[UCFRoadWarrior]

Seems that teachers get trashed too much on here....granted there are poor teachers, but most are genuinely good and doing their best.

State mandated tests are big government on steroids....and it is odd that so many who claim to be “conservative” agree with Ted Kennedy (who pushed “No Child Left Behind” with Bush II). Real conservatives do not get anywhere near something supported by Ted Kennedy. Our schools would be better if we got rid of standardized testing.

And, I always notice that, when politicians cut school budgets....they always cut teachers and things for students....but never the bloated overpaid adminstrators....both GOP and DNC keep those overpaid administrative positions because many end up with jobs in our schools after they leave office.

[DoughtyOne]

Seems that teachers get trashed too much on here....granted there are poor teachers, but most are genuinely good and doing their best.

Now, if only teachers had that high an opinion of their students parents.

[OldDeckHand]

"Seems that teachers get trashed too much on here....granted there are poor teachers, but most are genuinely good and doing their best."

That's probably generally true in the suburban areas. BUT - and it's a big but - I don't think that's generally true in the urban areas. The level of incompetence and disinterest that's exhibited by a great many of our teachers in the big-city districts, is really quite astonishing.

As far as testing goes, it's really the only objective means to dole out federal money. And yes, I understand you don't want to dole out federal money. Neither do I. But, that's the practical reality we're in. School districts, especially in the urban areas are HIGHLY dependent on federal monies to keep them going. If they're going to continue to suckle on the public teat - at they will - I'd much rather have some idea how effective they are, even if that measuring mechanism is less than ideal.

[BenKenobi]

I’ve been a tutor for years. I offer a guarantee, that I’ll get you an A, which means that if that doesn’t happen I don’t get paid.

Spare me the whining about standardised testing. At least with standardised testing I know what the student is going to face. Most of the time I have to try to divine the professor’s mind.

There should be a more standardised method of evaluating teachers as INDIVIDUALS not as a whole, and not at the school level. The market assesses my effectiveness, because if I’m terrible, I make no money. Teachers are insulated from this by the federal funding for schools.