Yes, a hefty chunk of the parental rights movement is a fraud, one more disingenuous way to advance the cause of privatizing education by sowing distrust in public schools. Let's stipulate that right up front. But let's also note that it has so much success because it taps something real- parental frustration with school.
This is a great piece that captures so much about what can get lost for the reasons you enumerate, which is educators' ability to attend to students' needs with humanity. Working part-time this year with fewer students and few of the extra duties (now normally) piled on teachers, I was able to be more focused, positive, and helpful. One thing I was unburdened of: PD and the BS of the kind of "teacher goals" of the evaluation system. In lieu of that make-work, I was able to establish real goals for myself, a key one of which was to be more present for my students as individuals.
“But let's also note that it has so much success because it taps something real- parental frustration with school.”
Also taps into teacher frustration.
When I started teaching in 1979 all I cared about was that the students in my class were enjoying learning - all of them. This alone was a difficult task. When testing and accountability ruled the day- it was harder to focus on the students and the enjoyment of learning.
I was constantly trying the balance the two and the students and I were the losers.
In those days we begged for more parent involvement as many would not show up for parent teacher nights. But as parents became more involved it became a blame game. Teachers were the problem not the parent.
I’m not sure we can fix public education as we’ve known it. When politics rule education everyone loses and I don’t see this changing.
A new vision may have a chance, but public ed has always been slow to evolve unless forced.
This is a great piece that captures so much about what can get lost for the reasons you enumerate, which is educators' ability to attend to students' needs with humanity. Working part-time this year with fewer students and few of the extra duties (now normally) piled on teachers, I was able to be more focused, positive, and helpful. One thing I was unburdened of: PD and the BS of the kind of "teacher goals" of the evaluation system. In lieu of that make-work, I was able to establish real goals for myself, a key one of which was to be more present for my students as individuals.
Yes, I know all PD is not make-work, but much of what I've been provided by my district in recent years has been.
“But let's also note that it has so much success because it taps something real- parental frustration with school.”
Also taps into teacher frustration.
When I started teaching in 1979 all I cared about was that the students in my class were enjoying learning - all of them. This alone was a difficult task. When testing and accountability ruled the day- it was harder to focus on the students and the enjoyment of learning.
I was constantly trying the balance the two and the students and I were the losers.
In those days we begged for more parent involvement as many would not show up for parent teacher nights. But as parents became more involved it became a blame game. Teachers were the problem not the parent.
I’m not sure we can fix public education as we’ve known it. When politics rule education everyone loses and I don’t see this changing.
A new vision may have a chance, but public ed has always been slow to evolve unless forced.