tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4477838142482105464.post2908499459546416584..comments2023-08-25T02:16:54.101-07:00Comments on Alliance for Education Community Blog: Teacher Quality Dialogues – Part IIKaren Tollenaar Demoresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058988580499197782noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4477838142482105464.post-72123286333143175972010-03-25T08:38:06.786-07:002010-03-25T08:38:06.786-07:00A quality teacher grounds her/his teaching in all ...A quality teacher grounds her/his teaching in all facets of life, including history, art and civics, subjects ominously absent from any discussion about "teacher quality" as measured by "performance management" tests provided, handily, on computer programs designed by the very organization funding this "survey" of teacher quality, the Gates Foundation.<br /><br />Sharing top billing with Gates is the Eli Broad Foundation and the NWEA. Our superintentent is a member of the board of both.<br /><br />No history...no civics....no art...nothing that does not lend itself to easy commodification and production, to "business management" (and hasn't the private sector one such a good job for this country lately)<br /><br />Please post on your website your 501c financial report. Many of us are interested in how 501c you actually are.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4477838142482105464.post-37222598077932041892010-03-24T21:17:50.713-07:002010-03-24T21:17:50.713-07:00What are you people smoking, seriously? Teacher q...What are you people smoking, seriously? Teacher quality, blah, blah, blah. Let's bring in TFA grads! Yay! So we get a new teacher every two years? Whoopie! <br /><br />Oh, and let's continue to brown-nose billionaires who all went to private schools, and have them tell us what college and work-ready pupils they want to till their crops in the future. <br /><br />Yes, why not look to the business community? You know, the one that outsources all the good paying jobs, blackmail states into tax concessions right and left (which starve education budgets, btw - DUH!), and run our country into the ground with phony accounting, lack of regulation and oversight, while trumpeting the almighty dollar as the ultimate measure of human beings. Why not have the entire country run like Wall Street, Alliance? It's done wonders for us so far!wseadawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08750439461734046035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4477838142482105464.post-80700757830242254152010-03-24T20:04:54.881-07:002010-03-24T20:04:54.881-07:00I just took a phone survey and it was very clearly...I just took a phone survey and it was very clearly sponsored by the Alliance because the language of the phone survey was remarkably similar to the language of the biased, meaningless push poll survey that the Alliance had on this web site.<br /><br />Any admission of bias in the survey or apology implied in taking it off the web site was insincere and deceptive. The Alliance just moved it to the phones and it is no better than it was before.<br /><br />After getting people's complaints about the District, the only solutions that the survey offered were around this misguided "teacher quality" diversion.<br /><br />Look. The solution to the problems in Seattle Public Schools will not be found by working to improve "teacher quality" because that's not where the problems are. The problems in Seattle Public Schools are in poor quality curricula and materials, in the failure to provide early and effective interventions, and in the unwillingness to offer any authentic community engagement.<br /><br />The Board isn't doing its job. They don't represent the public, they don't advocate for the public, they don't oversee the management of the District, and they don't seriously consider the motions placed before them.<br /><br />The Superintendent rides roughshod over the Policies and the community and the people who are doing the real work: the teachers. Her budget squanders millions on pet projects that won't amount to anything for anyone while it starves classrooms of precious resources.<br /><br />The Central Administration is a financial black hole that does almost nothing for students and absolutely nothing for the community.<br /><br />You want to take a survey on how to improve Seattle Public Schools, then offer people the opportunity to suggest improvements in the curricula, in the materials, in the budget priorities, and in resources for underperforming students. When you put these items on the list of possible solutions then you will have taken a step towards finding solutions.<br /><br />You people really are dreadful.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4477838142482105464.post-48949710223629697422010-03-17T12:46:02.795-07:002010-03-17T12:46:02.795-07:00"I was particularly moved by the idea of adop..."I was particularly moved by the idea of adopting professional development models from the private sector that may enhance support for teachers."<br /><br />Can you expand on this? WHY was this the particularly moving piece for you? Could you tell us what the private sector has to bring to professional development? What is different from the public sector?seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.com