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Home : 2004 : Jan : 27
pressure on teachers
By Doni
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We unfortunately work in a climate under NCLB where the teachers take the blame for everything. The federal government puts pressure on states to meet unrealistic standards, the states then pass the pressure to local districts, which in turn pass it to administrators, and it all lands in the laps of the teachers. If a child is not on grade level it must be the teacher's fault - right? No issue of what the homelife is like, no taking account differences in ability and motivation. Everyone should do exactly the same regardless of innate intelligence, parental support for learning, etc. Teachers across the nation are frustrated. We know what we do each day for these kids, but we have no decision making power. The politicians who haven't stepped foot in a classroom since they graduated are the ones in charge of making education decisions. Accountability sounds good to the electorate, so they run with it. The key is educating people about what NCLB means for their child. My school did a parent workshop on testing last night for 3rd grade parents. This to explain that if their children do not pass the state mandated test their kids will be retained - period. I was very impressed with our parents. They were furious. Now if they will only vote that way.My suggestion for teachers is to read the platforms of the political candidates for local, state and federal elected positions. Make education your primary issue. Unfortunately there's not much difference in the political parties when it comes to education. Both are pretty clueless, but find a candidate who is willing to listen to the people who know, rather than jump on the "Blame the teacher" bandwagon. This is a presidential election year and with NCLB being a federal law, teachers need to really check the education record of the candidates and vote accordingly.
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