BaliBabyDoc
Lifer
- Jan 20, 2001
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Originally posted by: Rainsford
So the best way to compete in the global economy is to make sure a large number of kids get LESS education and more preparation for jobs at Burger King? This must be one of those things that sounds good until you listen to yourself talking, because I can't imagine that someone has really thought about this and decided it was a good idea.
Think about some of the people on that panel:
Rod Paige . . . faked results in Houston, openly hostile against public school teachers.
The pension system has almost NOTHING to do with the fundamental problems in high school education. In essence some members of this group just wanted an excuse to cut retirement benefits for teachers.
Education in America is indeed bloated, inefficient, and ineffective. I'm sure many agree with that assessment. But why collect a bunch of failed Superintendents (Paige, Klein), failed secretary of eds (Paige, Riley), and failed governors (Engler) to come up with solutions? I wonder if either Paige or Klein suggested dramatic cutbacks in central administration or ending redundant testing regimes (particularly the woefully weak state-tests in places like TX)?
If you want better teachers, then create teacher academies at 4yr universities/colleges, have stringent criteria for entry (not SAT, ACT), but those that enter get free rides. After graduation require a real exit exam for initial certification and then treat them just like other professional school grads:
1) intern for a year or two (entry salary, annual COLA, full benefits)
2) highly supervised semi-independent work for two more years
3) Step II exam to become a fully licensed independent teacher
4) Either 3 years of independent teaching or a year in fellowship to become eligible to take National Boards to become a Board-certified teacher
5) Only Board-certified teachers are eligible for tenure so quality teachers may get tenure in 5-7 years while weak teachers will NEVER get tenure.
That's the easy part :roll:. . . now getting better students/parents . . . oh, boy.