Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Teachers or ‘Quantitative Learning Gains Facilitators?’

Teachers or ‘Quantitative Learning Gains Facilitators?’:


Teachers or ‘Quantitative Learning Gains Facilitators?’


Mr. Fitz (By David Lee Finkle)
Mr. Fitz
(By David Lee Finkle)
David Lee Finkle is a middle-school teacher in Florida who draws the comic strip “Mr. Fitz” for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. He is also the author of books for teachers on student writing and of three young adult novels: “Making My Escape” as well as “Portents” and “Portals” (co-authored with his son, Christopher). The comic strip can be found online at www.mrfitz.com and at the Facebook page Mr. Fitz Comic Strips, and you can follow him on Twitter @DLFinkle. He blogs at The Real Mr. Fitz, where a version of this appeared.
By David Lee Finkle
There is a myth going around our country that goes something like this: American schools have been dumbed down, bad teachers have been given free reign, our educational system is failing, and we will fail to be competitive in the new global economy.
Actually, American schools are more rigorous than they have ever been. What used to

The world’s most famous teacher blasts school reform

bookThe most famous teacher in the world is not a fan of high-stakes standardized tests,  Teach For America or the Common Core State Standards. But he loves teaching and teachers, and he has written a new book giving advice to colleagues at all stages of their careers.
He is fifth-grade teacher Rafe Esquith of Room 56 at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles. I feel comfortable calling him the world’s most famous teacher given the following about the father of four and grandfather of two, who has taught at Hobart  for nearly 30 years and written several best-selling books:
*When he goes to China he is so popular he needs security guards to protect him from the crush of the crowds.
*He is the only K-12 teacher to be awarded the president’s National Medal of the Arts.
*Queen Elizabeth made him a member of the British Empire.
*The Dalai Lama gave him the Compassion in Action Award.