Well, I really wanted to find a great content article in the October 2 edition of The Economist, but I could not resist discussing the article about education reform on page 18 entitled "Education in America: Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?" Reform in education, and especially the means by which teachers are evaluated and compensated, is such a hot topic right now that I was really not surprised to see it headlining The Economist this week. With that being said, here are a few aspects of the article to consider for discussion:
What effects do you think the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'" will have on education reform in the near future?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of merit pay for teachers?
How do you feel about teachers' unions and their role in educational reform?
What effects could issues surrounding educational reform have on the upcoming midterm elections?
By no means do you have to address all these questions in your responses; I just figured I would pose them to start the discussion.
This article caught my eye, too, Andrew and I am glad that you decided to make it the topic of our blog this week. I really want to see the documentary "Waiting for Superman"--unfortunately, it is not playing anywhere near Winston-Salem yet.
I think that this documentary, especially in conjunction with the recent changes in Washington, D.C. politics, has the potential for bringing education reform into the national spotlight in the coming months. We have already seen some experimentation with the idea of merit-based pay for teachers, and I think that this trend will become more widespread over time.
I have mixed feelings about the idea of merit pay for teachers. In some ways, I think that it is necessary because there are a lot of teachers who do an amazing job and work extremely hard, yet are payed no more than the teachers who just show up every day with minimal thought or preparation. With the incentive of merit-based pay, there is a better chance that schools will be able to hire and retain high-quality teachers.
On the other hand, depending on how merit-based pay is allotted, teachers might try to avoid teaching lower-level students (if pay is based on achievement) or higher-level students (if pay is based on improvement--ostensibly, higher-level students would be less likely to show significant improvement over the course of a year). I think that it is important to have good teachers teaching both high- and low-level students, and one group of students might be short-changed if merit-based pay is instituted. Overall, however, I think that merit-based pay would yield more benefits than problems--and I do believe that, if we must chose between having the best teachers in high-level or low-level classrooms, it is best to have them with students who are struggling. Under our current system, this is rarely the case; with merit pay based on student improvement, it might become more likely.
Until I read this article, I did not realize that teachers' unions are often the biggest impediment to school reform initiatives. Do any of you know more about teachers' unions? Does this article give them a fair and accurate portrayal?
“Waiting for Superman” will have large implications on educational reform in the US. The recession has put the spotlight on the failing education system in the US, and many blame our current education system for the economic hardships that many citizens face. As Obama is also speaking on behalf of education reform, governmental agencies, business leaders, and educators are fervently pressing for reform to become a reality. However, there is no consensus about what issues need to be addressed in education and which mechanisms will reap the greatest benefits for our children.
I’ve heard lots of bad press on teachers’ unions, mainly due to the fact that it is hard to fire a teacher who is a member, resulting in a number of ill-performing teachers retaining their jobs. On the other hand, I know that there are also advantages to teachers’ unions such as greater pay and legal support. Personally, I remember some of my high school teachers lamenting on their dislike of the fact that NC does not allow for such organizations to exist. Nevertheless, the article points out that these unions are stymying efforts to reform education since a profound number of American educators take part in these organizations which are opposed to merit pay. In order for reform to take place, there has to be popular support for the efforts, and it is crucial that there is overwhelming support from teachers, and unfortunately, according to the article, most teachers remain loyal to teachers’ unions.
Maybe we should make a class journey to see Waiting For Superman... I'm kidding, but it's a film that I think we're all interested in seeing!
As you said, Anna, I think that the attention that this film will bring to Educational Reform and the possibilities for improvement as a result from that attention are great. I think that many Americans look at the failing school systems and cannot pinpoint issues that are specifically hindering progress and so, instead of proactively pursuing answers, they just sit back and let their frustration fester.
In some regions, one of these major problems is the existence of Unions, where students miss school due to teacher strikes, teachers whose performance is poor have no incentive, besides their intrinsic love of learning, to improve their teaching skills and methods, and are guaranteed good pay no matter what. While merit-based salaries have some major problems, if they were evaluated based upon some sort of specified scale, where even low-performing students, who had improved significantly from an extremely low status, would count in the teacher's favor.
Like LaShunda, growing up in NC public school I heard NC teachers with mixed opinions about the NC ban of Teachers' Unions. I specifically remembering hearing a teacher say, "Where my sister and brother-in-law live in Pennsylvania, their kids are going to be in school until the middle of July because their teachers have been on strike, asking for about $75k every year." Now, I don't know how accurate that claim was, but this aspect of the Union does not seem to unify teachers. Instead, it creates factions of opinions and lifestyles that could challenge the motivation and success of teachers.
