I agree... wholeheartedly...we need to figure out "HOW" to desegregate the schools (but I hope people do not mistakenly think that parents are to blame). This is a necessary discussion...I sincerely believe that the politicians aren't going to solve this problem.... seems to me that government programs have been making businessmen rich for years. I believe teachers are our only hope because they are the only ones who truly care about the students and not the profit. We need to dialogue and brainstorm until WE come up with a solution because public education is at risk. We know value-laden teacher pay, more standardized tests, and charter schools are just more of the same money-making approaches to solving the problem. Basing teacher pay on test scores just puts more money in the pockets of testing companies. Charter schools take scare funding sources away from public schools and you are right "students are left behind"! Busing didn't work. We need to think...but it makes my head hurt! But like good teachers..."we must be flexible and able to bounce back after sixty-three defeats--ready and even eager to try again".
Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -----Original Message----- From: Sue Pratt <[email protected]> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, Jul 14, 2010 1:10 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply The problem is "HOW" to desegregate" them. The voucher system is a JOKE. The kids with the fewest resources are still going to be left behind because a voucher is not going to cover it all OR provide transportation. The only ones the vouchers help are the kids whose parents can already afford it and have a way to provide the transportation. I teach in a rural school district (on top of a mountain, I might add-throw in snow/winter driving) and in order for parents to "select" a better school they better be willing to drive 30 minutes each way everyday. Education is a 3 legged stool- teachers, admin students and parents. Take out one leg you get a wobbly stool! I am so sick of teachers getting ALL the blame for students not performing well. I read a wonderful article once that compared teaching and an auto mechanic. It said even if you take your car to the BEST mechanic but at the end of the day, the mechanic rolls your car out front and allows anyone walking by to work on your car until the next day...you might get lucky and have a great running car or you might not. Teachers do not have their students 24 hours a day. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Mena" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 11:17 AM To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply > I don't think the problem is the fault of teachers in urban schools..I > > think it is the system and segregated schools. I don't blame the students > > for failing and I can't blame the teachers...we all need to take > > responsibility for the same or even worse segregation of schooling since > > before Brown ..even before that...since he 1900s. Things just don't seem > > to change. Even with the election of our president who campaigned for > > change. Value-laden teaching is more of the same thing. The following > > column was from 1980s:) I love the sentence..."They must be flexible and > > able to bounce back after sixty-three defeats--ready and even eager to try > > again." I think we need to bounce back and try something different...I > > still believe separate but equal is not equal. > > From Susan Ohanian Column: > > The education managers who hand out competency tests and who write up > > official classroom observations make a critical mistake. They insist that > > prospective teachers should prove what they know. But we veteran teachers > > realize that the hard part of being a teacher has nothing to do with > facts. > Yes, teachers need to know where the apostrophes should land, but > more > important, they need to be nurturing human beings. They must be > optimistic > and enthusiastic about the possibilities of the children in > their care. > They must be flexible and able to bounce back after > sixty-three > defeats--ready and even eager to try again. > > I'm not much interested in seeing how a teacher carefully structures her > > lesson so that the kids stick to the objectives and the bell always rings > > in the right place--just after she makes her summary and gives the prelude > > for what will come tomorrow. I want to find out if that teacher is tough > > and loving and clever and flexible. I want to be sure she's more nurturing > > than a halibut.... What does she do when a kid vomits (all over those neat > > lesson plans)? Or an indignant parent rushes in denouncing the homework? > Or > the worst troublemaker breaks his arm and needs special help? Or the > movie > projector bulb burns out, and the replacements have to come from > Taiwan? Or > somebody spots a cockroach under her desk? > > A teacher's talents for dealing with crises aren't easily revealed on an > > evaluation report or rewarded on a salary schedule. And neither are those > > special moments that a teacher savors. So don't yield to the number > > crunchers--even when they dangle a golden carrot in front of you. Remember > > that the most wonderful joys of teaching happen in the blink of an eye and > > are often unplanned and unexpected. You can miss their importance and lose > > their sustenance if your eyes are glassily fixed on the objective you > > promised your principal you'd deliver that day. When you maintain a sharp > > eye and the ability to jump off the assigned task, the rewards are > > many--when a child discovers a well-turned phrase; or a mother phones and > > says, "Our whole family enjoyed the homework. Please send more"; or the > > shiest child in the room announces she wants to be the narrator in the > > class play; or the class bully smiles quietly over a poem. Our joy is in > > the daily practice of our craft, not in the year-end test scores or the > > paycheck. When outside experts ignore this, then we must stop and remind > > ourselves. We must talk, not of time on task but of the tantalizing > > vagueness and the lumps in the throat, the poetry and true purpose of our > > calling. > > > > > > Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. > Florida Atlantic University > Dept. of Teaching and Learning > College of Education > 2912 College Ave. ES 214 > Davie, FL 33314 > Phone: 954-236-1070 > Fax: 954-236-1050 > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Randal Lichtenwalner <[email protected]> > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > > <[email protected]> > Sent: Wed, Jul 14, 2010 10:38 am > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply > > > Agreed...one of the reasons the attrition rate is higher among TFA and > > Teaching > > Fellows is because (a) they didn't imagine it would be their career > forever > > (they did TFA instead of CityYear or the Peace Corps) and (b) they have > > less of > > an investment in > > it (2 years of schooling, no expectation of it being their career). I > > applaud > > any teacher who leaves after finding that teaching isn't for them. The > real > > problem are the teachers who stay even after coming to that realization... > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > _______________________________________________ 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. _______________________________________________ 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.
