California Education Policy: Replaced the RICA with another TPA

EdSource Article Titled: California's plan to change literacy instruction advances

Here's my Comment, posted in the Comments Section of the Article:

I’m a relatively new teacher, and – my opinion – this will only serve to continue to discourage potential new teachers from entering the profession, and it’s not going to help prop up our lagging test scores and lack of student academic achievement.

Among virtually every single teacher I’ve met who has had to complete the CalTPA – or the EdTPA – not one teacher I’ve met – ever – has indicated that completing this standard was helpful, at all, literally, in any way, in terms of measuring or informing instruction.

It all seems like a way for the Pearson testing corporation to continue to make money off the backs of teacher candidates, and a way for “public education advocates” to continue to bring in the donor dollars, to justify and support their cushy, out-of-classroom lifestyles.

“Education advocates” absolutely love children, let’s be clear about that! In fact, they love children so much that they do everything possible to avoid, you know, actually having to teach children.

Perhaps there should be a requirement that all who design these standards are required to teach in a lower-income school in the current school year these standards are written and adopted.

I learned to read at a time when whole language instruction was the big thing – seems like it worked just fine, for me, as well as the many classmates I had who have gone on to have successful careers.

This is your best idea? The latest flavor-of-the-month is to replace the RICA with another TPA? This is really awful. It’s yet another unproven, costly, time-consuming, bureaucratic obstacle that does not address the needs that teachers are facing in our classrooms.

I struggle to say this is all well-intentioned, because I’m not even convinced that’s the case.

Twice in the article we see the term, “education advocacy organization.” Many times the leaders of these “non-profits” make well over six figures, as they live cushy, out-of-classroom lifestyles, pushing educational changes in order to justify their salaries (to their supporters and donors).

They should be required to register as for-profit corporations because that’s exactly what they are.

Public education has become monetized in California.The entire education model in California is centered around “teacher accountability” and “teacher preparedness,” all at the expense of real reforms that could actually improve our schools – higher pay, better working conditions, lower class sizes, student, parent, and administrator accountability.

Perhaps we should add to that list: education advocate accountability.

Submitted June 20, 2023 at 10:09PM by Borzadatan https://ift.tt/7NSwq4X