Of the three presidential debates, the final was my favorite, thanks in large part to the moderator, Bob Schieffer, whom I felt asked insightful questions about issues that have not received the attention that they merit, among them education, which to me is one of the most important issues. After all, who hasn’t heard the cliché “children are our future?”
McCain wants to reauthorize No Child Left Behind--a program that has provoked protest from parents and educators alike, even from the Department of Education. The National Education Assocation (NEA) has criticized this program of failing to meets its goals, and as of last Tuesday, has asked the Department of Education to delay enacting changes until the next president is inaugurated, as they hope for a more thorough reform.
While McCain’s support of No Child Left Behind is no suprise, I was alarmed by his proposal to eliminate teacher qualification exams—the profession is already crowded with people who do not consider it a serious vocation, which in part explains why the drop-out rate is one of the highest to be found in any profession (1/3 teachers quits after the first three years). Yes, we should increase the incentives for people to enter such programs as Teach for America and to brave the rougher school systems, but by no means should we decrease the requirements for certification. In a report published on the Department of Education’s website, Carolyn Dikson cites “improving the teacher corps” as a priority in reforming our education system.
McCain’s proposal may have been a response to complaints about the requirements that NCLB places for “highly qualified teachers,” which even the NEA identifies as discouraging some educators and paraprofessionals. However, the NEA proposes solutions that assist teachers in meeting “reasonable” standards set by members of the profession. It suggests offering incentives to encourage teachers to work in high-poverty schools; these incentives would include not only salary raises contingent on participation in the rigorous National Board Certification program, but also federal grants to promote continuing education and the mentoring of new teachers by more experienced teachers. The assocation’s proposals may sound expensive, but I think that in the long run it is more efficient to invest in higher quality educators versus throwing money into school systems that employ unqualified teachers.
Obama’s response combined policy with common-sense; besides discussing the monetary aspect of reforming the education system, he also mentioned teacher evaluations and incentives, the importance of which, in my opinion, cannot be underestimated. When we discuss education, we aren’t talking about marketplace laws and numbers; we are talking about people, and so ultimately, the successful reform of American education will rely on the human element—how motivated are the teachers and how committed are they to their profession? McCain likes well enough to talk about the benefits of competition between school systems and, in his energy policies, between companies, but he seems to ignore its benefits among teachers as a way to ensure that only the most committed are given the responsability of shaping the next generation of thinkers.
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4 comments:
It is always nice to see something written about education. I don't think it gets the attention it deserves and is usually one of the first places the government goes to for budget cuts. I too am not a fan of the "No Child Left Behind Act" because it forces the education system to comply with complex rules that they just don't have the funding or workforce to incorporate them. This is also why I think the government needs to partner with associations like the NEA in order to successfully implement and enforce these complex rules instead of just supervising and cutting funding.
One thing that surprised me about this blog was the fact that McCain wants to lower teacher certifications. That is the last thing I would do in order to bolster the teaching workforce. We need competent individuals to teach our children and lowering the certifications would not provide the training needed to handle the communication of ideas and skill sets that children need to survive in the 21st century. I believe that not anyone can be a successful teacher. It requires a level of patience, creativity and communication that some individuals simply do not have. Also, if I am not mistaken, teacher certifications require the teacher to take refresher courses on their subject in order to stay current with developments in their field and technology.
I suppose I feel strongly about teachers and the things they have to put up with because both my mom and sister are teachers. I realize not every boy or girl is going to be the ideal student but one thing that every student needs is a teacher that is committed, knowledgeable and passionate about the subject they are teaching. These are qualities that you will not find in most applicants if you make it easier to become a teacher. Some people that I have known took on a teaching job as a "filler" until they find another job.
I agree - teacher qualification exams should still stay in place. I feel that better teachers, not just people who know the subject they are teaching but also know how to teach the subject, can engage more students than teachers who do not.
I also agree that while teachers should strive to be better, competition between them is not of the same nature as competition in the business market. I think that "the human element," as you say, is more of a factor in the education field, because teachers (especially for elementary school) are working with kids who need affection along with education.
I totally with the fact that good teachers are not those who know their subjects all ins and outs, in my opinion it is more about how determined and how enthaustic they are at their job.
Believe me not many students are eager to learn and it is those determined teachers who probably will have more chance of succeeding. So the fact that McCain wants to lower the certification level for teachers may not such a bad thing. But one thing that needs to be considered is the salary raise. Teachers are laying the foundation of this country, they will educate the leaders. So they need to be look after well.
It's safe to say that teaching isn't the hottest job on the market right now, but you're right, more needs to be done to recruit more good teachers, not just teachers in general. It almost seems like Obama is taking a page out of McCain's book when he talks about hiring more teachers, paying them better... but oh yeah there are some incentives they have to meet. Motivated and enthusiastic teachers are particularly beneficial for all the students they teach, but with more teachers like that, everyone would see the positive effects.
I also agree that teachers are most needed in high poverty schools (hello DC!) and there is not much incentive for good teachers to go there. Eliminating teacher qualification exams and not motivating teachers at all to strive for excellence will not curb this problem either.
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