tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post1467873186821500603..comments2024-03-28T11:57:21.902-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Bystanding EducatorsPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-67793337014775698582016-12-25T18:15:50.220-05:002016-12-25T18:15:50.220-05:00So true! I enjoyed reading your statements Green! ...So true! I enjoyed reading your statements Green! Talk is cheap and action must be taken. This conversation is growth itself. Calling out some/most educators for the fear they display is a start. Let's see if they take time to even make it water cooler talk or just what will be the next meal an administrator throws at teachers to keep them quiet and compliant.Educator Change Agentshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05290397949668268920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-19985653446319289432016-12-12T00:01:22.228-05:002016-12-12T00:01:22.228-05:00I was a RN, & later went in to teaching in the...I was a RN, & later went in to teaching in the public schools. When compared with teachers, nurses are less compliant & more forceful negotiators.SKnutzenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00832852755731725841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-18854600501932636062016-12-11T02:55:07.015-05:002016-12-11T02:55:07.015-05:00I believe this is a state of being and mind that e...I believe this is a state of being and mind that exists throughout most of America regardless of profession. For years unions did the heavy lifting and then through careful excision they have been decimated leaving just municipal/state/fed workers as the largest cohort of represented workforce. Slowly that is eroding and the pension backlash and issues surrounding defaults and bankruptcy (see Detroit, possible now Dallas, etc) have opened the door to seeing how to eliminate them as well. So people are afraid and resentful. Those who are in protected jobe want to keep them, those who don't have them want them eliminated as if they don't have it no one should. We rarely get out of the playground mentality regardless of age it seems.<br /><br />And we have had moments the $15/hr, the Carwasheros, the Gig Economy people, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter who have attempted to step up draw attention and in turn some actual policy change but then without clear leadership and a conventional organizational structure the few gains are just that few and far between. So when an individual steps and rises up willing to point out the problems, offer ideas, or just ask questions, they are labeled, ostracized and ultimately derided. Take a look at the individuals who have been terminated/blacklisted as whistleblowers.<br /><br />Then I have what I call it the Glenn Beck syndrome where for awhile you are given attention then dismissed as a kook and hopefully if they ignore you you will go away. <br /><br />Teaching has always been a hideous profession when it comes to politics. It was a profession largely done by women and managed by men. It was believed that it was done as a service of good, like Nursing and men who were Teachers were either gay or losers if they did not want to be bosses. So the men I often meet as Administrators are former Teachers who sort of kind of felt that they had to do this job and they frankly are terrible at it and probably should have remained in a classroom where they might be happier. But I have met few and far Admins of either gender who have any intellect or fortitude for the job. I have been in some horrendous schools of late, with more Doctorates and letters after the names of the staff and few of them are run well, run with students in mind and little or no desire to change. The core of fear runs deep and long in education and hence it is what opened the door to charters who exploit that and in turn have their own agenda again little to do with students. Education seems to have little to do with students and it only took me 20 years in the field to figure that one out. Green Goddesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01009906261552515473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-31636063698937768232016-12-10T21:57:14.183-05:002016-12-10T21:57:14.183-05:00As a parent, I'd argue that your rights are di...As a parent, I'd argue that your rights are different than they are for a teacher. A teacher is directed by their state (and by ESSA) to administer these tests. The teacher may not think they are a good idea. And they can voice that opinion as any citizen can. But they accept money as a teacher in exchange for performing the requested function - and increasingly this includes administering standardized tests.