Wait, What? Educators Highly Satisfied With Classroom Autonomy, Morale
By Tim Walker
Ask most teachers what workplace conditions or policies determine their level of job satisfaction, support from administration, general respect, collaborative time with colleagues, and classroom autonomy are likely to top the list. You’ll also probably be told that teacher morale has taken a serious hit over the past decade or so due to the chipping away – or outright absence – of these factors.Then again, maybe not. A recent report from theCenter for American Progress (CAP), a progressive think-tank in Washington D.C., found that the majority of educators 1) are happy in their jobs and 2) “report high levels of autonomy over almost every aspect of teaching, including what to teach and how to teach.”
“The data suggest much different than the conventional wisdom. In fact, teachers are far more autonomous – and far more satisfied – than most people believe,” the authors write.
These findings generated considerable buzz because they obviously throw cold water on the notion that a decade of top down education “reforms” – a narrower curriculum, high stakes accountability, testing frenzy – has left the nation with a dispirited teaching force who find their work drained of creativity and autonomy. The2012 MetLife survey of the American Teacher found that teacher satisfaction had declined 23 percentage
Schools Look to Push the U.S. Graduation Rate Even Higher
The nationwide high school graduation rate has reached 80 percent – the highest in American history. That’s what a new study released by the U.S. Department of Education revealed last month. But while more students are graduating high school than ever, the hundreds of thousands of students who drop out each year are more likely to be subject to a lifetime of poverty and lack of opportunity.Prevent
Should the U.S. Look To Singapore for Great Education Ideas?
Singapore has one of the best education systems in the world, according to international assessments. President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan talk about its performance. National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel, has praised its teacher training. And in 2012, Singapore was featured in the first-ever International Summit on the Teaching Profession as a country
NEA’s Read Across America Kicks Off in South Texas
By Brenda Álvarez Life in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas is relatively quiet. It’s a family-oriented area, where much of the excitement surrounds local football or basketball games. On Monday, Feb. 24, however, students from two elementary schools in Hidalgo County received a special treat from local, state and national guests, who read books from the beloved author Dr. Seuss. The event was
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Public Schools Recruiting International High Schoolers
A small town in upstate New York is joining a few other rural school districts in quietly tapping potential cash-ready international students who can bring new life to underenrolled schools. Federal statistics show that the number of international high schoolers arriving in the USA on F-1 visas has jumped from about 6,500 in 2007 to 65,000 in 2012. Federal law limits international students’ stays
Four Large School Districts to Study Racial, Disciplinary Disparities
Nashville, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago will create a network to share data and best practices in a national initiative called PASSAGE, an initiative to examine racial and disciplinary disparities and find ways to improve them. One goal is to address disciplinary disparities involving not only race but also gender, sexual orientation, foster care and transient family conditions. Source: The T