Vergara Decision Feeds Testing and Teacher Turnover
The Vergara decision feeds into our societal obsession with test scores, and propels us towards schools with even less stability, and higher turnover.
The Vergara decision feeds into our societal obsession with test scores, and propels us towards schools with even less stability, and higher turnover.
TestingTalk.org was opened for public comments on March 30, and is actively soliciting input from parents, teachers and students regarding their experiences with the new tests.
Last week, California's state superintendent of education Tom Torlakson casually mentioned something that could have huge implications for students and teachers.
Preparation for college and career has begun to feel more and more like "preparation to make yourself useful to future corporate employers."
These teachers, by constantly tinkering together, have taken ownership of their classroom practice, and in so doing, given themselves and their students a real voice in what goes on.
Kirp then dissects the dramatic turnaround of the entire school system of Union City, New Jersey, and he shows how we can build great schools on the strengths of our democratic culture. Its answer did not come from technocrats from the outside, but from a local culture of "abrazos" or caring. Rather than firing our way to the top, Kirp shows that school improvement must come from trusting relationships. The secret sauce of Union City's success is "respeto," or respect.
Teach For America faces a showdown in California, as this state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) considers new restrictions that could limit the placement of TFA's corps members in places with English learners. Since California has a large immigrant population, with 1.4 million English learners, this will be a significant barrier. The CTC, now chaired by Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond, will vote on a proposal on April 18th
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