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Sunday, February 14, 2016

CURMUDGUCATION: Politicians Make My Job Harder

CURMUDGUCATION: Politicians Make My Job Harder:

Politicians Make My Job Harder


Sure, the fact that politicians have commandeered education and inflicted a whole boat-load of anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-students-who-aren't-from-the-right-families rules and regulations. But there are days when I think that all the bad policies, all the funding issues, all the bad leadership on the state and national level, all the esoteric and philosophical and policy issues that take us space on this blog-- none of that compares to trying to swim upstream in a culture that actively rejects some of the values that we're trying to teach.

We invest millions of dollars and endless hours of our attention, for instance, on anti-bullying programs within the walls of our schools. Then we send our students out into a world where bullying is how you Get Things Done. Our policymakers and politicians bully each other to score political victories. Donald Trump is walking away with the GOP nomination for President of the United Freaking States of America because he is the most effective bully in the field.

Or let's try to promote the basic principles of democracy, but at the same time, the Democratic Party will continue to operate its anti-democratic Superdelegate system, by which the party establishment has a buffer against their nomination process being derailed by the actual voters. And no, I don't feel better is you tell me that Superdelegates always follow the will of the voters, 
CURMUDGUCATION: Politicians Make My Job Harder:


ICYMI: Edu-reading for the week


It is Sunday morning, and so cold and still outside that you can't hear anything but some birds and the sound of ice crunching up against the bridge. Perfect day to curl up with some hot chocolate and read what's been going on in the education world.

Charter Schools Are Not the Answer in Ohio

The superintendent of the education center in Lorain County, Ohio (the area where I had my first teaching gig) explains why charters just aren't the answer in Ohio.

Looking Anew at How Teachers Teach

"Anew" might be the wrong word here-- Larry Cuban puts the current kerflufflation over teaching in the context of the history of teaching kerfluffles.

Why Do Teachers Need Instructional Coaches

I have mixed feelings about "instructoinal coaches," but Peter DeWitt makes a good case for them here.

Stop Humiliating Teachers

David Denby at the New Yorker speaks out against the tradition of hammering on teachers everytime the country hits a rough patch.


An Open Letter To John Lewis

I love this letter-- not because it stands up for Bernie Sanders against the civil rights giants' comments earlier this week, and not because it manages to do so without using any of the asshat attacks on Lewis that characterized a lot of the Sanders "support" this week-- but because it includes a great story and reminder of how social movements really make a difference.

Trust Teachers

Russ Walsh makes a solid argument against the age-old practice of putting our trust in programs instead of teachers.