I'm also very interested to see the future of the Democratice Party. With Teachers Unions playing a major role in the party and with a liberal-foundation for "Waiting for Superman," there will surely be some interesting conversations coming up on Capitol Hill. Does anyone know about any conversations that have already been set in motion?
At the very least, Waiting for Superman will cause more people to see that condition and disparities that face schools today. From what I've heard, the film highlights many problems, but doesn't pose a lot of solutions, so it could be that all this movie will do will just cause debate at what should be done to the school system again.
The advantages of a merit pay system will be that it could cause bad teachers to finally be shown for who they are and pushed out of the system while promoting good teachers to stay in schools. Disadvantages could be that a merit pay system could move teachers into teacher soley for the test and not focusing on teaching skills that students will need later in life. Basically it could cause an increase in teaching by rote and the students could leave the class with good marks but have nothing to show for it.
I understand the need for teachers unions and unions in general and I do think that unions in America of any kind are demonized to a certain extent and that the situation has been oversimplified into just being the union's fault. However, teachers unions do need to get behind new and innovative ways to improve teachers and not focus on tradition because tradition is obviously not working for a huge number of students.
I don't think that education will be a huge issue for this election. This election is all about the economy and education has been pushed to the background for the most part. What could make the difference is the shape of Congress after the midterm elections. Whatever side has control needs to recognize the need for change and be willing to do more than promote outdated policies.
Like others have posted above, growing up in North Carolina I have had little exposure to teachers unions. I do remember a teacher of mine being disgruntled towards their lack of presence in the state. In most circumstances unions help their members negotiate higher pay and better benefits in addition to other work place related issues. I does seem to become a complicated issue in terms of teachers unions since the teachers are guaranteed the benefits of membership but not held to a standard or performance.
Merit pay seems like it could solve the issue every student in America has to deal with at some point in their school career, a bad teacher. I think it is a great idea that teachers would be awarded on the basis of how well they are doing their job but I say that with caution. In most offices in America employees are rewarded for their sales or client retention, and so on. The difference between other jobs and teaching is that students are humans, they are susceptible to stress and emotions. Students may not perform well for reasons that might have very little to do with the classroom environment. Something I have noticed from my observations and in talking with teachers, students absences are a major problem and usually the ones that need to be there the most are the ones who are not. One teacher read out to me the absences for the year so far in one of his classes, almost everyone had missed around 2 days but over half the class had missed more than 10 days. 10 days in a block class, that is instructional time that is impossible to make up for the average student. To connect these points, I think there is a lot of factors that affect student performance which then reflects on the teacher, until adequate scales are developed I think it is dangerous to institute such a system. I do not deny that teachers need to be accountable to their practice but their needs to be a scale that reflects the complexity of the classroom situation.
A class trip to see the movie sounds like a great idea Ellie, we can go as professional development! I think the movie may spur national attention to the issues that plague our nation’s education system. I think it will do some good and show people how education impacts the lives of those who desperately need it to escape cycles of poverty. It will be an interesting context to see educational strife take place, the school system located in the capital of the nation and yet the schools there struggle. The documentary will hopefully force candidates to advocate for change and take a stance on education reform to please their constituents.
Good Choice Andrew! About a month ago Time Magazine dedicated an entire issue to the state of American Schools. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590_2020592,00.html
From what I have read and the trailers I have seen, "Waiting for Superman" offers an interesting perspective on education. I have mixed feelings on the message the documentary is offering. Since the directors other documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" brought some much needed attention to global warming, I am hoping the same happens after this film. However, I disagree with the emphasis on charter schools. While charter schools are a solution in some instances, it does not solve the larger problem that exists in education. The entire system is broken and charter schools are not the answer. I also agree that teacher unions are an area of concern but also, not entirely to blame.
Teacher Unions are interesting in that they are a bit of a double edged sword. As a teacher, I did not like teaching in a state that does not have a union. Not only are salaries lower but without the bargaining power of a union, teachers are often taken advantage of. Unions of course can act as a deterrent to change in the larger system of education. It is the unions that protect tenured teachers that at times deserve to be replaced. Often these are the teachers that are not acting in the students best interest.
I think parts of the system of education in the US need an overhaul. I do hope that this becomes a larger issue in politics because it is not receiving the attention it deserves. However there are so many external factors that play a role in education, it will be difficult undertaking but a change needs to occur.
Fantastic comments, everybody! I really liked reading the conversation, particularly in regards to unions. To play devil's advocate, a few of you mentioned teacher salaries being much higher in states with unions...that being said, higher salaries and as was also pointed out, very secure jobs, make a teaching position very desirable. Therefore, many teaching positions get a very large number of applicants, allowing schools to choose from a large pool. Just a thought...
