The Education Wars

I'll BET those 80 tenured teachers sacked in D.C. were let go because of "poor performance." I'll bet they were let go because they were too old or too expensive or were "troublemakers" of one type or another. The D.C. school district is one of the worst, most corrupt in the United States.

As Susan Ohanian comments:

People who think they can shortcut the path to Teacher Excellence are the same sort of people who buy into giving kids phonics worksheets instead of reading aloud to them A LOT. I figure a teacher begins to learn what it's all about at about year 5. After my first 8 months of teaching (I didn't start at the beginning of the year), my official report card from the New York City school system ranked me at a "C." I regarded it as a gift. My grader wrote in the comments section that I responded well to suggestions [for reducing chaos], that I HAD A GOOD HEART [and he cited a couple of examples], and, given some time, would develop into a good teacher.

Can you imagine a teacher grader today writing on an evaluation that a teacher has a good heart?!!!!

This journalist calls the dismissal of 80 tenured teachers to be "a landmark."

landmark:
4) a significant or historic event, juncture, achievement, etc.

This is Michelle Rhee's most notable achievement thus far.

When you base your plan on transient, obedient practitioners, you will never have people who know what they're doing.

Public education is turning into a revolving door "business" where young teachers are hired, then let go before they reach tenure, while older teachers are harassed out of their jobs. All of it is for financial reasons or because the administrators are sadistic.

Meanwhile, administrators have almost ironclad job security.