Leader of Chicago Schools Is Obama’s Choice for Education Secretary

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It doesn't matter if Arne Duncan is a genius.

He won't be at your school today. Or tomorrow. Or any day.

The reins of the school system are in the hands of your state legislature.

The enemy of education is the Administrators of the schools.

These fat cats - at least in CA - drag down at least $100,000 yearly and make the decisions for every dollar spent at their schools.

In CA we have 40% of the state budget set aside for education.

Yet we have teachers paying out of their pockets for textbooks for students because administrators use the money for textbooks elsewhere.

The enemy of education is these administrators.

We need to go after the enemy!

John of CA 12:50AM April 05, 2010

I was here.

B of MT 12:38PM February 23, 2009

In the process of doing research on education, with the intent of doing some writing on the topic, I've encountered both concern and criticism. But, in my mind no solution to a real problem facing our nation.

History tells us that money is not the answer. What this retirred educator believes needs to be done is: to restructure the current time based, one teacher one classroom, lock step system to a performance based system that places the responsibility to perform on the learner.

As a start, I might suggest the organization of a school that would allow the learner to utilize his/her individual learning style as he/she progresses through school.

This would require the school to identify what the learner is to learn and indicate how or what the learner will do to prove that he/she has learned that lesson.

Well written performance objectives would change the role of the teacher as well as thzt of the learner. Currently the teacher serves as evaluator, dispenser of facts and information and as the active agent in the learning process. Well written perrformance objectives would result in the teacher becoming a facilitator, motivator, a resource and provider of guidance to the learner. Because the learner would know what is expected his/her role would change from going to school to be taught to going to school to learn and would become the active agent in the learning process.

In the writing of performance objectives let me refer you to the internet and to a 60's era paperback written by Rober Mager, entitled Preparing Instructional Onbjectives. And, for direction a quote from Amos Comenius (1592-1670) seems appropriate:

"There in the world no rock or tower of such height that it cannot be scaled by any man (provided he lack not feet) if ladders are placed in the proper position or steps are cut in the rock, made at the right place, and furnished with railings against the danger of falling over

If we examine ourselves we see that our faculties grow in such a manner that what goes before paves the way for what comes after. (cheating becomes a non-issue)

As for learnin styles, again, let me refer you to the internet. However, the literture identifies three:

1) Visual learniung _ learn by seeing

2) Auditory learning - learn by hearing

3) Kinesthetic Learnbing - learn by doing

I would add a fourth:

4) Learn by (like Socrates) asking questions - personally I would encourage this.

Any questions feel free to ontact me. More than willing 21`give of my time if it's to help our kioda.

Hector Navarrette of CA 1:56AM December 19, 2008

Being a British citizen, I don't know a great deal about the American education system, but I know what it's like to be a teacher, having spent the last 20 years teaching. In my opinion no effective educational reform is possible without, first and foremost, a real understanding of the job of the teacher and an acknowledgement of the demands placed upon him/her. Politicians in the UK are constantly reforming the education system, yet none of them has a clue what it actually means for the classroom teacher on the ground. They change syllabuses right, left and center, introduce more tests and exams (and then abolish some), introduce league tables so parents can compare schools more objectively and so on and so on. The results? More stress for the teachers, more stress for the pupils, less time to teach and, therefore, less effective teaching. Everything is geared towards exams, results, being 'better' than someone else or another school - as I have said in a poem entitled 'The Inspection' (part of a collection of poems I've written, called 'It's a Teacher's Life...!'):

Has it been worthwhile?

The politicians would say yes,

but what do they know of education?

Less and less!

To say this school is better than that,

is that the point of all the stress?

Why can't competition be forgot

and cooperation come out on top?

Can you tell me, please tell me, why not?

K Pruitt says that until teachers start teaching the way students are learning, not much is going to change except the frustration level. I would agree with this, but teachers are bound by syllabuses and exams and so they cannot really teach in the way that's best for students (or most fulfilling for themselves). I've had enough of the merry-go-round that calls itself the education system in my country and have stopped teaching. I've come to the conclusion that if teachers and learners are to really enjoy their experience at school and pupils are to learn how to think for themselves rather than just regurgitate facts, then syllabuses and exams should be thrown out of the window, class sizes would be drastically reduced and each pupil would pursue his or her own angle of interest in whatever subject it was, guided and supported by the teacher. As I have said in another poem:

Would that we could create

another indisputable reality

where education delights both

teacher and taught

and restrictions and syllabuses

are but a long, distant memory.

This is the kind of education system I would wish to teach in, but I doubt that any politician - whether in the UK or the US - is either capable or desirous of achieving it in the kind of society we live in today.

Helena Harper

www.helenaharper.com

Helena Harper 11:11AM December 18, 2008

The choice of Duncan should let all know that Obama intends there to be a change away from what was true of the Bush administration. However, the fact that Duncan has led the very dysfunctional CPS does not give me confidence that much will change. Having done some work in CPS, I must say the district has many problems that have yet to be addressed by administration. While Duncan has been willing to try alternative approaches to education, the fundamentals of teacher training, commitment and dedication have been ignored as per the teacher union. Given the fiscal situation in most districts, it is doubtful that Duncan can affectively lead any real change nationally unless the feds are willing to come up with the funding to support them. That most researchers as myself are calling for reform in the classroom seems to be ignored by bigger, more complicated issues such as funding, testing, national standards and the like. Until we change what is going on in the classroom with instruction, place instructional leaders in charge of schools and have administrations locally who honor good teaching practices, not much will change. Pour all the money you wish at the problem, test every day, and set up all the standards desired. Until teachers start teaching the way students are learning, not much is going to change except the frustration level. It will go up.

Keith Pruitt, Ed.S. of TN 7:23PM December 17, 2008

Let's pay kids to teach and tutor other kids. Let's get some pins and badges for passing certain tests (like the military and the sports letter jackets.) Let's see to it that tenure is ALWAYS a goal for any teacher---(who wants to have 20 year career at risk of some 28-year-old smart aleck administrator hired by a dumbly elected school board?)

of 11:25AM December 17, 2008

The government needs to invest far more into education. Teachers are too far underpaid to live a good life. Urban teachers really suffer. The public blames the unions. The real issue is non-educators are involved at the wrong level. Business leaders must take a more active role. Teachers should be paid more and with longer hours and more training and planing. Business must invest more and expect more results. Education must be inserted clearly in to the constitution. Then we will have a better system. The military can also play a bigger role to met our defense needs for the future.Let us stop playing games with poverty and try to understand how it adversely impacts society.

J. Lee of IL 8:11PM December 16, 2008

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