Well, I really wanted to find a great content article in the October 2 edition of The Economist, but I could not resist discussing the article about education reform on page 18 entitled "Education in America: Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?" Reform in education, and especially the means by which teachers are evaluated and compensated, is such a hot topic right now that I was really not surprised to see it headlining The Economist this week. With that being said, here are a few aspects of the article to consider for discussion:
ReplyDeleteWhat effects do you think the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'" will have on education reform in the near future?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of merit pay for teachers?
How do you feel about teachers' unions and their role in educational reform?
What effects could issues surrounding educational reform have on the upcoming midterm elections?
By no means do you have to address all these questions in your responses; I just figured I would pose them to start the discussion.
This article caught my eye, too, Andrew and I am glad that you decided to make it the topic of our blog this week. I really want to see the documentary "Waiting for Superman"--unfortunately, it is not playing anywhere near Winston-Salem yet.
ReplyDeleteI think that this documentary, especially in conjunction with the recent changes in Washington, D.C. politics, has the potential for bringing education reform into the national spotlight in the coming months. We have already seen some experimentation with the idea of merit-based pay for teachers, and I think that this trend will become more widespread over time.
I have mixed feelings about the idea of merit pay for teachers. In some ways, I think that it is necessary because there are a lot of teachers who do an amazing job and work extremely hard, yet are payed no more than the teachers who just show up every day with minimal thought or preparation. With the incentive of merit-based pay, there is a better chance that schools will be able to hire and retain high-quality teachers.
On the other hand, depending on how merit-based pay is allotted, teachers might try to avoid teaching lower-level students (if pay is based on achievement) or higher-level students (if pay is based on improvement--ostensibly, higher-level students would be less likely to show significant improvement over the course of a year). I think that it is important to have good teachers teaching both high- and low-level students, and one group of students might be short-changed if merit-based pay is instituted. Overall, however, I think that merit-based pay would yield more benefits than problems--and I do believe that, if we must chose between having the best teachers in high-level or low-level classrooms, it is best to have them with students who are struggling. Under our current system, this is rarely the case; with merit pay based on student improvement, it might become more likely.
Until I read this article, I did not realize that teachers' unions are often the biggest impediment to school reform initiatives. Do any of you know more about teachers' unions? Does this article give them a fair and accurate portrayal?
“Waiting for Superman” will have large implications on educational reform in the US. The recession has put the spotlight on the failing education system in the US, and many blame our current education system for the economic hardships that many citizens face. As Obama is also speaking on behalf of education reform, governmental agencies, business leaders, and educators are fervently pressing for reform to become a reality. However, there is no consensus about what issues need to be addressed in education and which mechanisms will reap the greatest benefits for our children.
ReplyDeleteI’ve heard lots of bad press on teachers’ unions, mainly due to the fact that it is hard to fire a teacher who is a member, resulting in a number of ill-performing teachers retaining their jobs. On the other hand, I know that there are also advantages to teachers’ unions such as greater pay and legal support. Personally, I remember some of my high school teachers lamenting on their dislike of the fact that NC does not allow for such organizations to exist. Nevertheless, the article points out that these unions are stymying efforts to reform education since a profound number of American educators take part in these organizations which are opposed to merit pay. In order for reform to take place, there has to be popular support for the efforts, and it is crucial that there is overwhelming support from teachers, and unfortunately, according to the article, most teachers remain loyal to teachers’ unions.
Maybe we should make a class journey to see Waiting For Superman... I'm kidding, but it's a film that I think we're all interested in seeing!
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Anna, I think that the attention that this film will bring to Educational Reform and the possibilities for improvement as a result from that attention are great. I think that many Americans look at the failing school systems and cannot pinpoint issues that are specifically hindering progress and so, instead of proactively pursuing answers, they just sit back and let their frustration fester.
In some regions, one of these major problems is the existence of Unions, where students miss school due to teacher strikes, teachers whose performance is poor have no incentive, besides their intrinsic love of learning, to improve their teaching skills and methods, and are guaranteed good pay no matter what. While merit-based salaries have some major problems, if they were evaluated based upon some sort of specified scale, where even low-performing students, who had improved significantly from an extremely low status, would count in the teacher's favor.
Like LaShunda, growing up in NC public school I heard NC teachers with mixed opinions about the NC ban of Teachers' Unions. I specifically remembering hearing a teacher say, "Where my sister and brother-in-law live in Pennsylvania, their kids are going to be in school until the middle of July because their teachers have been on strike, asking for about $75k every year." Now, I don't know how accurate that claim was, but this aspect of the Union does not seem to unify teachers. Instead, it creates factions of opinions and lifestyles that could challenge the motivation and success of teachers.
