Arkansas Blog

You shoulda known this article hooked me, Max! (BTW: Click on name for Myths & Facts about Teacher Pay). As I looked through it, it became obvious that pay is the lure but that the real reason for the potential for success is the rigorous, almost elitist, hiring standards. To put it more plainly: if I hire a bunch of Einsteins and other geniuses to teach in my school, does that make the ordinary, hard-working stiffs less productive or less capable?

He is following research findings, in that he is hiring the best trained, most experienced, most educated professionals he can find. Also, he doesn't have to deal with beginning teachers who are a key to the system. He just is skimming the cream of an experienced workforce. Some of the best teachers are those beginners who come in with their innovations, fresh ideas, eagerness, yourhful vitality, and a high degree of confidence. Someone needs to help develop the skills and potential of this group.

Another point is that this plan also follows research which shows that teachers should play a larger role in leading/developing the curriculuum and in running the school. As indicted in the story, not only will these people teach, they will also run a lot of the school's administrative and business tasks. Roughly guessing, I'd say the boss man is paying these folks triple wages to do double the work and hoping to get students to improve by 25-50%. (Trust me: 25% is a whopping improvement by anyone's standards!)

Anyway, the plan is interesting, bold, controversial, but am notsure it will translate into a useful model for the entire public educational system.

Would you rather your government teachers teaching your children with crap like this?

http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_8442882 (Let's lower the standards yet again)

Government schools will teach children that government is wonderful and they will have everyone provided to them and they will not have to work for anything.

How's that working for you and the LRSD today?

EDIT fixed spelling : Government schools will teach children that government is wonderful and they will have everything provided to them and they will not have to work for anything.

Beefmon,

I read the Denver Post article you listed. It is confusing how you came up with your conclusion about government and schools in the light of what was written by that newspaper. Well, confusing is a bit polite. How about unlikely and not even vaguely connected to your odd summation.

"Government schools will teach children that government is wonderful and they will have everyone provided to them and they will not have to work for anything." - BM

I'm not sure what you mean by government schools. Please clarify but I'm assuming you mean public schools, which are state sponsored and run as well as federally supported and regulated.

I'm willing to bet that you can go to any elementary/secondary school in any country and you want find textbooks that badmouth the govenment. Please give me a list of those textbooks and direct quotes from them to support your statement.

I'm also willing to bet that you likewise won't find a single textbook authorized for use in any school that says everything will be provided for them and you won't have to work for anything. Again, please give me a list of those textbooks and direct quotes from them to support your statement.

In other words, what you say appears to be a rant more than a reasoned argument. Also, it might help if you used an article that at least had something stating your premise. The one you selected makes no such connection for you nor does it provide any evidence to support your conjecture.

I hope those folks cleaning our streets up after the snow and mess aren' some government conspiracy. You have got me on a heightened alert to the possibility.

Oops

want = won't

Sorry bouts da typoes again. My bad. Must be a government cabal sending out mind-altering radiation through the power lines behind my home.

Hey snake, it is government schools, as beef said. And, it is true the government schools, which is known as public, are teaching the kids, which goes without saying, that education is all it takes to succeed in life without working.
To me that is exactly why the uneducated Mexicans are coming across the Rio Grande. To get the jobs our own well edcuated graduates are too educated to do. I guess I wouldn't want to do that work either if I had a degree or something. We do what we have to do 'till something better comes along or else we get a better degree of education. Huh?
The duke said before he died that americans need to get off their butts to lead a healthy life. Something like that.

There's only one problem with your premise and the premise of beefmon: nothing is out there to support your argument. Better check to see if those power lines are not to close to your house and that the radiation hasn't fried your brain cells.

This is just more ionspiracy BS. Read my earlier requests for proof about textbooks, etc.

As the saying goes, "Don't piss on my leg, then tell me it's raining."