General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So what IS a fair evaluation system for teachers? [View all]ancianita
(36,023 posts)You: "...Call me crazy, but if you get a teacher who displays both basic competency in subject mastery along with basic competency in classroom communication, and also displays motivation to do the actual job - fuck any test, fuck teaching to some ridiculous set of inflexible guidelines, none of that matters. I damn well believe that actual learning will happen in those classrooms. Positive learning. Teaching that makes kids view the school as something other than the enemy. And I think that teachers will feel freed to do their actual jobs which, again, radical idea, I say involves: teaching above a basic competency level and then actively making an effort to inspire young minds. If every teacher met that goal, I think our education system would be damn well fixed. Oh, and invest in school supplies for the kids and enough textbooks or computer access for the students. Do whatever you can to improve physical plant infrastructure..."
Me: Preachin' to the professional choir, sir. All teachers want is to be trusted with their degreed and professionalized experience and autonomy. What the bureaucratic parasites' salaries depend on is the CONTROL of teachers to show the public that they're more worthy of their salaries and positions than teachers -- THUS comes what I call the "treadmill of innovation" circus that drains money from the field and back into the hands of con artists who serve the corporate/government complex.
You get it. Unions have been fighting for professional autonomy of which you speak for the last 100 years. But there's too much tax money to be made by others to let that happen. Schools are big honey pots that these parasites have no intention of letting go of, at least until the public wakes up and forces the proper framing of the issues.