Note: One of the results of the No Child Left
Behind law has been to label failing teachers and failing schools. RayS.
Answer: “Humiliating
Teachers to Do Better.”
Quote: “When it comes
to using tests to ‘motivate’ teachers to do better, there’s been an analogy
floating around for quite a while that we like. Take the worst professional
football team in the country. To encourage them to win more games next season,
take away their protective gear, team doctors, and nice practice facility. When
they have to play games against better outfitted teams, it will inspire them to
win. Sound ridiculous? No more ridiculous than thinking that humiliating
teachers will inspire them to teach better or that taking away schools’
resources will result in higher test scores.” P. 95.
Quote: “Until the
national, state, and local administrators and policymakers begin to take
seriously the effects of poverty and oppression on the educational achievement
of children, we will continue to see teachers scapegoated and held to
unachievable standards.” P. 96.
Comment: I’m not sure about the analogy in the first
quote—except that “failing” schools do not have the resources that the better
suburban, affluent school districts have—but the second quote needs to be said
loud and clear. So long as students in “failing” schools who are victims of
poverty, drug cultures, unmotivated parents, crime on the streets, etc., and
other social problems are addressed, the schools will fail and teachers will be
scapegoated. RayS.
Title: “Editorial:
Opening the Conversation: NCLB 10 Years Later.” Leslie S rush and Lisa Scherff.
English Education (January 2012), 91-101.
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