Failing Boys | Dec. 6, 2010
A brilliant series on the state of boys education in Ontario. In my classroom, and so many others, the girls outperform the boys in nearly every area. These articles examine the national, if not international, phenomenon. The most unsettling line in the entire series comes from part 1: "...could be a harbinger of social and economic upheaval if males drift to the fringes of productivity and women have to be both primary breadwinners and child-bearers."
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Violence Begets...
Assault on Learning | Mar. 27, 2011
4541 violent incidents in a school year. It works our to 25 per day. In perspective, there are 268 schools in the district. Nevertheless, 9 out of 10 schools reported a violent incident last year and given the reported pressure teachers feel from admin to under-report incidences, the numbers are in reality much higher. And, ONLY 46 schools account for the majority of the violence. As is obvious, the distribution of violence is not equal, leaving some schools a haven for assault. Philly is the most violent city right now in the US, kids learn at home, in their community, violence begets violence.
The article is a bit sensational, and makes only token mention of the schools' successes. A couple years ago, the Philly school district made national headlines after racial tension and violence between black and Asian students reached a critical point, with a couple severe violent incidences in particular. This series in an attempt to look at how things are a year later, better or worse. The paper doesn't really quote any teachers who say the problem isn't that bad. My question is whether those teachers are silent because they don't exist, or because the paper chose not to print them.
4541 violent incidents in a school year. It works our to 25 per day. In perspective, there are 268 schools in the district. Nevertheless, 9 out of 10 schools reported a violent incident last year and given the reported pressure teachers feel from admin to under-report incidences, the numbers are in reality much higher. And, ONLY 46 schools account for the majority of the violence. As is obvious, the distribution of violence is not equal, leaving some schools a haven for assault. Philly is the most violent city right now in the US, kids learn at home, in their community, violence begets violence.
The article is a bit sensational, and makes only token mention of the schools' successes. A couple years ago, the Philly school district made national headlines after racial tension and violence between black and Asian students reached a critical point, with a couple severe violent incidences in particular. This series in an attempt to look at how things are a year later, better or worse. The paper doesn't really quote any teachers who say the problem isn't that bad. My question is whether those teachers are silent because they don't exist, or because the paper chose not to print them.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Raise you glass status
How to Raise the Status of Teachers | Mar. 27, 2011
Times article on raising the status of teaching as a profession. It's been said often, countries that hold ed. professionals in high regard see higher student achievement. Ways to see that teachers are held in high regard are elusive and can encounter resistance, but they generally include higher pay, better training (ie. more intellectual study, less drawing on chart paper with markers), and merit based treatment.
How to Raise the Status of Teachers | Mar. 27, 2011
Times article on raising the status of teaching as a profession. It's been said often, countries that hold ed. professionals in high regard see higher student achievement. Ways to see that teachers are held in high regard are elusive and can encounter resistance, but they generally include higher pay, better training (ie. more intellectual study, less drawing on chart paper with markers), and merit based treatment.
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