"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Work Hard, Be Nice: My Review


Find my review of Jay Mathews' 2009 promotional volume for KIPP here: 

4 comments:

  1. ...you are on fire...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:15 PM

    BRAVO DR.HORN!

    On my recent trip to AZ, I met a teacher as I was waiting for my 3-hour delay at the airport. She teaches in an elementary school in Lakewood, New Jersey - 85% Hispanic population - the school is literally falling apart but it's all about the tests. The teachers are forced into perpetuating the absurdity of testing children who do not speak English, who sleep on the floor, and are hungry most of the time. She says that she and the other teachers just "block it out" because it's too painful and too difficult to think about the directives coming from the state that are no way helping these kids, but actually doing harm to them. There appears to be plenty of money for more testing, but no money for fix leaky roofs, bathrooms or for school supplies. If anyone speaks up, they are sent to the trailer, or fired by the administration and everyone knows it - so she is just happy she has a job right now and health benefits - something none of her students actually have - but they still prepped for tests that they are guaranteed to fail - guaranteeing the school will also ultimately fail and be taken over and turned into a KIPP academy or worse.

    Just another story among thousands, maybe millions across the country as we wait for the next house of cards to fall at the education department -- which is totally prisoner to the business interests and the testing companies.

    Free2teach

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:07 PM

    Free2teach,

    Your description sounds like a case
    of "slow-rape" of multitudes of teachers
    on a nationwide basis.

    Mass-numbers of teachers coerced to teach against their own values and personal beliefs.

    And the Corporate rapists add insult
    to injury by demanding:

    "Act like you LIKE IT!"

    -nikto

    ReplyDelete
  4. I link to you often; this one is frightening!

    http://thefrustratedteacher.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete