Every schoolchild's parent, taxpayer,indeed anyone who has interest in our education system should read the Dec. 8,2008 edition of Time magazine.
The feature and very long article is devoted to Michelle Rhee, the head of the Washington DC school system and her attempts to raise to an acceptable level, which of course should be but would be unreachable of 100%, instead of the 36% High School students in the DC system that are proficient in Math and the 39% that are proficient in reading.
The root of the problem may be in the tenure system which protects incompetent teachers and administrators. The process of ridding a system of those parasites is difficult and almost impossible,, but can be done by a determined administration and supported by a committed Board of Education.
Tenure was once a necessity to protect teachers and principles from a vindictive board membership or political pressure. Too often political patronage or nepotism has been the criteria for employment. Often quality personnel were fired to fulfill that practice.
Today however, protected by a strong union and protective laws against firing without cause, this stranglehold is not needed. In fact it has become detrimental to quality education.
If we are going to have good schools and keep students interested in education we must have quality teachers. Those that are sitting on their butt waiting to collect their pension must go.
Doctors and others whose profession is vital to our well being are required to have periodic license renewal and are subject to requirements that assure that they are up to date in their field. Should educators not be held to similar requirements? I would think so.
The subject of school reform is an unpopular one but if this nation is going to survive without the turmoil we see every day it must be addressed. No biyearly change in administration will help. The place to start is at the grass roots, public pressure.
Where does Plainfield fit in? We have a school system only slightly better than that of DC. Our problems are many. We do have a new administration that to date like its predecessors has been able to "Talk the Talk:. Will it be able or willing to "Walk the Walk"? The others did not.
The bigger question is the Board of Education. Is it another clone whose membership consists of those with ties to a political entity which has run a slate st every election. Can those members be independent? Others who have been elected and had not been on the "slate" may suffer from tunnel vision of their specific agendas. Our hope is that there are sufficient numbers on this board whose primary interest is in quality education and will do everything in their power to try to accomplish that goal.
And finally, neither Administration or BOE should fall into the Council's trap of condemning what appear to be negative comments by the public which were intended to be constructive.
Communication must be a two way street.
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ReplyDelete"Anonymous" Thank you for the info in your comment. You are right I have no idea what if sny are the politiacal affiliation of our Board members. I know that the "party" anually ran a slate and that there was usual an opposition slate for the 11% of the electorate to select from.The point to be aware is that political sponsored slates are not in the publicv interest. If the so called new Democrats are in power. will they be any different from the "old'.
ReplyDeleteWE have too often seen party power changes but end up with the same agendas.
The election system for BOE is faulted, but except for the placing of responsibility, would an appointed board be better?
Actually Doc is correct about the below college level educational system in the U.S. being broken, not only because of money, but mainly because of the tenure system and the retention of substandard teachers. When you have substandard teachers, you achieve substandard results. Maybe it's truly time to let Unions go the way of the buggy whip, and let merit be the coin of the realm. Good teachers get retained, the other go look for something else to do...
ReplyDeleteOf course for that to happen would require a change to how our elected officials respond to the situation, and right now, as long as money rules the election process in this country, at all levels, those who get elected, feel obliged to be good to those who brought them to the dance... Maybe in my Children's lifetime...
The tenure system is a double edged sword. I think there needs to be a slight tweak to the system, where teachers are re-certified for tenure every several years. Now, how to do this without political bias (and make it agreeable to the union) is the trick.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many young teachers would be willing to give school districts such as Plainfield a chance if there were no opportunity at job security once they got to the traditional tenure time period. There are teachers who genuinely treat their career as their calling and do not abuse the tenure system. I question whether these educators would want to work in a district where they worked their tail off (and got results), only to be let go after five years for any reason such as cutbacks or petty issues (principal doesn't like them, etc.).
I'm not a teacher, but I'm a taxpayer and possibly may have children in this district several years down the road.