My Comment:

NYTimes EDITORIAL, Dec 17, 2013

Why Other Countries Teach Better – Why Students Do Better Overseas

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/opinion/why-students-do-better-overseas.html?hpw&rref=opinion&_r=0

What is shocking in the filed of education in the United States is the shortsightedness. There is the hue and cry about the fall of education and some quick fixes are soon brought in. Soon greed takes over and profit making companies step into the arena with products to fix the “wrongs” in education. For example, districts are paying out a great deal of money to the Pearson Group for their Common Core Modules, their tests, and their software like “Successmaker”. But, any educator can see that the modules are slipshod and the tests are not addressing what was learned. It becomes evident that these supporting materials were not prepared by experienced educators and the final products are shoddy and sloppy. The Gates Foundation monies are available for these and districts are eager to embrace them looking for the dangling money. But the local school boards do not take the voices of their own educators into considerations in their decision making.

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