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If education is really going to be reformed we need to start talking and listening more to the people who are actually being educated.  That would be the students!  Students of every age have an opinion about what would work better for them.  The minute we start asking students what they need then we will begin to truly  educate them.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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I don't know exactly who this is, but I too do a lot of work at New Urban High School and I have to say that as soon as I started reading your comment I knew it could only come from someone who works in an enviornment like NUHS.  That school should be the model for how education actually works.  I have witnessed some of the most amazing conversations and breakthroughs at that school.  I work with Bevin Smith for the Healthy Kids Learn Better research project.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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Unfortunately this is a problem bigger than just merit pay or the talent/skill of teachers. It is really a problem of the public education system. There is more focus on test scores, standardized testing and statistics. You have a caller on right now, Linda, that is talking about this exact situation.

Once public education can focus on the ENTIRE child, their family life, their stress levels, their learning style, then we will truly see results of learning and actually retaining information.

I have worked in public schools for the past 3 years as an after-school instructor and coordinator. I had the pleasure of working for an amazing school in the North Clackamas School Dist. This school was a well oiled machine because of the Principal and V.P. establishing a environment of respect and community. Teachers worked together to achieve success with students and each teacher's individual skill was appreciated and used to it't best ability. So if we can't change the system then we need people within the system that find a way to appreciate teachers and therefore retain them.

Thank you for having this discussion.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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