tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post2421767229217162700..comments2023-11-03T04:00:24.785-04:00Comments on Kentucky School News and Commentary: Teach for America comes to Appalachia and KentuckyRichard Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14586435007687942849noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-27357439433251168172012-10-02T08:32:33.799-04:002012-10-02T08:32:33.799-04:00I agree with 9/25, indicating that TFA teachers ju...I agree with 9/25, indicating that TFA teachers just have to focus on teaching kids is an over simplification. If they are truly accepting the responsibilities which are being placed on KY teachers then their actual instructional time is being diminished by by increasing expectations that school level educators invest time in report writing and various committee related work which really doesn't significantly contribute to the direct enhancement of day to day classroom instruction. Rather these expensive contractual obligations which KDE has made to testing and program vendors with fed funds under the justification of SB1 and Race to the Top parameters have created an undo burden on teachers time. Our work seems more oriented toward justifying an KDE expenditure and legitimizing a half-baked accountability system than it does offering any real support for students. The bottom line is that teachers are becoming report writers and performing work for KDE instead of serving kids. The reports are meaningless and the assessments have the same limitations that all previous assessments have held. <br /><br />I once heard a speaker say that weighting the cow more times doesn't make it fatter. Similarly, weighing the cow on different scales or using different units of meassurement don't make it fatter either and it certainly doesn't make it any plumper by writing a report about it or comparing it to the next guys herd.<br /><br />Wasting money and, more imporantly, we are wasting educator's time in order to make a few leaders feel validated in a system we had no say in creating, have little faith in its validity and only serves to misdirect our time and funds from kids. <br /><br />Teachers make a difference by directly serving kids, not writing reports or reviewing data on students from the pervious year. We have been playing that game for years now, seems like some one would figure that out finally and stop writing that horse because it isn't getting us to the barn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-22914316117796831462012-09-24T08:21:21.861-04:002012-09-24T08:21:21.861-04:00"For them it's much simpler ...: get the ..."For them it's much simpler ...: get the students to learn the material." Ok, so what are current teachers doing then? If getting kids to learn is so darn simple, then why are we spending so much time and money on CIITS, Program Reviews, national assessments, etc? Seem like we have taken something which is pretty straght forward and convoluted with so many regulations, unfunded mandates and report writing that we have lost touch with what really counts in a classroom. Same with Holliday, he creates this facade of being in touch or authentic by putting notches on his school visit belt but when he visits it is just the same dog and pony show where schools try to show their best side and he pats them on the back and tells them the same thing he said at the last county or city school on his circuit. All of his self promoted visits to Appalachian schools haven't amounted to any new insights or any notable improvements that weren' already in the pipe before he stepped foot in the state.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-90723708382202224712012-09-21T12:31:36.510-04:002012-09-21T12:31:36.510-04:00Wow, I can't believe I spent all that time in ...Wow, I can't believe I spent all that time in education courses instead of my content area and paid PAXIS and EPSB all that money. I could have just taken courses in the content area I enjoy and gotten a job teaching through TFA.<br /><br />What next for Appalachia,Denistry For America? Engineering For America? Doctoring For America? Why not, if you have a pretty good undergrad GPA and majored in biology or math?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-78731884482772937002012-09-19T07:16:02.819-04:002012-09-19T07:16:02.819-04:00What an insult to the former teachers colleges in ...What an insult to the former teachers colleges in the region! Shame on you, Mr. Holliday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-79071870333485137542012-09-18T21:11:25.326-04:002012-09-18T21:11:25.326-04:00Those who can teach. Those who cannnot write not v...Those who can teach. Those who cannnot write not very distinguished dissertations at the University of South Carolina, end up in high ranking positions in state ed departments, and attempt to impose their imprint on others.<br /><br />With his digital publication unread by most of us, Terry Holliday is as remote (an as irrelevant) to us as the Wizard of Oz. I'd hate to see what's behind that curtain anyway.<br /><br />Few of us teachers listen to him....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-54870089012894453152012-09-18T20:17:22.278-04:002012-09-18T20:17:22.278-04:00These two stories together provide some troubling ...These two stories together provide some troubling comments coming from an education commissioner. When I hear the same kind of things from opponents of public education, at least I understand where they are coming from. My only guess is that Holliday may have been co-opted by the big money interests.<br /><br />When the legislature passed a specific exception allowing TFA, Holliday had to enforce it - but he didn't have to love it, or condemn by implication every other Kentucky teacher in the process.<br /><br />Here he advocates TFA's two-and-through "teachers" as a solution to long-standing problems of a qualified teacher supply for east Kentucky. And they found one who says she wants to stay on forever...so problem solved? <br /><br />As Lois Weinberg understands, counter examples are plentiful.<br /><br />TFA bases their whole approach on one notion alone - that the smarter the teacher, the better the student's test scores will be.<br />But sources tell KSN&C that Holliday has begun suggesting doing away with the requirement of a Master's degree for Kentucky teachers. If true, I'm not sure how he reconciles that logical inconsistency. Richard Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586435007687942849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-10429398705765917112012-09-18T10:31:24.304-04:002012-09-18T10:31:24.304-04:00With all due respect to Ken Troske, raising the ed...With all due respect to Ken Troske, raising the education levels in Eastern KY without adding job opportunities that will pay living wages - for people paying back student loans - will only result in the continuation of young, educated people leaving Eastern KY in search of jobs. Bring jobs to Eastern KY and the education will follow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-16492297133676531052012-09-17T17:14:19.254-04:002012-09-17T17:14:19.254-04:00For a guy who has been Education Commissioner of o...For a guy who has been Education Commissioner of our state for five years, he sure doesn't seem to quick to take any ownership in why there are not enough teachers in Appalachia. How ironic for the commissioner to once again spin what is obviously a byproduct of lack of leadership or unfocused prioritzation to applaude placing unskilled folks in at risk schools. If he really buys into this idea, then why worry about certification regulations? Why expect MA from teachers? Why worry about teacher quaility and evaluation?<br /><br />I am glad that some children may get some additional support but the commisioner's response is like being happy that the fire department showed up to your smouldering house ashes when you failed to install sprinklers in your building.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-48441957661466171312012-09-17T17:06:19.705-04:002012-09-17T17:06:19.705-04:00What a slap in the face to every post secondary ed...What a slap in the face to every post secondary educator in the state. Honestly the nerve to imply that having TFA teachers in Appalachia will "broaden the impact by making it a catalyst for better teacher quaility throughout the state? Did he really just say that placing folks with BA's (no post secondary training in education, no teaching certificate, no PRAXIS, no experience) is going to make teaching better in the state?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-78431509027418457472012-09-17T17:01:12.336-04:002012-09-17T17:01:12.336-04:00Challenging the "Man"? What is Holliday ...Challenging the "Man"? What is Holliday talking about. He is the man as far as many educators are concerned. Not so much for what he has tried to do but the lack of support for implementation. I just recevied notification that state assessment scores won't be here at the end of September because there are so many vendors processing them and multiple data bases to oversee. His self perceived image as the rebelious, anti-establishment guy has resulted in him creating a financially and operationally over extended monster which his own organization can't explain or manage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com