I agree that money is an influence. It has also been my experience that children with influential parents are always in the best classrooms, programs and any other extras given. -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: "kimberlee hannan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I'm sure many won't agree with me, but I am going here anyway. This is the > questions that's been asked since the dawn of education. People have gotten > entire doctorates on this. But here it is from my simple teacher's view. > > I believe the answer to your question is the almighty dollar. The higher up > the food chain you go the less important the kids are and the more important > the money becomes. You and I know the score. We are in the trenches and > see the little faces every day. We understand that people are all > different. The principal sees them even less than we do (usually the ornery > ones) and the superintendent only sees the ones we choose to parade in the > front. These children are numbers on a page and nothing else. > > Many with control of the money want to run education as they would a factory > turning out Fords. Save money. Do it efficiently. No waste. Everyone in > the group gets the same education at the same time. If you don't learn as > fast or as well than the expectations, you are defective and pushed aside > (thrown into intervention or special ed.). I am so sick of hearing "more > bang for your buck" in staff meetings, I could spit. > > The government and private sector have a different agenda than we do. They > want happy little automotons that smile and do what they are told. I know > someone who works for a large government agency. He has made it very clear > to me on more than one occasion that they don't want thinkers. This agency > won't hire anyone who knows too much. They want compliant, > obedience-trained people to read the directions and follow them. No > creativity, no questions, no challenges. > > Commercial curriculum is developed with this in mind. Textbook companies > thrive on manipulating the numbers so that you will find all the answers you > seek in their textbook. We are not professionals in their eyes. Those > that sell the books don't want us to be able to manipulate their systems. > They want monkeys to be able to use their systems so that they continue to > look good and keep making that money. > > Because they see nothing but numbers, our research isn't always respected. > We understand that children are all different and learn at different rates. > Numbers can't always appropriately show what they want to see. Nor are > anecdotal records easy to manipulate to fit a specific agenda. They need > that agenda to continue sucking money our of our districts. > > Sorry to be so cynical. Did I answer your question? > > We have to keep fighting for what's right. Those same atomotons that we are > educating now are the ones who will be running the world when we get old. > If they can't think, reason, and creatively tackle problems, the future is > doomed. > > > Kim > ------- > Kimberlee Hannan > Department Chair > Sequoia Middle School > Fresno, California 93702 > > > Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, let go of what you can't > change, kiss slowly, play hard, forgive quickly, take chances, give > everything, have no regrets.. Life's too short to be anything but happy. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >
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