tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post2145919990937172626..comments2024-03-15T02:09:23.712-06:00Comments on for the love of learning: The Money RutAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-82241197058839528982011-02-10T16:30:31.350-07:002011-02-10T16:30:31.350-07:00No feathers ruffled Robert...I'm a big boy...a...No feathers ruffled Robert...I'm a big boy...and I didn't feel disrespected; just thought he blanket statement was too targeted. I agree with you. I have met central office staff who are distant from student needs; I have also met classroom teachers who are the same. I think it is mindset that puts kids first...period...regardless of role or title. The difficulty is that C.O. staff & trustees are the ones who have to make those decisions so they take the heat...comes with the job!<br /><br />Cheers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-43665904158324400412011-02-10T06:46:42.957-07:002011-02-10T06:46:42.957-07:00tomschimmer, I appreciate your comment and I agree...tomschimmer, I appreciate your comment and I agree with your point that "something funny" does not happen to people. Please recall that my view is from the outside. In my snapshot view of the school system, the more removed employees are from the classroom, the more removed they are from the needs of the children. I am sure that you are correct in pointing out that this does not happen as a dynamic to individual people over time. And any generalization necessarily treats individuals unfairly. <br /><br />Money has to be handled responsibly. A school system that can't even do that has no chance of success. But being adequately funded isn't enough to ensure success. I wish there were more public conversation around the other things we can do to support children and teens in their quest to create meaning in life. I'm sorry I ruffled your feathers, as I meant no disrespect. Our schools are blessed with, for the majority, dedicated and caring people.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12961149077824073687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-52824413384780163432011-02-09T12:37:06.022-07:002011-02-09T12:37:06.022-07:00Joe, You spoke my mind on how the conversation abo...Joe, You spoke my mind on how the conversation about what really matters gets lost when it gets kicked upstairs to an adult level, which then turns into liberals vs conservative and still so many kids are not being served. I especially like your: "But most of all, I don't want kids who graduate from high school, knowing a little about a lot, but knowing next to nothing about themselves." (actually, my fear is that they don't even know a little about a lot--they have just been exposed to..some stuff.)<br /><br />It is up to educators like us to define hot to measure what matters so that those who are feeling accountable for "results" (a funny word in the education business) have something to report to those they need to report to. (As I wrote this morning, it was as easy as could be to evaluate the quality of the education going on at two schools I visited simply by looking at the enthusiasm of the students for learning. That's measurable.<br /><br />My post (up later today) has a working title of: "What Do Good Parents and Good Schools Have in Common?" It points to the cultural context for schools to be the kind of creative environments we want. www.geniusinchildren.org<br /><br />thanks again. Another good one.rick ackerlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05345877809615910955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-55768852240221584172011-02-09T11:09:19.696-07:002011-02-09T11:09:19.696-07:00I agree this is a very thoughtful piece and, for t...I agree this is a very thoughtful piece and, for the most part, I agree. There is too much talk about money and the public education systems throughout Canada need to be funded appropriately in order to support ALL students.<br /><br />However, I do think the statement that once an educator loses contact with kids "something funny" happens to them is an overgeneralization that is neither accurate nor productive. As someone who has worked at Central Office for 2 years I can promise you nothing funny has happened to me. I care as much for the students in my district as I every have. In fact, now I'm in a position to influence an entire district rather than just my school. Something funny might happen to individuals, but it is a stretch to suggest that once a person loses even full-time contact with kids (i.e. administrators) that they somehow don't get it anymore. I don't think ALL teachers would appreciate being categorized by the 1 or 2 teachers who rip out of the parking lot at 3:01 either; that's not the norm.<br /><br />Money shouldn't drive all of our decisions, but the reality is that there is not a limitless budget so decisions have to be made. When I first started 20 years ago there wasn't enough time nor enough money to do everything we needed to do; it's just worse now. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-57544290065732710272011-02-09T09:39:32.890-07:002011-02-09T09:39:32.890-07:00This is a terrific piece. He's right of course...This is a terrific piece. He's right of course, money drives many of the decisions made in education.<br /><br />For example, standardized testing tends to be multiple choice, not because this is an effective way to measure what students know, but because it is cost-effective, and efficient.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08098221991466148258noreply@blogger.com