In an op-ed published today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, James Sando, a teacher with more than 30 years of experience, argues that education policymakers these days seem to be fixated on reforms designed to hurt rather than help public education.
UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: In his piece, Sando quotes approvingly a remark by the Dean of Drew University to the effect that “It has got to stink being a teacher these days.” This popped into my mind when I was reading a post by Doug Noon in which he reflects on hitting the 25-year mark as a teacher. Noon doesn’t exactly say teaching “stinks” now, but he does comment that “getting reformed over and over again has it’s downside ... and that is getting old.” (He certainly doesn’t seem to be too wild about response to intervention, either.)
Seems to be the theme among veteran teachers today that things have gone—or are going—terribly wrong in schools. Any one care to offer a different perspective?