I do not share the sentiment that so many feel. The idea that what is is and will always be is not something I subscribe to. I am a believer that all things are possible and that change can take place at any time when enough people will it so. Such is the idea of a democracy. Nothing is permanent and it is with that regard that I say that I will not stop fighting the hostile takeover of Morgan. I will not sit by while anyone tells us how terrible our teachers are. Why do we treat the people who spend so much time with students, with such disrespect? What message are we sending to teachers when we no longer value their judgment? When we strip them of their autonomy? How did we get so far? How have we come to believe that field trips matter less than testing? In recent times the word rigor has been thrown around and I’m not sure that the people using it are sure of its meaning. Rigor as defined in the dictionary: rig·or [rig-er] noun 1. strictness, severity, or harshness, as in dealing with people. 2. the full or extreme severity of laws, rules, etc. 3. severity of living conditions; hardship; austerity. 4. a severe or harsh act, circumstance, etc. 5. scrupulous or inflexible accuracy or adherence Is this really what we want for our students? Conditions that include severity and inflexibility. And what’s worse is that the conditions for many of our students are already rigorous. My students spend between 28-30 days in testing mode where they spend countless hours sitting in a room. The tests are numerous and all anyone has to do is ask and you will be hit with more acronyms than any one person should ever hear. I had a 7th grade student when I first began working at Donahue that hadn’t had gym, art, music, or any other special elective since she was in 3rd grade. Why? Because her reading scores were not on grade level. Punishing students who are behind only serves to set them back even further. The arts are important. Fun is important. Yet, as a system, we only honor math and English as demonstrated by the disproportionate amount of time students spend in those classes as opposed to the little time they spend in science, social studies, and any other class deemed less important. I will leave you with this final thought: An educational system that fails to revere children and honor their potential -- that turns schools into [ ] boot camps, demanding the regurgitation of specified data on command, but shrugs off the importance of holistic thinking or simply learning to think for oneself -- is insane at its core. Mr. Morales
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 19:35:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015