An Open Letter Response to an NEA Article

To: ALinebaugh@nea.org
Cc: wa_tchr@yahoo.com
Subject: Opening Bell Feedback
January 29, 2010

There are some fundamental concepts that should simply be a standard any
time a report like this is published: who is the group making the report, and what is their criteria. It might also be fair to state historically what
their overall agenda has been for existing.

So the report (copied below) states that they give a grade of D-.

So despite all of the vast changes made in educational reform this past
15 years, our critics still give us a grade of either D- or F -- as if
there has been nothing substantive done in all of that time.

At some point, I think it is fair to ask the questions: is there really
anything that we could do that would ever merit their praise? What is
their criteria for an A?

The fiscal realities are that as long as public education remains the
single most expensive ticket item in probably every state legislative
budget (and personnel saleries being the biggest ticket item in public
education expenditures) -- any legislator or legislative candidate that
wants to adhere to a no tax increase and/or tax cut platform, is almost
automatically compelled to have to attack public education.

Politically, it is extremely difficult both to praise public education
(and public educators) while saying that we need to also cut taxes and
funding for public education.

The other fundamental conflict is that the more successful public
educators are in teaching students to be able to think independently,
this will be construed by some as being subversive in terms of
challenging authority. There are some who still believe that children
should be obedient to parents and authority figures without their having
to justify their mandates.

So to the point that we successfully increase students' abilities to
operate at higher thinking levels, the more some people are going to
feel threatened by being held accountable in having to explain the
reasoning for their dictates.

So as a general concept, before I blindly accept some unknown group's
evaluation of public education, I feel it is only fair to know whether
or not either of these factors exist to the point that it significantly
impacts their overall perspective and judgment of public education.

I doubt that I am stating anything new to people working for the NEA --
sort of like preaching to the choir.

What does surprise me is that the NEA would present a story that seems
to blindly accept an outside group's assessment without any comment or
information as to who the assessor is.

Respectfully submitted,
Kim Wardwell
(Wayne K. Wardwell)
Title I Teacher
Jefferson Middle School
Caldwell School District
Caldwell, Idaho

360 202-3427 cell
kwardwell@glacierview.net
wa_tchr@yahoo.com



Included below is the article that was published and sent out online by the National Educatio Association (NEA) on January 29, 2010:

Report: State Policies Protect Ineffective Teachers.

The AP (1/28, Turner) reported, "Most states are holding tight to policies that protect incompetent teachers and poor training programs, shortchanging educators and their students before new teachers even step into the classroom, according to a new" study from the National Council on Teacher Quality. The study "paints a grim picture of how states handle everything from pay to discipline for public school teachers. States are using 'broken, outdated and inflexible' policies that ultimately hurt how children learn, according to the report."

The Denver Post (1/29, McGhee) reports that the report finds Colorado "regulations governing teachers fail to ensure that all students have effective teachers." The report "gave the state an overall grade of D-plus in its 2009 review of state laws, rules and regulations governing the teaching profession." The "organization found that Colorado's teacher policies largely work against the nation's goal of improving teacher quality at a time when Race to the Top, a $4.5 billion federal grant competition has put unprecedented focus on education reform and teacher quality."

Dave Murray writes in a column for the Grand Rapids (MI) Press (1/29) that Michigan received a "grade of D-, saying that our state fails to ensure that all students will have effective, well prepared teachers. That seemed kind of harsh, since I know Michigan has some great college education programs, and it's rare that I run into an ineffective teacher." However, the "group said the state has some bright spots, including 'requiring induction for all new teachers.'"