Rethinking the Classroom: Obama’s overhaul of public education

[Playinghardball]

In 31 / 2 years in office, President Obama has set in motion a broad overhaul of public education from kindergarten through high school, largely bypassing Congress and inducing states to adopt landmark changes that none of his predecessors attempted.

He awarded billions of dollars in stimulus funding to states that agreed to promote charter schools, use student test scores to evaluate teachers and embrace other administration-backed policies. And he has effectively rewritten No Child Left Behind, the federal law passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush, by excusing states from its requirements if they adopt his measures.

Under Obama’s framework, teachers with weak ratings tied to student achievement could lose their jobs, while high ratings could mean bigger paychecks. And children in 45 states and the District of Columbia will for the first time follow a set of common standards aimed at raising achievement, with a third-grader in Hawaii expected to know the same things as a third-grader in Maine. One result will be that children at all levels will read less literature and more speeches, journalism and other “informational texts” to prepare for life after graduation.

Obama’s agenda has amplified ideas that have been simmering around the country, including those championed by Republicans, among them the push to give parents more choice about where children attend school and to blast apart a long-standing system that rewarded teachers for longevity but not necessarily effectiveness.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/rethinking-the-classroom-obamas-overhaul-of-public-education/2012/09/20/a5459346-e171-11e1-ae7f-d2a13e249eb2_story.html

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Mixed bag. nt

[MadHound]

2. Frankly, the only reason most teachers and teacher organizations are supporting Obama,

Is because his education policies suck slightly less than the 'Pugs.

[denverbill]

3. Frankly, I don't see any difference between his policies and the pugs.

If you do, let me know, because maybe it would make me feel better about him.

[HiPointDem]

6. there's only one difference: vouchers. that's why romney, ryan, rupert murdoch & giuliani were

among those voicing support for rahm during the chicago teachers' strike.

the basic policies & general thrust are identical. obama's race to the top doubled down on no child left behind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Romney wants to increase class size

That's the only difference I've seen.

[rateyes]

4. Teacher here...

The reason most teachers support him is because his education policies are no different from the pugs' policies, but his other ones are better. On education, in this school teacher's opinion, the president and his education secretary have come up woefully short.

[KSstellarcat]

5. Disagree with his education policy

However, changing NCLB was a positive. It is beyond ridiculous to tie teacher evaluation and salary to test scores. It infuriates me.

[HiPointDem]

8. Obama's education policy ties teacher evaluations & salaries to test scores. It also shuts down

schools faster than Bush's did. It promotes charters & does *everything* Bush's policies did, only faster.

It's worse, not better.

[KSstellarcat]

9. That is a fair argument...

...that I don't necessarily disagree with. I was referring to specific benchmarks that are raised each year which determine AYP (100% of students proficient in math and reading being the goal). I wasn't clear about it. I believe that charter schools are a poor concept, just like NCLB was, and if we move in that direction, people will come to that realization after we have invested loads of time and money to implement them.

[HiPointDem]

10. The end result of repeatedly failing AYP is shutting down the school & substituting a charter.

Obama's ed policies lead to the same result much faster.

Obama has given states immunity for NCLB if they sign onto certain conditions, such as teacher evals aimed at firing a certain percent of teachers every year & closing down a certain % of schools every year, legalizing & uncapping charters, etc.

If you actually dig into the details, you'll find i'm not exaggerating.

I think a lot of people heard "immunity from NCLB" & stopped reading there. I have heard even teachers glowing about how RTTT gives states 'more money' for education.

Nah, it gives states more money to lay the groundwork for privatization.

[KSstellarcat]

13. Disturbing

I have to admit, I have not done the type of research about this that I probably would have two years ago when I was still in the classroom. I have never supported the President's education policies, because when I hear "charter", I know that we are not on the same page. I will have to dig deeper...thanks!

[HiPointDem]

14. here's a few starting points

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2010/05/just_say_no_to_the_race_to_the.html

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2012/01/does_president_obama_know_what.html?r=2127555537


you should also read the legislation & articles about what states had to do just to apply (e.g. change laws to allow teachers evals based on testing, sign onto common core, uncap charters, etc.)

and most don't even get the money.

also -- what's the money for? a lot of it is for putting in the databases that will monitor testing, teachers, student scores etc.

[KSstellarcat]

15. Thanks for the links...wow

I left the classroom after 13 years of teaching to stay home with my preschooler and finish my Master's in School Counseling. I am quite embarrassed about how uneducated I am about RTTT. It is very disheartening to read this information.

I have been trying to decide if I will pursue a school counseling job after my son starts school or if I will go back to teaching, which I love. Now, the choice seems more obvious.

[msongs]

7. his kids don't go to public schools nt

[Starry Messenger]

11. I'm definitely not voting for President Obama's education policies but I'm voting for him.

I honestly think the Repubs would attack collective bargaining itself in every state and the unions would be fighting a desperate fight for existence.

It isn't fun having to fight "allies". At all. But Chicago showed it could be done. And we're going to need our unions in order to do it.

[ibegurpard]

12. there

my sentiments as well