I am not sure what Pamela means, but what I mean is that I expect that teachers will be required to continuously update their education by taking courses in new teaching methods, keeping up with the current theories and models of teaching being taught as general acceptable standards of teaching by colleges and univerisities of the day. What I mean is that the school district should require, and provide some of the means for, teachers to continuously revamp, revise and update their education. So that we don't have the current phenomena of 30 year veteran teachers that are using outmoded teaching techniques. (That is in no means to say that there aren't excellent teachers that have 10, 20, or 30 years under their belts Connie Blom, recently retired from Patrick Henry, was one of those teachers who was simply amazing).
This is not an unusual requirement. Lawyers, for example, are required to update their legal education in order to maintain their status with the bar association. In terms of students of color and poor students, there needs to be attention paid to the ways in which students from various cultural backgrounds learn. As well as the ways in which poverty and associated social illnesses affect a child's ability to learn. Currently, there is very little evaluation of a child's life circumstances that takes place when a child fails to achieve or is "creating" problems in a school environment. There needs to be a holistic view to education. We can not pretend that schools are only spaces for a child to learn. Schools have become multi-level social instutions, and we need to source them that way. -Brandon ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert Schmid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 12:40 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Public Schools > Pamela Taylor said: > > If we > > do not demand that our teachers teach in new methods > > coming out college, > > This statement worries me. As a victim of many of the > educational "experiments" of the last 30-40 years I tend to equate this > with "lowering expectations" of our children. I'm sure this isn't what you > meant but I'd really like to hear some specifics of what these methods are > and how we expect to resolve the issues. > > > how do we expect to infuse any > > kind of change in how ANY of our kids learn? By doing > > so, you can address the issue of children of color. > > > > Without changing methods, you will continually get the > > same results you have always gotten, no matter how > > much money you can find to put into the educational > > system. Lets not waste what little we have. > > Otherwise, I agree. > > > --- Brandon Lacy Campos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > >> > >> My feeling: > >> > >> 1. The Budget Crisis...the new school board members > >> are going to have to > >> be adept at re-creating the Public Schools into a > >> non-profit model that > >> may need to include grass-roots direct appeal > >> fundraising to the parents > >> and citizens of Minneapolis. > > NO WAY. The moment we retreat to fundraising events to support our public > education system is the day we might as well shut it down. It just gives > policy makers a chance to reduce funding more and more and/or turn our > schools into the hands of corporate interests. > > >> > >> 2. Addressing the needs of students of color and > >> poor students...the > >> school district CONTINUES to fail to meet the needs > >> of and educate > >> students of color and poor students. ignoring social > >> factors that come > >> to school with students does not allow all students > >> to learn. > > These are not the only students whose needs are not met. In my experience > the system only works for "mainstream", white, heterosexual "average" > students. Students at the top and bottom, left and right are dis-served > whether they are segregated from the heard by race, gender, intelligence, > talent, sexual preference, economic class, and even political views. > Education is supposed to be the great equalizer, but it can't be when not > all students are being educated to their potential. > > > Robert Schmid > Central > > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
