Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Room To Grow

April 15, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

I have just read the article profiling John Parker of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, school district [“Greener Pastures,” March/April]. In an era when the standardized test increasingly seems to be heralded as the one-stop fix for nearly every educational challenge, John Parker has determinedly and steadfastly championed good teaching and hands-on learning to develop creative, innovative thinkers, not just skilled test-takers.

I had the pleasure of getting to know John Parker while writing my book Electric Dreams, a true story in which he is featured as a central character. His faith in the strengths of his rural community and the capabilities of the students there inspire his teachers and students alike to believe, along with him, that anything is possible; in the story told in Electric Dreams, they proved him right.

People with John Parker’s passion and commitment are what our nation’s education system needs, far more than yet another test to smother the last embers of joy in learning among our schoolchildren.

Caroline Kettlewell

Richmond, Virginia

Teacher Magazine welcomes the opinions and comments of its readers. Letters should be 300 words or fewer and may be edited for clarity and length. All submissions should include an address and phone number. Send letters to tm@epe.org or to Teacher Magazine, 6935 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

A version of this article appeared in the May 01, 2005 edition of Teacher as Room To Grow

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 11, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 27, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 20, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week