Reply #89: My completely uninformed thoughts.... [View All]

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Other than as a graduate of a high performing public school system (consitently rated one of the best in the nation), which nonetheless had a 35% free lunch population, I have no expertise... I'm throwing out ideas, not trying to offend (though I probably will).

access to quality education for all Who your parents are and what neighborhood you are born in should not determine how much or little you learn in your 13 years in public school.

Absolutely!!! I would however first require kindergarden (not requried universally in all states).

smaller class size. One teacher can't teach 30 of today's average kids. They need more one on one attention to keep them working and check that they are learning. Below average students need even smaller classes.

I don't think I agree. Smaller classes to seem to contribute to better learning as much as better class control. We can augment teacher control with aides, and the like, while still retaining teacher positions for people who are exceptional (and get paid like the are exceptional). I'd rather have 15 exceptional teachers with 30 aides for discipline issues than 45 mediocre teachers.

raise teacher pay to the average for someone with a bachelors. You can't get smart people to enter teaching if it is close to taking a vow of poverty. The right seems to think testing teachers, micro-managing, and taking away job security are the way to improve teacher quality, but that just chases out the smart and demoralizes those who stay.

I agree -- in fact, I would be willing to raise teacher pay (including benefits) to above the average. However, I would want teachers to have the freedom to fail and the ability to perform. I'd rather pay someone an extra $5k /yr for being an excellent teacher than for having a masters degree. I'd also like to see the elimination of education schools for secondary school teachers (other than special ed).

smaller school size It's easy for the shy and struggling to disappear and bullies to roam in packs at schools that are scaled to the size of prisons. In smaller schools, students will identify more with their classmates and teachers because everyone will know them, and it will be easier for teachers to see the students slipping through the net or abusing others.

I agree -- espcially with K-8. In HS (and to a lesser extent Jr HS), it is nice to have larger schools because you can offer more options such as AP courses, vocational, business, etc.

bullying and school violence must be eliminated You can't learn if you know you are going to get your ass kicked in 20 minutes.

As someone who was bullied mercilessly through 9th grade, I certainly understand the reasons for wanting to do away with it. That being said, I think there is a fine line between eliminating bullying, and being so restrictive on kids that they can't learn to interact/deal with their peers. At the time I was going through it, I would think the above statement ludicrous, today I feel a little differenlty.

give teachers greater autonomy in the classroom Micro-managing of the curriculum and the deadly dull textbooks used in most places suck the life and motivation out of both teachers and students.

We have a different model in our community colleges and universities: instructors ar e given a broad set of objectives and how they get there is largely up to them. That sounds chaotic, but teachers are more enthusiastic about lessons and materials they develop themselves, and that enthusiasm is contagious with students.

The result is people send their kids from all over the world to go to our colleges and universities, but few if any think our K-12 schools are superior to what they have in their own country.

We also have (effectively) competition and vouchers in the CC and University settings. However, I agree with the general thrust of this -- teachers should be held to standards/objectives for a course, not to a daily lesson plan. They are professionals, and should be treated as such.

As a corollary, administrators role should be reduced primarily to support. Possible more than any other professional, teachers fail UP. Those who are inferior in the classroom and don't like teaching take a couple of night class and promote themselves to principal and then administrator. Ironically, these then become the evaluators of others teaching performance and dictate how they do their jobs.

There are a few ways to address this problem. One is to have dual career tracks as found in healthcare and high tech industries -- teachers very well could advance and make as much or more than administrators. This would keep good teachers teaching, rather than forcing them to move up in the career ladder to make more money. I would also recommend that schools adopt a more university like approach -- where teachers can essentially fire the administrators (votes of no confidence). Finally, I would get the administrators out of the education business and back into being administrators. Let teachers review themselves.