Do As I Say…

This is a test.

Can you identify which well-known education reformer(s) made each of the following statements about what we need in public education? (Don't cheat; answers are at the end).

1. This reformer envisions a U.S. educational system in which "teaching experience regularly incorporates methods like interdisciplinary and project-based learning, work-based learning, and service learning."
2. "I envision teachers employing assessment systems, including new types of evaluations, multiple measures, and new data and statistical tools…teachers may also help to review and score them…"
3. "Year-or-longer residencies" for teacher candidates and induction programs that last up to three years, during which the newbies have "a lighter schedule, built-in time for learning and reflections, and the opportunity to team-teach with experienced colleagues."
4. "Teacher-led, school-based decision making [that] holds teachers accountable for school and student performance while giving them the authority to affect the factors that will improve that performance."
5. "A diverse, highly skilled, highly respected teaching workforce that is compensated according to the true value it contributes to our society."

Who might have said these things? Diane Ravitch? Linda Darling Hammond? Barnett Berry? Renee Moore? Any of dozens of fellow teacher bloggers I could mention?

Noooo---

Each of these statements is from our Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, published in his article, "A Vision of the New Teacher in the Twenty-First Century" which appears in the recent book The American Public School Teacher [Harvard Education Press].

So here's the bonus question: How do competitive grant, or the current turnaround models advanced in the Blueprint for Reform, or pushing for greater "flexibility" for states or districts that have established patterns of inequitable distribution of resources for poor and minority students get us to what Secretary Duncan envisions for American education?

Let's #AskArne.

Comments

[CohenD]

It would have been interesting to quote Mr. Duncan to Mr. Duncan without the context, and see what he thinks of teachers entrusted with reviewing and scoring assessments, and given the authority to make necessary changes.

[Ariel Sacks]

That is an excellent question. When I read his chapter in the book, I was thinking the same thing--how on earth can he be saying this here and implementing policies that undermine most of the things he's mentioned? It made me question whether he really wrote the chapter or if he really knows his own policies. There is certainly a disconnect and doesn't look good. I wonder if he spoke on it today. I was of course, at school working at 1:30.

[TeachMoore]

Thanks David and Ariel.
@Ariel, I believe the Town Hall is archived at U-Stream or the ED website. The Twitter traffic was pretty heavy during it, so I'm sure you can find some references there.

I thought John Merrow did an excellent job of summarizing the main questions and concerns of that teachers raised in the Twitter questions posted this week; although, it was only 30 minutes, and Duncan was trying to stay on message. Did see some chinks in the armor, though.

I wonder, however, if too many teachers are focusing on Duncan and the ED, and not enough on the larger picture of education reform. What the federal government can or should do is important, but there's also Congress, state and local school boards, teacher prep programs, our teacher unions, accreditation agencies, and a host of other players in public education that have their role to play, and teachers need to be influencing all of them.