Thursday, April 26, 2012

Pineapples, Police, and Trust in Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Pineapples, Police, and Trust in Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week:


Pineapples, Police, and Trust in Schools

Dear Diane,
When I got home from Ohio last week The New York Times called, as "pineapples" went viral. Of course, any time a group of people respond to the same cues we learn something. I even wonder about what the answers to the hare and the pineapple story could tell us! But one thing for sure, it wouldn't tell us anything about reading "achievement."
"They don't want us to have any judgment. Every message is that the department doesn't trust us," said by ... No, not by teachers, but by New York City police officers. New York Magazine had a fascinating story ("What's Eating the NYPD?") by reporter Chris Smith last week. Smith describes conversations with NYC's police that might have taken place in the teachers' lounge of most schools.
"I love being a teacher, but I hate being in the school system," say many teachers and principals I interview locally. Word for word—just replace teacher with cop. This is what Chris Smith heard, too. They are, under the current Kelly (Klein/Rhee/Duncan) regime, "so focused on data that nobody cares for each other." Caring is a