tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post6545952467070463527..comments2024-03-28T04:13:42.906-04:00Comments on A Principal's Reflections: The Runaway TrainEric Sheningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13733305358794643322noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-45107998062665837502013-04-17T15:09:45.088-04:002013-04-17T15:09:45.088-04:00Yes, Eric, you are correct. Common sense is not pr...Yes, Eric, you are correct. Common sense is not prevailing. I often tell my neighbors, most of whom are not educators, that “generally in education we know what works.” There has been enough research over the years to tease out some critical components that will further academic “achievement” across differing populations of students and it’s not more testing. The problem? Much of what works is politically untenable because it would require us to confront some difficult truths about our society, require more money in some form or another, and make politically distasteful changes to the educational system. For instance, we know that deprivation in all its forms – nutritional, sleep, opportunity, literacy – during early childhood impacts the ability of many students to thrive educationally. Forget remedying that. It’s politically impossible to even have the local public conversation about the problem let alone what could be done to mitigate the condition. I see reform in its present state as an attempt to simply distract the public from the real problems and real solutions required to maximize educational opportunity for all. Ripleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15630681908348923340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-59442073627752743352013-04-14T13:57:00.720-04:002013-04-14T13:57:00.720-04:00It is incredibly difficult to stay positive as an ...It is incredibly difficult to stay positive as an educator when all that we know that our students can achieve is marginalized. Can we keep doing what we know is best for our students, who are people by the way, not numbers or empty vessels, and disregard the limitations set forth by governing policies? Do we disregard the habits of mind and responsibilities that we instill in our students each and every day, because our government seems to dismiss the importance of these vital dispositions? How do we fight, the teachers and students who are in the know because we are there, in the midst of learning in a time when all that we know as right and good is being challenged. Disregard and apathy won't work to slow down this train. We need to fight the good fight, for our children, who deserve to be empowered through learning.debschihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08856780584685453373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-62005257731384861862013-04-14T13:54:44.963-04:002013-04-14T13:54:44.963-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.debschihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08856780584685453373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-89155627372942482512013-04-12T16:29:32.072-04:002013-04-12T16:29:32.072-04:00Huge concern with expecting third graders to sit f...Huge concern with expecting third graders to sit for extended times and use a QWERTY keyboard compose. Are they developmentally ready for this? Not to mention your concern with lack of computers on which to practice....do we even want to ask this of 9-year-olds?BBuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10778602948803715504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-75092600941256168442013-04-12T12:00:42.568-04:002013-04-12T12:00:42.568-04:00Great post Eric. I am considered as well with how ...Great post Eric. I am considered as well with how the impact that PARCC will have on educator's ability to teach without available technology. To implement effectively, 100s of computers will be taken out of classrooms and placed in make shift testing sites. This will will happen two times a year at twenty days a clip for a total of 40 days. This is a major issue and solutions are needed. I agree that we need immediate feedback from assessments in order to meet the needs of our learners, but there has to be a better way. Mr. Curriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246825649253237303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931834670826653533.post-60072350385041774082013-04-12T09:21:27.480-04:002013-04-12T09:21:27.480-04:00Eric, I'm reading The 4 Disciplines of Executi...Eric, I'm reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and it resonates with your point of the need for time for assimilation and action. http://j.mp/10ZQ8VMAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03780701959989830707noreply@blogger.com