Teachers, it's about time we had a way to speak up! Politicians, pundits and private consultants are making their voices heard. It's time for us to respond to their colossally flawed educational policy initiatives.
Here's my most recent letter to President Obama:
Dear Mr. President:
The result of your educational policy is that states and school districts make tests results look higher by skewing assessment measures, and your "Race to the Top" initiative results in states spending millions of taxpayer dollars on private contracts and consultants to qualify for Federal dollars. Your policies create a profoundly hostile environment for educators, and do not and will not result in improved educational outcomes. So long as Republican presidential hopefuls get kudos for slandering intellectualism, and the heroes of the young are the likes of Snooki and Paris Hilton, we are unlikely to significantly improve American education. Nor will hiring consultants and "raising standards" - a euphemism if I ever heard one - result in change. Changing our American cultural values and providing help for families so that kids are not "latchkey," could make a real difference. It might also help to align yourself with dedicated teachers who know the problems of the educational system intimately, rather than setting them up as "the enemy."
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