via Duncan Urges Master Teachers to Help Transform Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education.

No doubt. Education needs reform. Teachers need a better salary. The school year needs to be ongoing, not the daily equivalent of nine months and a big break.  It is time for change, and we keep hoping.  What seems to be coming down the wire is more of the same.  More testing. More PfP, without adequate evaluation procedures. More responsibilities that have NOTHING to do with teaching. Less control over what happens in the classroom. Less discipline support from parents and administration.

Are there bad teachers who need to go?  ABSOLUTELY.   Get rid of them. If a teacher is not doing the job they need to be warned, instructed on how to correct the problem, and then dismissed if they can’t.  A standardized test is not required to determine this!  There is a place for assessment in schools.  However, students are tested at an insane level.  We have a course of study. That is enough of a guideline for my teaching.  Prior to my current district, I NEVER stressed over the state made final exam.  I didn’t even give it much thought.  I taught the course, I taught the required standards…and more. My students had no problem on the final.  My current district conducts pre-tests, summatives, cummulatives, finals, and retests. The emphasis on testing is INSANE.

Until districts are eliminating “bad” teachers the educational crisis is not going to improve. The emphasis on hiring a good coach over a good teacher needs to end.  Students know the poor teachers, and admin knows as well.  Why are they allowed to continue their employment?  They are never given the high stakes testing subject because they don’t do their job.  Why do they even have one???

Increasing teacher salaries sounds like a great plan, but how do you pay for it?  How do you justify it? What cuts would have to be made?  How do you determine a teacher’s success? Pay for performance, based on students that don’t care and refuse to work is not a fair method. There has to be some method of eliminating  those students who refuse to come to school, create discipline problems when they are present and flat out don’t care if they learn anything.  An alternative environment must be provided for their educational needs.  They receive education in core classes only, and in a restricted environment.  No more repeated suspensions for one, two, or ten days.  After teacher intervention has failed… First offense, Saturday school.  Second, suspension for three days, minimum.  After that alternative placement for 45 days.  If a student cannot return to the regular school environment they can complete their diploma in alternative placement where they are given the core subjects and life skills instruction.  There should be at least one early college option in every district.  Students who want to fast track high school should be allowed to do so.

Educational improvements must be a collective effort.  Parents have to be willing to allow changes to the school calendar and help teachers by teaching their children how to behave.  State tourism industries have to stay OUT of calendar decisions.  It is ridiculous that school districts can be legally restricted by a completely unrelated industry.  We also have to realize that despite our desires, college is not for everyone. Vocational training is a respectable option that should not be dismissed.

Yes, there needs to be equitable enforcement of laws. No doubt! Of those arrested, what are the statistics for single parent or grandparent households? How many have male parentals in their lives? Where are those numbers? Rather than complain about the justice system, which granted is messed up in more ways than this, complain about the degradation of the family.

Race gap seen in justice system
The story reflected what panelists said was a disturbing national trend. The number of people in U.S. prisons has grown from fewer than 500,000 in the 1970s to more than 2million today, a spike attributed largely to the nation’s war on drugs, panelists said. About three-fourths of those in prison for drug crimes are minorities, though usage is spread across all races.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com

Favorite quote, “These drug laws are doing more to disenfranchise a whole people than Jim Crow ever did.”

Dang laws get in the way every time. I don’t think it is the drug laws that are the problem. The problem is people who are repeatedly breaking them.

President Barack Obama has called the white policeman who arrested black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and says he believes the sergeant to be an outstanding police officer.

On Friday the president said that he continues to think both the officer, Sgt. James Crowley, and Gates overreacted during the incident — but Obama also faulted his own comments.

Making an impromptu appearance at the daily White House briefing, Obama told reporters: “I could’ve calibrated those words differently.”

The president caused a stir when he said at a prime-time news conference earlier this week that police in Cambridge, Mass., had “acted stupidly” by arresting Gates.

Yep…could’ve, but you didn’t.  It is only when the back lash started that you started back peddaling.  Think before you speak Mr. President.  Your friend could’ve handed over his ID when first asked, but he didn’t.  Both parties over reacted, but stepping in and questioning the integrity of the Cambridge police,  not cool. It looks a lot like you and your friend put your race cards on the table and you regretted that it didn’t make you look too good.  I would call your comments acting stupidly, but that wouldn’t be PC.  I’m sure you just misspoke.

***update***
This story just keeps getting better.

Gates has said he returned from an overseas trip, found the door jammed and he and his driver attempted to force it open. Gates went through the back door and was inside the house when police arrived. Police say he flew into a verbal rage when Crowley asked him to show identification to prove he should be in the home. Police say Gates accused Crowley of racial bias, refused to calm down and was arrested.

Gates, 58, maintains he turned over identification when asked to do so. He says Crowley arrested him after the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant’s name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

So that white woman wasn’t too far off base then when she reported a break in. It just happened to be the owner breaking in. Easy mistake to make.

One more thing I would like to point out…

Sgt. Leon Lashley, a black officer who was at Gates’ home with Crowley at the time of the arrest, said he supported his fellow officer’s action “100 percent.“

Does this make the black officer guilty of racial profiling and trying to keep the black man down? Really Gates? Really? You played the race card on a member of your own race too? What if the white cop hadn’t been there? What would you have called it then? Gimme a break.