I read an article today about how many teachers and principals are being let go as part of the government’s “Race to the Top” campaign. This post includes some of my opinions about it.

From the article: “Education officials across the country have replaced the principals and at least half of the staff in about 150 struggling schools to obtain federal aid, the Obama administration disclosed Thursday.

In several hundred other cases, principals have been replaced and other major steps taken as part of the administration’s unprecedented $3.5 billion campaign to rejuvenate thousands of the nation’s lowest-performing schools.’

via Report: Many officials willing to replace half of staff to turn around schools.

I remember when I started teaching in 1997. There were a lot of teachers who just didn’t give a damn about instruction. As a result, it made it hard to spearhead new movements and implement new ideas. Even the union people would come in and shut down special meetings I would attend with new teachers looking to affect change. the reason was because the meetings violated contractual line items.

When I grew up in the 70s and 80s school was about learning about the real world via reading and math.

Now, we stand at a new place where, according to this article, teachers are being let go from under-performing schools and the union is being sympathetic with Obama and Arne Duncan’s radical moves. some of these statistics in this article are staggering but as I read them, I keep them in check with what I have seen in my history. I personally doubt they are “letting go” teachers who are working hard to make a difference. Of course it is scary to think the government has the power to override due process but I am sure it wouldn’t be the first time in history the government abused power.

I take them at their word that they want the kids to have a top level education. That is what I personally strive to offer every day in my classroom. Because of NCLB and now Race to the Top, we have paranoid school administration and haggard teachers trying to do right and fearing a bad evaluation. I don’t think it has been positive for the kids but i play along and try to see what can be done to improve instruction under these guidelines.

I hope one day we will return to a reading for content curriculum. When I grew up in the 70?s and 80?s school was about learning about the real world via reading and math. Unfortunately, now my job and my administrations’ jobs depend on the ABCD multiple choice type of test so I spend time trying to intertwine what I know will add value to a student’s life with what will help them make a good showing on the test. I can only hope the teachers that are being let go are teachers that are not trying. Based on my experiences when I first started, they used to be out there on the landscape. As of late however, I haven’t seen many. Kind of makes one wonder what the rote criteria for getting rid of teachers is or if there even is one.

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