While Obama was running for the presidency, he was quoted:
"Don't tell us that the only way to teach a child is to spend too much of the year preparing him to fill out a few bubbles in a standardized test."
What the hell happened?
Knowing what I know today about Arne Duncan's No Child Left Behind 2.0 which actually dictates even more testing than George Bush's No Child Left Behind, watching that clip of Obama makes me sick to my stomach.
Here are two articles that might provide some insight into how and why education reform has been bastardized by market-based reforms that are being carried out and dictated by non-educators:
A New Vision of School Reform
The Hatchet Job on Linda Darling-Hammond
I remember when President Obama was running. Even then his proposed education policy made me leery. I had hoped that his "open-door" attitude would change that, but apparently it has not.
ReplyDeleteCalling the program something different, doesn't change the fact that it essentially isn't.
ReplyDeleteI share your disappointment with the State's administrations direction in education. I note the lack of commentary on the web about Canada's direction. National policy has less impact than in the United States. Provincial policy discussion would be useful. You have written often about changes in Alberta's education policy toward assessment. I wonder what else is happening in Canada. I don't feel particularly competent to discuss educational reform in Saskatchewan. I don't really feel there is anything encouraging here though.
ReplyDeleteIm in Dr. Strange's Class at the University of South Alabama. Our blog site is www.edm310.blogspot.com. I was told to read your article and comment. I really enjoyed watching this. I feel that education is the most important thing for a child's future. I feel that school should provide equal opportunities for each child. As I watched this video, I kinda had the same feeling with it made me sick to my stomach. In my opinion the "No Child Left Behind" program started out with a good purpose and point, but the program slowly got a little out of hand. At the same time Obama may hurt the program even more, with more testing and such. Teaching was really much better years ago with just good teachers and the basic teaching ways.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell happened is right. Sheesh. I hadn't seen that because I've never been an Obama supporter, and wow-- it turns my stomach also.
ReplyDeleteI watched this video again tonight, and I shouldn't have because it just pisses me off.
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