A tale of two covers - YouTube

A tale of two covers - YouTube

A tale of two covers

enrique baloyra

After years of perpetuating the myth that the public schools are failing, Time Magazine is finally setting the record straight.
In 2008 Time featured D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee on its cover with a broom, as she fired hundreds of teachers working in the district’s poorest schools. Rhee ended up resigning in disgrace before investigators could link her to widespread fraud and corruption in a group of charters she established.
Then there was the “Rotten Apples” cover in 2014, which basically accused unions of protecting bad teachers, with the underlying message, “that’s why public schools are failing.”
But it turns out it’s politicians who are failing our schools.
That’s why this week’s Time has three teachers on different versions of its cover, sharing stories about their struggles to make ends meet, while facing the challenges of teaching in some of the nation’s most underfunded schools.
“Teachers are out to regain the upper hand.”
“And they promise to turn out in force for November’s midterm elections, where hundreds of teachers are running for office on platforms that promise more support for public schools. They have also sought to remind the public that they are on the front lines of America’s frayed social safety net, dealing with children affected by the opioid crisis, living in poverty and fearful of the next school shooting.” http://time.com/longform/teaching-in-...
Keep in mind, there are schools where every student lives in poverty. These kids arrive years behind their middle class counterparts in reading and writing skills. Every summer they get farther behind in their math skills. They suffer from malnutrition, inadequate healthcare, and serious trauma at several times the national average. We should be supporting the teachers whose work it is to bring these kids up to grade level.
And the public is figuring this out for themselves. In fact, recent polling suggests 60% of Americans think teachers should have the right to strike. Even in the reddest states, voters are backing tax increases for education spending, teachers are winning their bids for elected office, and communities are fighting back when corporate charters come to town.
But the fight to take back our schools has only just begun. Good thing November sixth is right around the corner.

Category

News & Politics

A tale of two covers - YouTube