New Slide: Breaking Public Education to Pieces

I've got an admission to make:  I'm exhausted by the "kill-em-all" mentality that seems to be seeping further and further into our conversations about reforming education, and if one more crack-pot legislator or out-of-touch talk show hostess "declares war" on teachers, I'm likely to go a bit berserker. 

Seriously people.  Just LOOK at what one of Tennessee's elected officials had to say about education:

Download Slide_BreakPublicEducationtoPieces

Soak in that for a minute would ya, and then explain to me how a battlefield approach to school reform on the part of legislators is the right strategy for finding productive solutions to the challenges of educating children in America. 

I don't care what you think of "the system."

There are millions of teachers who are working hard on behalf of the children in their classrooms every single day.  Most genuinely care about your kids and----regardless of what the Good Senator Summerville and his tactless lackeys believe---most have invaluable expertise that will be needed if we truly hope to redesign our schools.

When you demonize education, you're demonizing educators.

#thatsnuts

____________________________________________

Original Image Credit:  Crown Royale Infinity Rifle by V&A Steamworks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32482342@N05/4837135790/sizes/l/

Licensed Creative Commons Attribution on April 2, 2011

 

Comments

[AliHandscomb]

Totally agree Bill. As an approach to change battlefields are appalling and counterproductive and this is really bad taste.

It hasnt worked in the war on drugs, terror or anything else and is completely out of order in education.

[Bill Ferriter]

Thanks, Ali....

I just know the impact that all of this negativity is having on me as a classroom teacher---and it aint good. Sadly, its becoming more and more common in conversations around education.

Divisiveness gets us nowhere, but divisive leadership seems to be the norm in most of our state houses right now.

That means were screwed.

Bill

[Woodie Holloway]

Bill, I don't put much stock into anything a politicians has to say. They're the ones that got us into this mess, from the beginning. You're right about the teachers. They do care. Problem is, their hands are tied by people who are far removed from the educational process. You wanna take a guess at who I'm talking about Bill?

[LK]

Bill,

Great post. The scary part is Summerville is only one of many,

I added a couple of other situations that he reminds me of here: http://bit.ly/hEvBUL