More on teaching ...

I have read these two stories about education through several times ... trying to figure out what they mean... and I can say that I don't know... I just don't know... perhaps that is the theme of the day.  The SFGate article seems to bemoan the fact that the common core is not like teaching the three Rs.

The journalist writes:

"The ultimate goal is to get every child college and career ready. That means, cursive is out and keyboarding is in. Repetition and rote learning are passe while critical thinking is, well, critical."

She writes on about spelling and times tables and the like ... and then intimates that adopting the common core is tantamount to giving up teaching:

"In other words, the new system focuses less on learning facts and more on using that information to synthesize and create new ideas, said Domenech, a supporter of the national standards."

I don't know about you, but it sounds like Ms. Tucker is not a fan of the common core ... and I wonder why not just put that out there instead of "reporting" on it as though you were just giving facts?  And ... in some attempt to reach those who know absolutely nothing about teaching, she continue to return over and over to "cursive" -- because apparently that is what we ought to be teaching.

I am NOT going to pretend that I don't have a bias...

I am also still trying to understand this story out of Florida.  Are they saying that they are figuring out that test scores are not as telling as they thought or that they have somehow not figured out how to be successful with them in a sustained way? Help me out here, if you figure it out.

As I was busy being indignant about testing mania and the craziness of tying these scores to teacher performance despite not really being able to understand exactly what they are telling us about learning --- or teaching, I stumbled on this story.  Turns out with all this attention to test scores as the ultimate meter for teacher performance, here is a teacher arguing he has been fired despite the fact that he has produced stellar test scores (note how I word it).  I don't know what the answer is here -- just that it is irony at its best -- or perhaps unveiling exactly the truth about test scores?

Finally ... here is a story about desegregation and the magnet model.  Education is never just easy -- even in the most homogenous, well-financed school, there will be the usual challenges.  This piece details the politics and the struggles ... trying to shed light on the issue of segregation in schools, really.  It includes cheating controversies that are either fueled by testing or just another one of the by products of the high stakes environment.