Michelle Rhee on The Daily Show Feb. 4 2013

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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It's been awhile since Michelle Rhee appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Feb.4). And it is not entirely an accident on my part that I have waited this long to comment. Rarely do I find my writings to be at their best when I take to the blogosphere while irritated and/or frenzied. Taking a week to calm down is actually pretty short in comparison to the usual "mental health holiday" needed anytime I read an article or watch a video featuring Michelle "I-took-a-5-week-summer-teacher-training-course-and-taught-for-three-years-and-then-became-a-political-appointee" Rhee. What I find most interesting in her interview(s) is the incredulous act of, "Whaaaa? Why so serious everyone? What did I do?" Granted, Michelle, no one wants bureaucratic school district behemoths full of positions created simply for people to pull in a salary. Who doesn't have that at their school district? For example, at the district in which I work, we have a "professional development coordinator" with a very comfortable salary. However, we do not have professional development funding available for teachers. Michelle, I get that! But I take issue with Ms. Rhee's philosophy of, as succinctly and masterfully put forth by Jon Stewart, "Here teachers....fix everything or your fired!" You see, poor Michelle can't understand this perspective. As you see in the interview, she dismisses the comment and continues with her scripted, rehearsed sound-bite agenda. After all, she has no interest in how concerned teachers are about being fired. Much like Saddam Hussein's infamous Gulf War video with children on his lap, Michelle hides behind the guise of doing everything "for the children" (the old political line that pops up on a 2-4 year cycle). She does not consider the fact that "the children" actively refuse to study and complete assignments. She does not consider the fact that "the children" often sit in a parent/teacher conference and feign ignorance when the parent says, "Well I ask them if they have homework and they always tell me 'No'" She does not consider the fact that "the children" eagerly show up for *insert favorite sport here* practice until 7 or perhaps even 8 o'clock in the evening. But math practice? She does not consider the fact that many charter-public school comparisons show almost NO DIFFERENCE in academic achievement. According to Rhee, all of these things, and much more, are entirely the fault of the teachers and their broom-riding, ruby-slipper coveting union representatives. Now I'm not pro-union, either, but I am pro-let's-call-a-spade-a-spade. In Michelle Rhee's world, if a child isn't performing, it's completely the teacher's fault, with no responsibility whatsoever on the parent or the child. She continues to erroneously and, what seems purposely, misquote Linda Darling-Hammond's highly referenced study in which teacher effectiveness is the most important factor IN THE SCHOOL. Michelle Rhee, and virtually all policy makers, continue to misrepresent this study and ignore research that shows NON SCHOOL factors like parental involvement have a far greater impact on student test scores than any teacher. I do not know why this escapes politicians and administrators. I do not know why they think it has nothing to do with a child's success, as if education is something that is done TO them, rather something that they are ultimately responsible for. I wonder if the same thinking process is employed in other areas of her day to day life? While at the grocery store, when the sale item rings up incorrectly, I suppose it is the bag boys fault? When she takes her car in to be serviced, and it doesn't get properly repaired, I suppose she screams for the head of the salesman on a silver platter, even though he works in an entirely different department? Perhaps she takes her tax receipts to an accountant who forgets a few deductions, only to yell at the receptionist who had little to nothing to do with her tax document preparation? Does she come home and find garbage strewn throughout her house, and then chew out the goldfish in the bowl? You see, the point is, Michelle, you wanna know why you are not "fixing" education, and why you never will? Because you are focusing on a variable that is not the primary causal agent. Are there bad teachers? Absolutely! Are there districts full of salaried imbeciles? You better believe it. But let's start with programs and reform efforts to engage parents and have them be more active in their child's education. No one needs a PhD to grasp the fact that parental involvement is THE factor in the success of a student. Teacher effectiveness is #2, and only #1 in the school environment. You want to "work for the children?" Start here...with their home life.

Krazy Things Kids Say

Me: So what is the meter used to measure?
 Student: Distance
 Me: And what is the liter used to measure?
 Student: volume
 Me: and what is the gram used to measure?

 Student: Weed?

Teacher Merit Pay

I love students who choose "B" on a multiple choice question where the choices are F, G, H, and J....LOL....headin' straight to medical school, huh? Yes, please pay me according to how students who don't give a &*@# do on their test.

So How do You Write a Blog Post....

when you want to quit teaching? When you want to just give up? When you can't tolerate another day of enabling or incompetence? When you fight the urge to get up, in the middle of class, and walk out never to return? I have a lot to say...but to whom? It doesn't matter to anyone. Not the students, not the parents, and it sure as hell doesn't matter to administrators/politicians. Quite frankly, it becomes more and more obvious each day, they just aren't interested in real, meaningful reform

Education is Broken (Part II, or, Where the Teachers at?!))

