2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber language law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

The problem with the Chalkboard approach is that, once again, as is the case with administration, it pays teachers more to get out of teaching. Just because someone is an excellent musician does not mean that person will be good at mentoring other musicians or collaborating with them. The same applies to mentoring and teaching kids. Let's encourage good teachers to keep teaching full time.

Because kids come to class with all sorts of different backgrounds and abilities, the Sizemore approach of paying for validated performance would require a huge increase in administration just to find out who is really performing. His approach would also make teaching to the test the be-all and end-all of education. This is a poor goal for a comprehensive education.

Standards and expectations for public education have been greatly raised while at the same time resources to teach kids have been sharply cut. Class sizes are much higher and the needs of students are much higher as family life has deteriorated. I have seen good new teachers leave the profession because as much as they liked teaching the prospect of a relatively low paying job with high stress wasn't worth it. The best way to improve education is to fund it better so kids have smaller classes and teachers can afford to stay in teaching.

posted 5 years ago
view in context