Silence of the Teachers
Why one young educator rejects Educators 4 Excellence’s Corporate Agenda and you should too.
By Sean Lords
Teacher-led organization? The voices of classroom teachers? On the surface, Educators 4 Excellencesounds like what education policy needs—the voices of experienced classroom teachers who have inspired students to live fulfilling lives. Nevertheless, a screen full of buzzwords only serves to obscure a tired truth—Educators 4 Excellence has little interest in the experience of dedicated classroom teachers. Instead, they are actively recruiting young educators to affirm the rhetoric that supports top-down educational reform. They certainly have no interest in my voice.
Teacher-led organization? The voices of classroom teachers? On the surface, Educators 4 Excellencesounds like what education policy needs—the voices of experienced classroom teachers who have inspired students to live fulfilling lives. Nevertheless, a screen full of buzzwords only serves to obscure a tired truth—Educators 4 Excellence has little interest in the experience of dedicated classroom teachers. Instead, they are actively recruiting young educators to affirm the rhetoric that supports top-down educational reform. They certainly have no interest in my voice.
The *excellence* agenda
This is likely no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the education reform movement’s obsession with “excellence.” But what is excellence? Organizations like the Gates Foundation have made a practice of throwing money behind marketing filled with
This is likely no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the education reform movement’s obsession with “excellence.” But what is excellence? Organizations like the Gates Foundation have made a practice of throwing money behind marketing filled with