In an earlier post, I referenced the overall purpose of this blog: "The purpose of 'Alt_Education,' is to examine education as a profession and approach the many issues in education from a logical, rational point of view; from the perspective of an everyday teacher in the trenches (read as: the opposite of what the Ivory Tower education bureaucrats do)" And while I have written numerous posts on the frustrations that a plain ol' regular teacher experiences from within the system, the issue of the aforementioned ivory tower education bureaucrat experts should be addressed, too. After all, shouldn't we listen to experts? When the President wants military advice, he seeks the wisdom of military leaders; men and women who have experienced the stresses and strains of combat. When one wishes to get medical advice, I should hope that they consult with medical professionals. Again, it seems logical....rational. Unfortunately, one of the main reasons that our education system cannot seem to find its way, is because that the same common sense approach that I have applied to the previous scenarios is not an approach employed by the Education and Workforce Committee. While at the Education and Workforce Committee website, please click on each member's name, and read about their extensive experience in K-12 public/private school teach...ing...no, actually wait a minute. Don't do that. I must apologize for I'm sure my readers are very busy people. Let me save you some time....wait for it....Not ONE of the 23 members of this committee has EVER been in a K-12 classroom (well, aside from a photo op, I'm sure). Lawyers? Got those! Doctors? There are a couple of them, too. Heck, this committee even has a former helicopter pilot and a Marine artillery officer! Pretty cool, huh? But no teachers. So, I propose that Washington continue this line of reasoning in ALL of their committees, proceedings, and affairs. Let's stack Homeland Security and the Joint Chiefs of Staff with peace activists from UC Berkeley. Let's put herbal shamen/medicine men/voodoo/faith healers on the medical and healthcare subcommittees. Or, how about filling up the chairs in the Senates Special Committee on Aging with teenagers? Wait, I know! This is the one! Perhaps the House Committee on Intelligence should be appointed with people who aren't actually very intelligent. Actually, I think that last one has been done. If you've ever wondered, "Why can't we seem to fix our schools," this might be a good place to start. Contact your Congress person and ask, "Why are the power brokers, the decision makers, the politicians, the ones who have never seen the teacher side of a classroom, in charge of education policy?"

Progress Check for Jason Glass, Iowa State Director of Education

Two years ago, I posted a number of profiles for new politicians, errrr, I mean "educators," who had been appointed as the education leader in their states. Most of these people, like infamous Washington D.C. Superintendent Michelle Rhee (3 years of teaching experience), have little, if any, actual classroom experience. This is the main factor in why they cannot seem to solve the most obvious of problems in education. What seems as obvious as the roundness of the moon to people in the classroom, eludes these people and their doctorate degrees. So how has Mr., excuse me, Doctor, Glass been doing? Recall that he came into office so that he could bring his "experience to bear on how teachers in Iowa are evaluated and paid." Well, kind reader, I'll let you examine this article and sound off in the comments below

My Annual Teaching Evaluation

I would like to take up a little blog space with a weekly feature examining the teaching evaluation process. Last week was my annual teaching evaluation. Every year I look forward to the event as it my chance to showcase what I do everyday. As a level III master teacher in New Mexico, I am required to have the instructional quality of my teaching practices scrutinized only once per year. As much as I harp on the fact that the number one factor in a students learning is parental involvement studies also show (most famously a study by Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond) that the number one factor AT SCHOOL is teacher effectiveness, and I agree. The evaluation process is intended to ensure that the school side of things are taking care of business. However, I find most of the evaluation process ineffective, and here's why. To begin with, let's examine the process of scheduling an administrator to come into a classroom and observe ones teaching. At my school, as in many others I suspect, the teacher signs up for a specific date, and is given weeks and weeks of advanced notice and coaching on lesson plans, pedagogy development, hands-on activity practice, etc. In other words, it is quite common for a worksheet King or Queen (that's school speak for crappy teacher) to schedule a very innovative Dog and Pony Show/lesson once or twice per year (depending upon ones level of licensure). After their evaluation, in which the administrator applauds what a wonderful teacher/King/Queen they are, many (most) ineffective teachers devolve back into the instructional path of least resistance, from whence they came: worksheets, word finds, crossword puzzles, and other canned curriculum resources that result in very little learning. These are the ineffective teachers who believe that giving assignments, talking for 45 minutes, and teaching/learning are the same thing. Incredulously, they exclaim, "What? How in the world did you fail that test? I mean, I talked every day and you took notes...how could learning not have occurred??" Then, they roll their eyes and just can't believe how "kids are these days." Instead, I find the idea of scheduling my evaluation to be disingenuous. It is not fair for the teacher, the process, or the students who must continue to have these poor teachers. I have instructed my administrator to come in whenever they wish (they still insist that I sign up, though), and do a "pop" eval. I've told them to bring guests from around the district (politicians, parents, superintendents) and to bring cameras and record my teaching. After all, shouldn't I be on my "A" game everyday, and not just as scheduled? Shouldn't every lesson included learning standards and objectives? Obviously, I am not on my "A" game everyday, but neither is any human being. I think that is normal in any career. I don't think it is unreasonable. I don't think it is anything to fear. Let me know what you think in the comments section.