I'm also very interested to see the future of the Democratice Party. With Teachers Unions playing a major role in the party and with a liberal-foundation for "Waiting for Superman," there will surely be some interesting conversations coming up on Capitol Hill. Does anyone know about any conversations that have already been set in motion?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt the very least, Waiting for Superman will cause more people to see that condition and disparities that face schools today. From what I've heard, the film highlights many problems, but doesn't pose a lot of solutions, so it could be that all this movie will do will just cause debate at what should be done to the school system again.
ReplyDeleteThe advantages of a merit pay system will be that it could cause bad teachers to finally be shown for who they are and pushed out of the system while promoting good teachers to stay in schools. Disadvantages could be that a merit pay system could move teachers into teacher soley for the test and not focusing on teaching skills that students will need later in life. Basically it could cause an increase in teaching by rote and the students could leave the class with good marks but have nothing to show for it.
I understand the need for teachers unions and unions in general and I do think that unions in America of any kind are demonized to a certain extent and that the situation has been oversimplified into just being the union's fault. However, teachers unions do need to get behind new and innovative ways to improve teachers and not focus on tradition because tradition is obviously not working for a huge number of students.
I don't think that education will be a huge issue for this election. This election is all about the economy and education has been pushed to the background for the most part. What could make the difference is the shape of Congress after the midterm elections. Whatever side has control needs to recognize the need for change and be willing to do more than promote outdated policies.
Like others have posted above, growing up in North Carolina I have had little exposure to teachers unions. I do remember a teacher of mine being disgruntled towards their lack of presence in the state. In most circumstances unions help their members negotiate higher pay and better benefits in addition to other work place related issues. I does seem to become a complicated issue in terms of teachers unions since the teachers are guaranteed the benefits of membership but not held to a standard or performance.
ReplyDeleteMerit pay seems like it could solve the issue every student in America has to deal with at some point in their school career, a bad teacher. I think it is a great idea that teachers would be awarded on the basis of how well they are doing their job but I say that with caution. In most offices in America employees are rewarded for their sales or client retention, and so on. The difference between other jobs and teaching is that students are humans, they are susceptible to stress and emotions. Students may not perform well for reasons that might have very little to do with the classroom environment. Something I have noticed from my observations and in talking with teachers, students absences are a major problem and usually the ones that need to be there the most are the ones who are not. One teacher read out to me the absences for the year so far in one of his classes, almost everyone had missed around 2 days but over half the class had missed more than 10 days. 10 days in a block class, that is instructional time that is impossible to make up for the average student. To connect these points, I think there is a lot of factors that affect student performance which then reflects on the teacher, until adequate scales are developed I think it is dangerous to institute such a system. I do not deny that teachers need to be accountable to their practice but their needs to be a scale that reflects the complexity of the classroom situation.
A class trip to see the movie sounds like a great idea Ellie, we can go as professional development! I think the movie may spur national attention to the issues that plague our nation’s education system. I think it will do some good and show people how education impacts the lives of those who desperately need it to escape cycles of poverty. It will be an interesting context to see educational strife take place, the school system located in the capital of the nation and yet the schools there struggle. The documentary will hopefully force candidates to advocate for change and take a stance on education reform to please their constituents.
Good Choice Andrew! About a month ago Time Magazine dedicated an entire issue to the state of American Schools.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590_2020592,00.html
From what I have read and the trailers I have seen, "Waiting for Superman" offers an interesting perspective on education. I have mixed feelings on the message the documentary is offering. Since the directors other documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" brought some much needed attention to global warming, I am hoping the same happens after this film. However, I disagree with the emphasis on charter schools. While charter schools are a solution in some instances, it does not solve the larger problem that exists in education. The entire system is broken and charter schools are not the answer. I also agree that teacher unions are an area of concern but also, not entirely to blame.
Teacher Unions are interesting in that they are a bit of a double edged sword. As a teacher, I did not like teaching in a state that does not have a union. Not only are salaries lower but without the bargaining power of a union, teachers are often taken advantage of. Unions of course can act as a deterrent to change in the larger system of education. It is the unions that protect tenured teachers that at times deserve to be replaced. Often these are the teachers that are not acting in the students best interest.
I think parts of the system of education in the US need an overhaul. I do hope that this becomes a larger issue in politics because it is not receiving the attention it deserves. However there are so many external factors that play a role in education, it will be difficult undertaking but a change needs to occur.
Fantastic comments, everybody! I really liked reading the conversation, particularly in regards to unions. To play devil's advocate, a few of you mentioned teacher salaries being much higher in states with unions...that being said, higher salaries and as was also pointed out, very secure jobs, make a teaching position very desirable. Therefore, many teaching positions get a very large number of applicants, allowing schools to choose from a large pool. Just a thought...
ReplyDelete