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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach? « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach?

I asked a question about the value of online learning, and this teacher responded somewhat off-topic. But what he says raises an interesting question. Are public officials and their cascade of programs making it impossible for teachers to teach? Are they destroying the last vestiges of professional autonomy? Do they talk “respect” but act top-down? Why won’t they let teachers teach? What do they expect to accomplish by their constant interference?
This teacher wrote:
Well, as part of Reading First, all the K-3 classroom/reading/special education teachers and assistants in my school had to complete all the online modules in the New York State Reading Academy.  Why, it worked so well that the following year New York State made us complete all the online modules of Voyager: Reading for