More About Pay

http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues/issues374a.shtml

This article discussed more in depth the issues that could arise with performance based pay among teachers. The one thing that I found most interesting about this article was the issue on how to measure teachers performance. There is so much controversy about standardized testing and whether it really works that there is really no way that that could be used. Teachers could begin to teach only for what the test is asking instead of what the students need just so that it looks like their students are performing. That is already apart of the controversy with standardized testing already but with the issue of pay along with it, there could be more problems than ever before. And what about those teachers who take more difficult positions in extreme conditions where the word performance is impossible to define. Without discussing how they are really going to measure the teachers performance it is impossible to decide whether this could be a good thing for our future students or not.

Falling Behind

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/opinion/08besharov.html?_r=1

With all this talk about stimulus money and where it's going, I would hope that money wasn't just being thrown around (I know, extremely naive of me. You can stop laughing now.). Education is something that we do need to spend more money on but also more time. Yes, a lot of programs do need money to help them out, whether it's to get resources and help pay teachers to being able to offer it to more people. But if the program itself isn't working, why give it more money. Head Start, from what I know, is suppose to be a great place for children to start their education. Like its name, it's suppose to give them a head start when it comes to school. But according to this article, some of it's facilities aren't functioning to their full potential. The one example given was that after 6 months in head start, the average 4 year old could only identify two more letters than a child who had not been in Head Start. Why would anyone want to spend the money for a program that really doesn't seem to be working. Hopefully more research will go into these programs before the money is given.

Performance-Based Pay

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/03/10/2009-03-10_president_obama_education_plan_calls_for-1.html


I think that some people are too afraid of the changes that might come from Obama's ideas on education. Even one of my professors brought up his plan, admitting that she didn't like his idea of performance based pay. Not only did she think it was a horrible idea, but that it was almost an uneducated solution. Something needs to be done and those that are scared have a reason to be. I don't really think that it wouldn't be that horrible of an idea. In any other job, if your performance is poor, you wouldn't get a raise or a promotion of any kind. You probably wouldn't have a job. Why is that those who are educating our future population are not put up to the standards of others? I will admit that there would have to be a better way to analyze the teachers efforts besides standardized testing but as a whole I do not think that it is a horrible idea. I also liked that he commented on those who thought that he was trying to do too many things at one time. Yes, our economy is in trouble. But I agree that without giving our children the best when it comes to education, than it will become a vicious circle of problems for everyone.

Sex Education

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/mccain-ad-obamas-lone-edu_n_125205.html

Though this article is a little bit on the old side and outdated I felt that it was something that I needed to write about. There are so many arguments on education starting with where to spend the money to how much we should depend on standardized testing. When it comes to politicians, of course they are going to go to trashing the other side instead of listening to what anyone has to see. During an election year it is bound to be worse. I had never heard of this ad until I read about it online. In my opinion its not a surprise why we have problems with our education system when the people who are supposed to be helping "reform" it can't seem to even have an educated and civil conversation about sex education. Instead of listening to what one person had to say about the issue, it seems like all they care about is twisting words. I believe that age appropriate sex education would be smart. Maybe if our children where slowly brought into an educated way of thinking about themselves and the possible dangers that surround them, less crimes could happen. I guess now that I look at it, this article would be better fitted for someone who was writing about politics but with all of the controversy and discussion surrounding education, sex education is something that needs to be talked about.

Letter from Biringham

I actually really enjoyed reading this piece. He wrote this letter with such intelligence and calm that it would make it almost impossible to not agree with him. I loved how he never did seem to get angry or talk down to those he was writing to. One statement he made that got me was in the part when he was speaking about being told to wait that some day action would happen. "We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."" I feel that even though we have come so far in this country that there are still moments today that people have that exact feeling. It was great to hear an argument that had a strong base to it that wasn't just calling the other side names. He wasn't afraid to make his point for something he was strongly willing to stand behind.