For those interested in the juicy political manouevers going on at my school, here's a summary of events as they stand. Our big issue is actually about books and class changes, something I haven't gone into detail about here. My classes were changed and then changed back once the shit hit the fan. Fortunately I had never stopped teaching the lessons I'd planned because I'm insanely stubborn and resistant to authority.
The LA Times did a fairly responsible piece. They say we're in negotiations with some kind of mediator - that's not true - but the rest is accurate.
LA Weekly did a piece that is very clearly on our side. I like what they say here, but my inner journalist cringes at the lack of objectivity. Still, they really understood what we are upset about, much more than the other media outlets.
Education Week wrote a pretty good article a few days ago.
Channel 7 thinks we're fighting for bathrooms and snack breaks. This is why I roll my eyes at the TV news people. Print journalists almost always do a better job. And two teachers did not resign at the rally. They quit two weeks ago and came to explain why at the rally.
Haven't read the others, yet, but you could read between the lines of the LA Times article and figure this guy is good at politics, crappy at the actual job.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've done blog entries on that subject in the screenwriting world. There are all kinds of people who contimue to work because they are "great in the room" but suck on the page.
That's another one of those big changes in the world - now it's more important to look like you know what you are doing than to actually know what you are doing... because very few people in power seem able to figure out if you know what you are doing or not. Idiots rise.
- Bill
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for months now (btw, I love it), but this is the first thing I've felt able to comment on.
From the LA times article, it seems like the courts forced the principle to make the changes, that he changed the content of courses so that there were textbooks available? Now, I don't think you can possibly do a good job teaching a course when the content is changed partway through, but how is it his fault? Not saying that it isn't, just saying that I don't understand.
Me, I don't think a "police officer-turned-educator" is necessarily a good thing - I know discipline is a problem, but I'd rather have a principle whose first concern in education. It's amazing how much better things are when the administration and the teachers are all in accord.
I have a somewhat unrelated question: how do you feel about "No Child Left Behind?" I feel by emphasizing the "bottom line," if you will, we lose track of helping the really bright kids to become great. But then, I'm not a teacher, so I'd love to hear your point of view.
What if in your zombie movie, some of the zombies are actually highly-functioning zombies... and one of them is the principal of an LA school until he's exposed as the zombie douchebag he is?
ReplyDeleteHe had to changes the courses to match the books because he failed to order the correct books in the first place. Also, when he made this change he didn't tell anybody. Not the kids, parents or teachers. We just came in one day and our classes were changed without warning. We had no time to prepare new lessons and many of the kids were now enrolled in classes they already passed or didn't need. That's why we're pissed.
ReplyDeleteTrust me. The guy's a massive douchebag. Bill's right. He's all politics.
I'll address NCLB later.