Well ladies and gentlemen, here it is, our weekly Friday forum for getting things off your chest. What is bothering you these days, besides an inch of pollen on every horizontal surface? Any topics you want covered on the radio program? What do you think of the Nuclear Posture Review?
Unburden yourselves, people.
Friday, April 9, 2010
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11 comments:
Sorry. I'm just not as creative or cranky after 9:30 in the morning. Please be on time next week.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Big dustup in FL over SB/HB7189. Essentially a bill to incentive teachers' pay according to how well their students preform on stadardized state tests (FCATs). Sounds like a generally good idea to me. The bill was passed by the state senate and house Repulicans. The teacher's union and progressives hate it (it no longer pays based on time in). The question is now, will Charlie Crist veto it? Based on prior voting my guess would be yes. But if he wants to win against Rubio... could be another story.
Dear Mr. Clean,
Respectfully, regardless of the pay issue, there is a greater issue with the bill you describe. The problem with incentivizig teachers based on students' performance on standardized tests is they must teach for the test in order to prove themselves successful. This does not necessarily produce the best form of education or an ideal curriculum for our youth. I will say that there are very few "gifted" teachers out there and this may help guide the lesser effective teachers, but in the end this process contributes to the continual dumbing down in our education system.
What are the "V's" on the caps of many of the golfers at this years Masters?
Anonymous--this "teach to the test" charge is kinda looney. First of all, they only have "general" ideas of what is on the test.
Second of all, were educators previously in the habit of testing material that they previously had not taught?
Previously.
Anon,
Let's start out by saying that FL's education system is relly messed up and very politicized. While the FCATs aren't a great solution they are an attempt to make sure graduates can read and write. I remember taking them and was done in like ten minutes after adding, subtracting, and choosing the complete sentences.
I like the idea behind what's going on there in FL. Incentivizing teacher jobs. Currently pay is based on time in. Well I knew people who had been in the Navy for decades just because it was too hard to get them kicked out who were paid dozens of thousands more than their juniors who may or may not have actually run the ship... your standard Peter Principle. The how of this bill sounds wacky, unfunded, and messy at best.
I don't like the possibility that teachers could spend all year teaching towards that one test, but at least the kids would be able to accomplish those simple tasks needed to do well on the FCAT. You would really be appalled at what kids just don't know after graduating from high school. Like the 7 continents, who are on our currency, where the U.S. is on a world map, multiplication, basic spelling... it's really, really bad.
I don't get how giving teachers an incentive to do well, or else lose that sought after pay RAISE, dumbs down the system.
Speaking of education, the Record of Bergen County (NJ) newspaper released a Bergen County Education Association memo which ends with a prayer hoping for the death of Governor Christie:
"Dear Lord this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."
Stay classy, Jersey!
How many people have a favorite salesman?
The V is for Nike's Victory Red irons.
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