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As teacher resignation letters increasingly go public -- and viral -- new research indicates teachers are not leaving solely due to low pay and retirement, but also because of what they see as a broken education system.
In a trio of studies, Michigan State University education expert Alyssa Hadley Dunn and colleagues examined the relatively new phenomenon of teachers posting their resignation letters online. Their findings, which come as many teachers are signing next year's contacts, suggest educators at all grade and experience levels are frustrated and disheartened by a nationwide focus on standardized tests, scripted curriculum and punitive teacher-evaluation systems.
Teacher turnover costs more than $2.2 billion in the U.S. each year and has been shown to decrease student achievement in the form of reading and math test scores.
"The reasons teachers are leaving the profession has little to do with the reasons most frequently touted by education reformers, such as pay or student behavior," said Dunn, assistant professor of teacher education. "Rather, teachers are leaving largely because oppressive policies and practices are affecting their working conditions and beliefs about themselves and education."
The study quoted a teacher in Boston: "I did not feel I was leaving my job. I felt then and feel now that my job left me."
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 07 2017, @03:08PM (3 children)
I'll see some flaws in this scheme. Bad schools will make derail any chances to go with the program. Some just mature later. And higher education should be offered to everyone that had a real chance to prove they can do it. Instead of just having money or luck.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:20PM (2 children)
This comment [soylentnews.org] points out the fact that such a scheme would actually obviate the need for traditional "schools"; the method of teaching doesn't matter, because it relies on a student being motivated by self-interest to learn the material by any means available.
In essence, it is the acknowledgement of the fact that there is no such thing as "teaching"; there is only "learning", which is an act of the will on the part of the student.
Students who learn lots of subjects well will accrue a great deal of non-taxable money in their schooling bank accounts; upon graduation at age 18, they could choose to spend that money on further education—you have to make that bet on yourself, or persuade people to bet more resources on your further education (maybe a hospital pays for your education as a doctor, and you either pay back a loan, or work for the hospital for some amount of time thereafter, etc.). These are OBJECTIVE standards, measured by real-world resources like money.
The real truth of the matter is that society just does not need that many people going into higher education—and most people don't really want to learn higher-order subjects, anyway.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 07 2017, @06:26PM
Good luck trying to study with parents fighting each other and a school environment as simulation of civil war.
Children would need to have a nuclear option to have a real shoot. Ie they can divorce their parents for some kind of decent shelter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @09:54PM
In essence, it is the acknowledgement of the fact that there is no such thing as "teaching"; there is only "learning", which is an act of the will on the part of the student.
Your "fact" is beyond wrong. Teaching is a real thing, but of course it requires a willing student. Good teachers are invaluable, great ones inspire students to reach further and push themselves to accomplish more.
The real truth of the matter is that society just does not need that many people going into higher education—and most people don't really want to learn higher-order subjects, anyway.
I agree with you there, college education is pointless for many and is being more often treated as such. It should still be freely available to any who want it, or we can go with your "payment for completion" method which focuses a little more on completing the programs and not just enrolling for fun.