I don't teach in DC right now, but I did in the past. I see
this ridiculous scenario in so many public school systems:
new person comes in to mend all wounds, is given carte
blanche to destroy what is there, then they get a better
offer for more money elsewhere and bail on the system they
were called in to fix.

I really don't trust people who say they can solve all the
problems of a school system when they only have three years
or less in the classroom. Where are the miracles she
produced in her classrooms? Why aren't they being
replicated? Why isn't she teaching other teachers how to be
as effective as she was?

It's all about business, money and politics. Until these
stupid Boards of Education stop buying into the notion that
the root of all evil is the teachers and that the poor
pitiful parents/children and top-heavy central offices have
nothing to do with it, the problems will never be solved.

On 1/05/09, Mike wrote:
> I'm a NYC public school teacher who's been following your
> chancellor Ms. Rhee (a product of our own tyrant, Joel
> Klein) and I can't keep my outrage inside anymore.
Apologies
> in advance for the rant.
>
> Ms Rhee is the latest of the holier-than-thou "education
> reformers" in the mold of our own Millionaire Klein.
Elitest
> intellectuals who decide to enter the school system on a
> lark and try to fix all of its ills. A wonderful, noble
> endeavor.
>
> Do they do this by tackling the greater social problems of
> awful, neglectful parenting in low income areas? The
> environments that so many under-performing students are
> direct products of?
>
> Hahaha, of course not. That would be far too complicated
and
> way too unpopular. These low-income kids exist as props to
> be used in the media's heart-warming tales. If the tale is
> pleasing, it will be retold; those who challenge it get
> typecast as evil union hacks, villians out of a Dickens'
novel.
>
> Instead, these "education reformers" go about their holy
> quest the easy, convenient way: by attacking teacher unions
> and smearing teachers. Tenure!! That's the root of sociey's
> problems! Teacher pensions and summers off, that's making
> students not study!! Damn you, teacher unions! Big, bad,
> teacher unions!! Who doesn't love attacking a faceless
> entity that happens to have perks many Americans
(especially
> in bleak economic times) can only dream of.
>
> There. Doesn't that feel better than tackling the original
> problem? Of course it does.
>
> The problem, as you likely know, is not the teachers. To
> blame under-performing students on them is pure laziness,
> and more than anything, it's that small-minded arrogance
> expressed by people outside the system that does the most
to
> drive away qualified candidates.
>
> Holy crusaders like Klein and Rhee are a dime a
dozen...they
> saunter into teaching ready to change the world one kid at
a
> time, get overwhelmed or bored within 2-3 years, then head
> off to more lucrative pastures having done their good deed.
> Most have no intention of making teaching a career. It's a
> hobby.
>
> Most teachers are in it for the long haul. They know they
> won't get rich. They know they'll be forced to spend 20-30k
> on a masters degree in order to keep their jobs. They know
> they'll be kicked around often by students and
> administrators alike. And now this...people like Klein and
> Rhee and Bloomberg doing all they can to make life
> unpleasant for teachers, for their own media image and long
> term financial benefit.
>
> What can we do? Vote King Bloomberg out of office this
> November. And if you're in DC? Vote against Rhee's awful
> proposal.
>
> Fin.

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