I don't think charter schools are the final answer but the ones who succeed show us that there is a better way and it isn't just the kids and the parents. I think if we gave more power to principals we will have some dramatic failures but guess what we already have that. My daughter goes to a regular public and it is a great school and that isn't an accident. If you give parents choices they will pick the best schools and the worst will either improve or die. Charter schools are not the answer accountability and choice are the answer.
For one, principals don't just cause dramatic failures. They can ruin schools. The principal of my previous elementary school has driven out a number of good quality teachers by his refusal to do anything deviating from "the book", but his book is entirely based on test scores and the like.
Then when it comes to choosing schools, I admit I'm not familiar with the process, but what kind of information is available about schools? Like, beyond their base pass/fail/test score statistics. What kind of database would have to be created for that?
Accountability is something that definitely needs to take place, but I"m not sure how to do that in an efficient manner that would be consistent across a state, much less a region. I suppose it's something that we could drop that sort of standardization for all together (which I wouldn't be opposed to), and maybe just have one end-game test where you check to make sure people have an expected knowledge of basic subjects?
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Continued Love of my Aussie <3
Continued Love of my Aussie <3
Washington Teachers refuse Judge order to return to work.
- 19/09/2011 11:05:13 PM
784 Views
What's the dispute on?
- 19/09/2011 11:13:24 PM
615 Views
Seniority, Class Size, and Salaries.
- 19/09/2011 11:41:40 PM
525 Views
and children have a right to an education.
- 20/09/2011 12:30:20 AM
464 Views
So we ought to pay for it.
- 20/09/2011 05:48:34 PM
451 Views
They aren't solving any problems.
- 20/09/2011 08:33:22 PM
769 Views
Have you heard of another tactic that makes anyone listen?
- 21/09/2011 12:41:05 AM
446 Views
I don't really have any ideas myself. It's not my strong suit (political wrangling, that is)
- 21/09/2011 01:00:21 AM
482 Views
I don't really agree with seniority/tenure as much, but class size...
- 20/09/2011 07:42:39 PM
537 Views
You have to respect people for seeking more money? Seriously?
- 20/09/2011 12:23:22 AM
540 Views
you missed the whole other part where he talks abotu class size and what not
- 20/09/2011 02:05:12 AM
606 Views
Class size is a bullshit argument that teachers' unions push on people.
- 20/09/2011 03:25:58 AM
458 Views
You don't get to use the "Think of the Children" argument... it belongs to the teachers.
- 20/09/2011 05:52:36 PM
425 Views
You don't mean DC, right? I'm roommates with a DC teacher, I feel like I would have noticed
- 20/09/2011 01:02:00 AM
642 Views
seriously. if you break it down hourly...
- 20/09/2011 01:48:40 AM
529 Views
Eh... I'm more union-friendly than most, but teachers' unions are pretty terrible. *NM*
- 20/09/2011 06:11:09 AM
215 Views
I agree they have a lot of "stuff," but I don't think much of it is unwarranted
- 20/09/2011 02:30:35 PM
545 Views
being anti-teacher's union is not the same as being anti-teacher
- 20/09/2011 03:32:57 PM
596 Views
That is similar to claiming to be pro-soldier and cutting the VA.
- 20/09/2011 06:03:29 PM
577 Views
Do you have facts about how teachers are rated?
- 20/09/2011 08:08:04 PM
564 Views
well teachers are rated differently in different systems
- 20/09/2011 09:23:43 PM
632 Views
there are some really shitty charter schools too.
- 20/09/2011 09:36:42 PM
452 Views
and they need to learn form the charter schools that are doing well
- 20/09/2011 10:06:19 PM
559 Views
well there's some problems there
- 21/09/2011 12:20:27 AM
550 Views
I've little sympathy here
- 20/09/2011 03:08:58 AM
596 Views
I have no sympathy whatsoever.
- 20/09/2011 03:26:29 AM
423 Views
Oooh, Cancer is a horrible disease that spreads wildly and kills you!
- 20/09/2011 06:04:53 PM
545 Views
Public sector unions need to be banned
- 20/09/2011 04:30:00 AM
604 Views
+1, as per FDR and union leaders of that time, public unions are asking for trouble/problems. *NM*
- 20/09/2011 06:52:37 PM
220 Views
No, they need to be replaced.
- 20/09/2011 09:05:52 PM
403 Views
no they breed corruption and need to at the minimum be barred from political donations and strikes
- 20/09/2011 09:51:38 PM
610 Views
Fired them all, hire new teachers, end of problem..... *NM*
- 20/09/2011 06:51:01 PM
230 Views
You missed the memo.
- 20/09/2011 09:45:55 PM
484 Views
I would bet a lot of them will show up for the hire back interviews *NM*
- 20/09/2011 10:07:05 PM
210 Views
+1, a huge number of them will come crawling back for jobs. *NM*
- 20/09/2011 10:11:09 PM
243 Views