full of LIARS, because they said there were plenty of jobs (my mom was a dean at a private college at that time and I knew how hard it was to place even A student grads)

You don't say? I have a BS degree in child development, I graduated last December with a BA in elementary ed. I had a 4.0 GPA, passed both PRAXIS tests I was required to take in the top 15%, and have extensive pratical experience due to my own children and being heavily involved with their school and education.

I sent out resumes to all elementary schools within 4 districts and received ONE interview. Obviously, I didn't get that job. I am beyond frustrated!

The worst thing I encountered while in school was the way the field work program is set up. It is a total joke!

Prior to student teaching (which is full time in a classroom, 2 grade levels, 8 weeks each), we have 3 practicum situations. We are in schools 2 days per week, either 3 hours in the morning or 3 hours in the afternoon, working with a teacher who must have completed a Master's Degree.

My first placement (low income, low performing, urban school) was very good. The teacher was experienced and knowledgable.

My second placement (low income, low performing, urban school)was a nightmare. My classwork that semester was entirely focused upon Language Arts. I was placed in a freaking social studies class! I spent all 3 hours watching the teacher, who was an idiot, teach the same subject matter 3 times. When I spoke to my supervisor about how inappropriate the placement was, I was told that it would be fine. The teacher bashed Bush and was distinctly un-pleased when, in the middle of her lesson, I interrupted her to explain that the National Guard was not under the supervision and control of the Federal Government, but was controlled by each state's Governor. The majority of the students were failing and the teacher was quite sure it was because they were all morons with stupid parents. It certainly had NOTHING to do with her!

My third placement ( mid to low income, below average test scores) was with a screamer. She was a very dedicated woman, but she could be heard screaming at her class all the way down the hall. She never allowed them to do any independent work (first grade) and always gave oral tests. So, when I gave them a written test, as I was required to do, they all freaked out.

In addition to all that, the first thing that happened when I arrived each day was that the students went to specials for an hour. On one of my two days per week, the children went to the computer lab for extra reading instruction after going to specials. I actually saw about 1 hour of teaching per week for the 6 hours per week that I was there. Teaching 4 consecutive lessons took a month because we couldn't alter the schedule. When I complained about, how ridiculous THIS placement was, I was told to accept that the system is not perfect.

My student teaching was more of the same. We were allowed to request the schools we wanted. I had asked to be placed in another urban school, but the one I chose was seeing good results after a new Principal came in and fired a bunch of teachers. The remaining teachers were very enthusiastic about the changes going on. I chose to work there because I wanted to see what they were doing differently. I wanted to learn something important. This was very, very foolish. I found out later than student teaching is a good way to land yourself a job and I missed a HUGE opportunity.

I actually had a placement there, but that teacher quit and left me beginning the semester with no placement at all. I ended up in the worst performing school in the entire Northern Kentucky area.

The first teacher I was with didn't like her students. She insisted they got more stupid with each passing year and had no problem telling them this. She changed her mind about what I was to teach before the ink was dry on my lesson plans and then would give me a bunch of stuff she had planned and tell me to do that. When the students started failing their math facts tests, she insisted that I not deviate whatsoever from the planned curriculum, despite the fact that she, herself, thought the way it was being taught made no sense. We just didn't have time to do anything but push on because the Principal would be mad if we didn't get through the whole book.

The second teacher I was with (kindergarten) had just accepted a new job as literacy coach for a preschool program they were beginning in January. She was out of the classroom 2-3 days per week. When she was in the classroom she often berated me and the children for following rules and procedures the aide had assured me were correct. She had lost interest in her current students and was completely focused upon her new job. Well, she did take interest in one particular student. He was a nightmare(!!!!) and she would call in daddy's girfriend to spank and scream at him in the middle of the school day.

I was offered a job at this school, but decided I wanted nothing at all to do with any of those people!

If I was supposed to learn how to be a GOOD teacher, just how was I going to do that while observing a bunch of (proven by test scores) ineffective teachers?

I've been told, not so subtly, not to bother trying to work in my own district (I did work last spring as a preschool assistant). Experienced teachers are stacked 10 deep trying to get in here. Jobs open up and are filled before they are posted (nice trick, huh?). These teachers have to be leaving jobs somewhere, but I am darned if I can find them.

I love teaching. For a first year teacher, I am very good. But I know that I have a lot to learn. I don't want to do anything else and I have school aged kids who need me home at a reasonable hour and on holidays.

In a profession (seemingly) filled with child molesters and idiots, I cannot find a job. I am totally depressed.

[ClaireSolt]

I had wanted to be a teacher since childhood. So, on graduation from Stanford I went to the ed school to inquire. With a double major in history/ art history they told me I needed 30 hours of social science. So, I entered my first classroom with 150 hours of academic credit which sophores challenged every day. In the 80's we were graduating history teachers with 24 hours, and now 80% of all history teachers had neither a major or minor in history. along the way, I became overqualified and unemployable, partly by earning a PhD and gaining experience.

I will say I learned a lot in my year at Stanford ed school. It was an inspiring bunch, but it was #1 at the time. For the most part, education is plagued by the worst kind of politics.

I have never met parents who did not know best, and I favor breaking up huge districts and putting the parents back in charge.

If you want to read something neat, read Three Cups of Tea about Greg Mortenson, an American mountain climber who built 53 schools in remote Pakistani villages as a thank you to people who helped him.

[Miss Marple]

Well, here are some things that worked for my sister, who became an art teacher. (She was interested in art and wanted something that let her work in that area. She is a good art teacher in a parochial school, and loves her job.)

Before I go on I should say that I think it is a good thing I didn't become a teacher. I loved my profession while I worked at it, and I have come to realize I would not have been a good teacher in any place but college...and who wants to hang around with leftist university professors? LOL!

Here are things my sister and others have done to get jobs:

Sign up as a substitute in districts in which you wish to work. Take EVERY sub job you are offered, even if it is in something like phys ed. While at those schools make friends without acting like you are looking for a job.

Sooner or later they will look for a long-term sub due to an illness or pregnancy. Take it...those jobs often convert to permanent positions.

Investigate parochial and private school openings. The pay isn't often as good, but you will find yourself far less encumbered with bureaucratic rules.

In our area there are some day care centers who are going more to the pre-school concept. You might see if your talents could be used there...and often they let you bring your children to the site to stay with you after school.

I hope these ideas help. I know full well the frustration, and I get infuriated when poor teachers get to keep their positions because of tenure, while good teachers can't get hired. Good luck!

[Leisler]

About half of salary expenses go to non teachers. In theory, at present spending rates (I can not see any type of government spending ever going down) teachers could cut out the non teachers and double their pay. Maybe even more, if you take into account the wasteful and non productive school buildings. So, you could honestly say, that under vouchers teachers would dump the administration, and double or more their pay, benefits, pensions.

But most teachers are psychologically are not risk takers. The fact that children spend their formative years amongst 1950's economically thinking teachers, and have to then go out and compete against the world, well, it is a credit to kids/young adults that we Americans are able to recover and compete as well as we do.

[ASOC]

NEA = No Education Allowed.

I taught Jr college and Undergrad classes (adults, and I use that term loosely) full and part time after retirement from the military. No thanks.

Question - What group of people goes to college with the lowest SAT scores, but graduate with the highest GPA?

Answer - Ed majors. (Many good folks, but not near enough)

Blech