It was earlier in this fall semester that education faculty at the University of Memphis awoke to find that the new university president and corporate foundation lackey, David Rudd, had a plan for a new teacher non-preparation program that would be run by Relay School of Education, a New York based scam to "prepare" young, unsuspecting college students for teaching a couple of years inside the segregated charter hell schools that are planned to replace education in urban America.
Relay's program is internship-based, with a liberal sprinkling of Doug Lemov's version of Teaching for Dummies. This text, prepared by non-educators for non-educators, is intended to replace child development, educational psychology, theory, history, philosophy, methods, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. By learning nothing beyond punishing and testing, clueless young people are indoctrinated to commit crimes against children in the name of civil rights!
A storm is brewing, however, over on campus, and legitimate educators will not allow the renegade and bully, David Rudd, to run their university into the ground to advance his status among the philanthro-capitalist predators that now threaten every American public institution.
Relay's program is internship-based, with a liberal sprinkling of Doug Lemov's version of Teaching for Dummies. This text, prepared by non-educators for non-educators, is intended to replace child development, educational psychology, theory, history, philosophy, methods, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. By learning nothing beyond punishing and testing, clueless young people are indoctrinated to commit crimes against children in the name of civil rights!
A storm is brewing, however, over on campus, and legitimate educators will not allow the renegade and bully, David Rudd, to run their university into the ground to advance his status among the philanthro-capitalist predators that now threaten every American public institution.
Instruction & Curriculum LeadershipCollege of Education, Health andHuman Sciences404 Ball HallMemphis, Tennessee 38152-3570December 10, 2014Dr. David Rudd, PresidentUniversity of MemphisAdministration Bldg.Memphis, TNDear President Rudd:Based on the receipt of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University of Memphis and the Relay Graduate School of Education (RGSE) obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request and dated November 06, 2014, we, the faculty of the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership (ICL) wish to express our deep concern regarding the decision to provide support and space to the Relay's effort to recruit and prepare undergraduates for their Masters of Art in Teaching Degree (MAT). This decision is literally bringing a direct competitor onto our campus and promoting them as an option for our undergraduates to move into Relay’s MAT program upon graduation. The decision undermines our ongoing program enrollment as well as our recruiting efforts of new MAT students from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and other colleges.Of perhaps even greater concern and cause for alarm is the secretive manner in which the University’s administration has undertaken this endeavor, after indicating that we would be informed as details were put into writing earlier this academic year. The teacher education faculty at the University of Memphis has always had the children our graduates will teach as the ultimate client we serve. The ICL Dept. has indicated repeatedly that we want to be part of the solution and participate in the conversations and planning, but we, as a department, continue to be excluded from any discussions or planning for reasons that have never been made clear to us directly. As we firmly believe that ICL can contribute in a positive manner in determining strategies to best serve the students, the schools and the communities of Memphis City, Shelby County, the surrounding areas, and beyond, again we openly seek and solicit the opportunity to participate.The complete absence of specific information officially released by the University that could directly and indirectly affect the faculty and student enrollment in the University of Memphis’s MAT program has resulted in an environment of suspicion, fear and overall distrust of the University’s intentions. Therefore, the faculty of the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership, an integral part of the larger University community, respectfully request a thorough, honest and professionally deserved written response by you to the information heretofore withheld.Respectfully,The Faculty of the Department of Instruction and Curriculum LeadershipA Tennessee Board of Regents InstitutionAn Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action University
Perhaps a link to Rudd's "reply" would be useful.
ReplyDeleteWhy aren't the promising Relay methods applicable to non-urban, non-minority children?
ReplyDelete