My Comment:
The author’s words reflect my own thoughts which had been shared many times. There is a racket going on in educational consultancy. Instructional time is reduced by pulling teachers out of classrooms to attend “staff development” meetings and sessions. Substitutes are hired! But, most of them are glorified babysitters who do not even have two year degrees. The above mentioned sessions deal with generalities which may not be applicable to particular schools. The time and money would have been better spent if the educators in the building worked together to handle their own situations instead of listening to platitudes and jargon, buzzwords and sound bytes.
The National Board Certification is another joke. Some who have the means to pay can acquire this. Even if one fails in all the four segments, one has the opportunity to pay more to attend a retreat where “experts” will help them complete the requirements successfully. Money flows in these situations.
There are some excellent teachers who have made the teaching as an art, exuding joy in learning and in imparting that joy to their students. Real learning is still possible in some classes. These educators are the unsung heroes. In many cases, neither the administrators nor the Union leaders appreciate these mavericks who dedicate their lives for education. Their goals and visions are focus far into the future instead of settling down for stop-gap measures or mere band-aids. There are classes where there is joy. The new scripted lessons and standardized tests do not exhibit this joy.
RosyView 