If we want to hold teachers accountable, why not do the same to parents? Increase taxes if your child performs poorly, or reduce your aid if you aren't paying taxes already. NYT: Fla. governor splits with GOP on teacher pay - The New York Times- msnbc.com When Florida proposed strict accountability measures, teachers, parents and administrators pushed back. They argued that the proposed system — basing renewal of teacher contracts and at least half their raises on how well students did on standardized tests — would hold them responsible for factors in students’ lives beyond their control. “I am not a puppet master; I can’t pull strings and make them perform,” said Amy Horr, a second-grade teacher in the Miami-Dade School District who attended a rally on Monday. “I can’t even make them come to school.”
i agree that teachers can only do so much and we are holding them accountable for things that parents should be doing. some school districts are very tough on parents for truancy problems. some say we shouldnt punish the parent when little jr or janie doesnt go to school. if we start enforcing it strictly (and punishing parents) when the kids are little, the parents will at least be able to step in and correct it before the little delinquent gets into their teens and no amount of parenting will correct it. in other words, force them to be parents while the brat is still trainable. i dont know of any other solution. but until parents are parent, teachers arent going to be able to be teachers.
I have an idea here? It is unfair to rate teachers on students abilities to learn and by other reasons stated in this thread. I also think it is unfair that the teachers union gets in the way of public education for children btw. I say that something has to be done to rate teachers more fairly. Maybe cameras, webcam in the classroom? I don't think they all have to have one though, the teachers would know that it could be in their classrooms at any time. Either this or have an audio monitor, if nothing else adults or qualified students could report back to school panels? Give me a break here I am brain storming as I go. Any other suggestions?
Teachers must have some real accountability and be rewarded or dismissed based on their performance. But it is absurd to hold them accountable for individual children's entire knowledge base and study ethic. They must be responsible for making sure the student gets x hours of math instruction and understands enough to pass the quizzes. They shouldn't be held responsible for his F if he skips class, fails to do his math homework, and misses the final exam. Where is Stacey? Teachers know where to draw these lines of responsibility. Why are politicians defining them instead of educators?
well, its obvious that most of the teachers who they are talking about are the teachers at crap schools, who teach impoverished kids. The schools that have crap textbooks, no computers, bars on the windows, metal detectors, they should be compensated more just for showing up.
No, many of these are at nice schools in upscale districts that have kids bused in from crap neighborhoods. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Kids have to basically give a damn about school and that ethic comes from home.
