Ed Huntress wrote:

"hamei" wrote in message
...

Ed Huntress wrote:


These things are the result of the infusion of ROM (Results-Oriented
Management) that came from '80s business models and that were

transferred to

state school boards and to other government agencies and bureaus. It's a
crock of baloney. It started at the same time as the movement for

uniform

standards-testing and the general worship of business management theory

by

right-wing politicians and bureaucrats.


Exactly. I think that to a great extent it was a reaction to the
"New Math" that none of the right-wingers could understand. Rather
than teaching the rote memorization that was plenty good enough for
grampa, some groups of teachers were trying to introduce more advanced
concepts earlier. Reactionary parents and school boards freaked. Alas,
the stupid school boards and parents have *far* too much power in the
US. Look at the entire "Creation Science" scandal :-(


Now they're bitching about the results of what they themselves created.


Hmm. I think you're overreaching a bit, because it is true that public
schools in other countries have been outperforming ours, and a lot of adults
are frustrated in trying to find out why.

However, you're right that their "solutions," like an excessive focus on
standards-based testing, are more an expression of that frustration than
anything else. They're grasping at straws. They should be grasping at the
parents' throats. Where parents are parenting and where they're involved,
the kids are doing quite well.

Ed Huntress


Teacher competency..... Overheard on the Showroom floor of a Toyota
Dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida.... A large woman was screaming
at a man who was apparently the Manager...... ....."HE DIDN'T TELL
ME THAT THIS FINANCE CONTRACT WAS FOR 5 YEARS" the manager answers...
"but Ms Johnson you acknowledged that you knew you were signing in for
60 months financing" the woman "YEAH BUT HE DIDN'T TELL ME THAT WAS FOR
5 YEARS"..... the manager "but Ms Johnson you list your occupation on
the credit application as a School Teacher for the Palm Beach County
School system".... the woman..... "YEAH BUT I AIN'T NO MATH TEACHER!".......
Pat Landy