too early to tell...
Obama is overhauling No Child Left Behind, Bush's education program that IMHO has been a complete nightmare. It's about time! This is the NY Times article. Here is what NPR reported. (If you want FOX's take, this is the wrong blog to follow.)
What do I think? I think that it is too early to tell. I am not sure how it will all work out. By "improving" standards, does that mean somehow states can actually lower the bar to make things seem like they are getting better? What kinds of criteria does Obama's plan use for measuring success? Just test scores? What kinds of tests? Are teachers going to be teaching even MORE "to the test"? What is a successful teacher anyway? How can you measure the importance of an excellent teacher if she/he's influence is beyond academics? So much more than just academics happens between 8:30 and 3:00. So much more!
That said, of course I want my children to learn well enough to be successful life-long learners. To read something and then interpret critically and abstractly the material, then manipulate it later is something that you can't always measure. Then there is math... does Obama's program look at how kids are learning math and what math they are learning? In our little corner of the world, the BRRSD changed math programs this year. How will that impact my kids' ability to do algebra, geometry, trig and eventually calculus or statistics later on? Will they learn enough to perform adequately on the SATs and get into a great college??
Will they be able to learn enough Science to become a Scientist if they so desire?
So many questions. So few answers. I looked on the White House's website but couldn't find mention of this overhaul! Not impressed! But then again, I haven't done all my homework - I haven't even finished reading the New York Times article... so I'll start there before I spew more uneducated opinions on you, dear reader.
What do I think? I think that it is too early to tell. I am not sure how it will all work out. By "improving" standards, does that mean somehow states can actually lower the bar to make things seem like they are getting better? What kinds of criteria does Obama's plan use for measuring success? Just test scores? What kinds of tests? Are teachers going to be teaching even MORE "to the test"? What is a successful teacher anyway? How can you measure the importance of an excellent teacher if she/he's influence is beyond academics? So much more than just academics happens between 8:30 and 3:00. So much more!
That said, of course I want my children to learn well enough to be successful life-long learners. To read something and then interpret critically and abstractly the material, then manipulate it later is something that you can't always measure. Then there is math... does Obama's program look at how kids are learning math and what math they are learning? In our little corner of the world, the BRRSD changed math programs this year. How will that impact my kids' ability to do algebra, geometry, trig and eventually calculus or statistics later on? Will they learn enough to perform adequately on the SATs and get into a great college??
Will they be able to learn enough Science to become a Scientist if they so desire?
So many questions. So few answers. I looked on the White House's website but couldn't find mention of this overhaul! Not impressed! But then again, I haven't done all my homework - I haven't even finished reading the New York Times article... so I'll start there before I spew more uneducated opinions on you, dear reader.
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