Charters Get Kids Cubicle-Ready

[unhappycamper]

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/20681-charters-get-kids-cubicle-ready

Charters Get Kids Cubicle-Ready
Tuesday, 17 December 2013 09:25
By Samantha Winslow, Labor Notes | Op-Ed

From Silicon Valley, the Rocketship chain of charter schools is hoping to expand across the country. It’s backed by some of the biggest names in the tech world and claims high test scores.

Rocketship leaders brag that they think outside the box. Teachers, for instance—who needs them? The company says it saves half a million dollars a year by using fewer teachers, replacing them with non-certified instructors at $15 per hour.

These instructors monitor up to 130 kids at a time in cubicles in the schools’ computer labs. Rocketeers, as students are called, sit looking at computer screens up to two hours per day, supposedly learning by solving puzzles.

Business leaders such as Bill Gates often stress the need to train kids for the jobs of the future—digital animators, nanotech engineers? But it looks more like the Rocketeers are being prepared for online “microtasks” at Crowdflower, which contracts out data categorization and de-duplication.

[Berlum]

1. The Corporate Borg, Inc. (R) requires fresh well-trained young proles

[DetlefK]

2. They definitely won't be ready to be nanotech engineers.

For that, you not only need to know the science, the physics and chemistry, you also need to know your machines, methods and materials. And you can't learn that in front of screen. You learn that by supervised practicing with lab-equipment.

[ctsnowman]

3. Spot on

and the last two paragraphs at the link nail the lid closed. TFTL

[Shadowflash]

4. Huh.

Replacing teachers with non-certified instructors?

I feel sorry for the kids.

[Hugin]

5. ... and who is on the board of the company suppling the scab teachers you may wonder?

None other than Larry Summers.

Don't believe me? Look it up.