[BfloGuy]

Sometimes teachers know when a curriculum is bad

A good friend of mine teaches in Louisville. He conducts teaching methods seminars for other teachers.

I hit him up on whole language vs. phonics and he readily admitted that most teachers he's talked with despise whole language -- but are constricted by local policies.

He stealthily promotes phonics and suspects that it's still the predominant method. But he can't dare admit it. And, oh yeah, he's a flaming liberal on every other subject.

When it comes to his kids failing, he just can't bear to sacrifice them to ideology. Maybe there's some hope.

[inquest]

...but are constricted by local policies.

Is it local policies, or federal? I seem to recall hearing that the idea got most of its promotion from the federal Dept. of Education, and eventually became a condition for grants of funds.

[ladylib]

Unfortunately, parents get sold a bill of goods and when they finally wake up to the fact that their child can't do the math or can't read, the kid is disgusted with school and shuts down.

Try to motivate a kid who has gone to school every day and done everything he was supposed to do and still can't read or do arithmatic. Surprise, surprise Johnny. Even though you got straight A's you failed the high-stakes test and will have to repeat the grade. We just don't understand it. Oh, well.

And I'm tired of hearing it's the parents' fault or the child's fault (notice how it's not too much TV anymore or violence -- it's the parents' and children's fault. Parents don't read to their children (mine didn't). Parents don't involve themselves with their children's homework (mine didn't). They expected the schools to teach. The last thing they wanted after coming home after a hard day's work was to sit down and teach their children something that wasn't taught during the regular school day (and that happens plenty) or involve themselves in silly projects. Today, parents have to take two and three jobs just to keep the educational blob afloat.

It's the curriculum and teaching methods for the most part. Want to know why kids act out in school? Because they're frustrated. Poor curriculum and teaching methods actually promote bad behavior as far as I'm concerned.

The whole thing really annoys me. These kids now have to take high-stakes tests to get promoted or graduate. What these kids are expected to do is pull the fat from the fire so these screw-up school administrators and teachers can keep their jobs.

I hope they remember what they've gone through when it's time to choose an education for their children.