<br /><br />As far as parents, you have broader discretion. But even here, there are limits. In my state, a parent who keeps their child out of school beyond a certain number of days per year without a medical reason can face child abuse charges. Moreover, in several places, you almost never see parents pulling their children out for tests because these tests are required for graduation. For example, MA gets a lot of credit by teachers unions due to its strong schools and few charters. However, MA requires passing a PARCC designed test in order to graduate. In short, you don't really help anyone by preventing your child from being tested. alanbackmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174033131550945945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-62268565147127602412016-12-10T18:34:10.958-05:002016-12-10T18:34:10.958-05:00This is so true. I am not a teacher, but a parent ...This is so true. I am not a teacher, but a parent who has by force of circumstance become deeply versed in the politics of education. I served on our public elementary school's Building Leadership Team last year, and when I challenged an idiotic command from the school district leadership (a challenge that in simply being made was met with astonishment - apparently parent reps to this group had never actually been heard to speak before), the principal responded with a shrug and a "but what can we do?" I suggested that a mass opt-out from the annual standardized tests might gain the attention of the authorities. This was met with a polite titter from the principal and assembled teachers, and then we moved right along. Many things made sense to me after that . . .SeaMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666963981068862738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-22766351105742520352016-12-10T18:23:20.894-05:002016-12-10T18:23:20.894-05:00Hooray, once again, for speaking the truth so arti...Hooray, once again, for speaking the truth so articulately! I swore off reading the news and even blogs for much of the past year to gird myself against falling into complete despair over the election cycle and the increasing insanity in the ed world. This is one blog I really missed...<br /><br />Long before the current "ed reform" era, I often shared with friends, family, and anyone who would listen, how teachers were their own worst enemy. We (as a collective profession) ended up in this mess in large part because of the overly compliant nature of too many teachers. You can't keep doing the wrong thing because you were told to do it, and then act surprised and upset when all those wrong turns lead to the bottom of an abyss. <br />I highly recommend the book "Intelligent Disobedience - Doing Right When What You're Told to do is Wrong." It builds on theories and practice from seeing eye dog training and the need to know when not to follow orders. There is a time and place in all careers and workplaces, to know when to question directives and speak out when acting as you're told will cause harm. It's not for just teachers. If politicians, and employees of Bill Gates, and those in what's-his-name's inner transition circle exercised some Intelligent Disobedience, we might find our way back on a path towards sanity in our society...<br />alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05884675744680873676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-6560747694023366622016-12-10T18:04:53.957-05:002016-12-10T18:04:53.957-05:00Exactly! Whereas, if everyone had put up a united...Exactly! Whereas, if everyone had put up a united front to support their cause...<br />quinnster1https://www.blogger.com/profile/16377943350140065471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-32972967185774643342016-12-10T17:57:50.597-05:002016-12-10T17:57:50.597-05:00Drones.Drones.Falstaffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02323906333864863565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-68510366695542127462016-12-10T15:23:14.145-05:002016-12-10T15:23:14.145-05:00For years, I wrote in op-eds, newspapers, and spok...For years, I wrote in op-eds, newspapers, and spoke publicly and folks recognized me, agreed, was all fired up, yet did little to nothing. Even had certain administrators come up to me and encouraged me to never quit speaking out. But it comes down to others wanting someone else to do the heavy lifting when it comes to changes.Star Alihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07562140545807507843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-23493558875101123922016-12-10T14:46:40.664-05:002016-12-10T14:46:40.664-05:00I hear this all the time - "but it's a st...I hear this all the time - "but it's a state regulation to have an outside observer come into your classroom for 10 (ten!) minutes, then make a judgement about you and your teaching ability". And what if we just didn't do it?Larry Wirthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07284833410160540040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-4815684789659617622016-12-10T14:03:56.419-05:002016-12-10T14:03:56.419-05:00Gee, you make me feel better about the four letter...Gee, you make me feel better about the four letters I have in my file for standing up to my former principal!coneill@gdrsd.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00065289725170720940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-74669670956185681972016-12-10T13:16:49.197-05:002016-12-10T13:16:49.197-05:00Well said! We (Teachers) need to rise up and make...Well said! We (Teachers) need to rise up and make ourselves heard. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04830687894007933273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-78078570080972260462016-12-10T09:51:05.851-05:002016-12-10T09:51:05.851-05:00The biggest problem is that even when one teacher ...The biggest problem is that even when one teacher stands up, the other teachers all take one step back and let the fury of the authorities descend upon that teacher (and I'm not talking just yelling or a letter in the file), and then use it as an excuse as to why they can't step up. Jennifer Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11035275432608580082noreply@blogger.com