Michael Atherton, describing teacher training/certification stories in today's papers...
> ...these articles cover the dismally low standards > for teachers in the state, "In the math Praxis I test, the > state's cut score is the lowest among 27 states that use > it...," the treatment of the stories received differential > coverage... Perhaps we should just lower standards for students to a comparable level, increasing test scores and likely graduation rates in one fell swoop! What's good for the goose is good for the gander, no? Or am I missing something? I also wondered about the new incentive-based portion of the Mpls. teachers contract recently discussed on this list, wherein teachers are offered several hundred to several thousand dollars as an incentive bonus to upgrade their skills with the latest 'effective teaching' methodologies-- are these skills similar to those already learned by the hundreds of new teachers recently laid off in the district? I presume the district also pays tuition/training costs for these new 'effective teaching' methodology courses. Oh well, the process seems consistent. I think the district should be talking with the McKinsey folks-- seems a major paradigm shift is in order! The model is broken. Michael Hohmann Linden Hills > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > Michael Atherton > Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 10:21 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Mpls] Teacher Quality & Education Reporting > > > There are two articles this weekend about the teacher's > test scores in Minnesota, one in the Tribune: > > http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3090436.html > > and another in the Pioneer Press: > > http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/3698581.htm > > While both of these articles cover the dismally low standards > for teachers in the state, ... > snip > In regards to the teachers performance on licensing > tests I agree with Christine Jax, teachers "...should > be insulted that cut scores are so low. It sends the > wrong message to students about achievement." > > Voters have been wise enough to see that changes > were necessary in city government, I can only hope > that they will also see that changes are necessary in > the school board. > > Michael Atherton > http://QualityEd.US > Candidate for Minneapolis School Board > Prospect Park > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------- > Prepared and paid for by the Atherton for MPS Committee. > 156 Orlin Ave SE, Mpls, MN 55414 > _______________________________________ snip _______________________________________ 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
