Teacher rant...

Teacher rant...

You gotta hand it to Trump supporters because without them we wouldn't have Betsy DeVos as our Secretary of Education. She, along with the current administration, demonstrates the flaws of capitalism and the greed that exists in our country. Honestly, we rank so poorly in education not because we have "bad" teachers... but because it is treated more as a business over anything.

Let's face it, people are quick to give their opinions... even if it is on a topic they have zero to little knowledge about. For example, Common Core. In my professional opinion, prior to Common Core, a miniscule amount of accountability took place. For standardized testing, students answered multiple choice questions and wrote essays about their favorite fruit. Now, with Common Core, essentially, students are required to provide evidence to their answers and are to develop strong argumentative or informative essays based off articles. With Common Core, my students have learned to provide reason, logic and meaning to their arguments. Honestly, they now know how to make stronger arguments than some adults I know.

Then we move onto School Choice. facepalm Specific supporters think this is an awesome idea but again, they don't understand the works of the system. Not many are aware of this thing called a "cap"... meaning, in Core classes (English, math, science), the maximum amount of students per class = 25. On average, 150 students per teacher, per year, with bell schedules that are not realistic for one-on-one instruction. School Choice caps are practically nonexistent, meaning in a core class you'll probably see 35 students. Granted, these types of classes already exist in AP courses, this will be implemented in regular classes. Yes, even reading classes- you know, where 10th graders are at 7th grade reading levels... but that's an argument in itself. But yes, with school choice, the quality of public education will decrease and teachers will lose jobs because if they can cramp 35 kids in a class, why do they need to pay for an additional teacher-salary?

So why do this? Money. Schools get money for each student registered, so why not registered unlimited students? They also get money for high graduation rates- hence kids getting pushed through the system. Of course, in order to graduate, kids have to pass standardized tests... and that's a business within itself! No more pencil and paper assessments, so more computers will need to be purchased- all through specific vendors. Companies need to make assessments platforms, data-collecting programs, create practice test platforms, practice test books, trainings, tutoring websites/centers, alternative assessments (ACT/SAT) and practice options... the $2 billion industry list goes on and on... all at the expense of true quality education.

Overall, our system is corrupt and our society is too blind to see it. I won't hold my breath for a more logical approach to education policies. Because seriously, why would we let educators create guidelines to the field of their expertise?! Crazy thought, right?! But don't worry guys. My students are being taught the value of being informed. They are researching major topics and are understanding the importance of DIGGING DEEPER in order to make more informed decisions. An insane concept to grasp for many adults.

Submitted March 10, 2017 at 11:20PM by destroyersmom http://ift.tt/2muzT5k