After watching teachers who did not major in the subjects they were teaching,  I was sorry for the students for the pitiful education they were receiving.  Teachers without much knowledge in English literature are teaching Honors courses and refuse to use the authentic Shakespeare plays by substituting some simplified, insipid “version” of the great Bard.  They do not want to use the Honors vocabulary list because they do not know the words themselves and refuse to look them up.  Teachers who did not major in mathematics are teaching Honors math courses.  Teachers who studied US History exclusively are teaching Global Studies without much understanding of the world. There are Physics teachers who majored in Biology or Math. Some students educate themselves in spite of these conditions.  Those who do not have the initiative suffer.  Hence we observe achievements below what could have been accomplished.  While the teacher unions are warring about benefits, they should also look at the competence of their members.  Maybe, if the compensations are worthwhile, people who are academically conscientious will choose to become teachers.

Everywhere we hear about teachers and test scores. We seem to have forgotten the most important element in education: the student. Why is there no discussion on the student responsibility? When is the student going to be held responsible for learning? Teachers can do all they want, but if the student is not willing to learn, all the work is done for nothing. We hear people discuss about  teachers motivating the students. What happened to the home environment? What happened to the value system that is developed in the young people in their formative years at home? What are the responsibilities of the parents?

Many opponents of teachers complain about teacher tenures.  All educational institutions have administrators.  The Board of Education and the administrators make the decisions on giving tenures to teachers.  They have enough time to observe teachers, document their activities, and hold conferences with them.  There should be enough information in the habitual three year period to come to some reasonable decisions.  Even after providing tenures, the administrators should continue their administrative duties which include supervision.  Tenures may be and can be broken if proper documentation is maintained and provided.  Everything involves effort.  Recently, many administrators  (not all) are seen to sequester themselves in their ivory towers.  They seem to forget that an educational institution works efficiently only if the supervisors and the faculty members work as a team for the common goal.  The parents should also shoulders their responsibilities from the home end.

How can all the multitudes of discussions take place without considering all aspects of learning and education? Education is a human endeavor with all the intangibles thrown in. How can a standardized test evaluate learning?

Bill Gates talks about training teachers. It would be wise to attract bright people into the teaching profession. Most teachers these days lack in the content area of their subjects. A teacher should master the subject and be in a position to transmit the thirst for and acquisition of knowledge to the students.

The problem of education cannot be solved with stop gap measures; it needs some gargantuan overhaul.

It was astonishing to find out that many among the teaching faculty were not aware of the Pearson Group’s presence in the New York state’s education scene.

Do the educators in the state have any say in what is going on?

Why is this private company getting paid enormous amounts of money when there are so many educators paid around the year for the Regents?

The tests themselves address minimal requirements.  The grading is sketchy and cannot stand closer scrutiny.  Often exams are not administered in properly proctored environments.  The gravest malaise is the general tendency to teach for the tests without any concern about the long range learning and retention.

The state appears to be pushing for a cookie-cutter scenario.  The barrage of testing is going to debilitate the incentives and creativity in learning.  The inventive teachers are losing precious time and energy in the endless paper chase.  There is an art of teaching and a science of teaching.   When I attended school, each period was a distinct experience.  At the same time, I preferred teachers who mastered their subjects and could conduct a class without notes and could freely let ideas flow and lead interactive discussion.

The state has to do better than what it is doing now if we are looking towards a higher standing in the field of international education and a better educated future society in the country.