Kontan.

America should radically transform the way that teachers are recruited, assigned, evaluated and compensated in order to recognize and reward its great veteran teachers, attract top students into the field, and make America more competitive, said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

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.