In the past two weeks there have been so many print articles and news stories about education that have gotten me fired up. Too many for me to take them one by one and present them to you. So here I have complied a few, with my added commentary, for you to peruse.

Evening News with Katie Couric — All teachers being fired from schools in Rhode Island

This story focused on a school district in Rhode Island that is planning on firing ALL of the teachers at one of its schools. The reason why? Not meeting NCLB standards and it gives them a chance to get approximately $2 million in national aid.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/23/eveningnews/main6236348.shtml?tag=mncol;lst;3

Video of Evening News Program

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6236440n&tag=related;photovideo

Firing All Teachers in Rhode Island School

Longview Principal Fired for Funds

Very similar to the previous story, a principal is fired for low test scores and the hopes of millions in federal financial aid.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Popular-Longview-principal-forced-to-quit-by-low-scores-84807537.html

Oregon’s Online Education Choices

Since families, students and parents alike, are ‘fed up’ with the public school options, there is an increase in alternative school settings. One of the largest of those being online schools.
http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/going-school-online/

Oregon’s Failing Schools

Also from Oregon, the state releases the new data and research on the success rates of the public school system.
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2010/01/report_oregon_fails_at_measuri.html

Commentary on President’s Education Address

President Obama’s March 1st speech on Education
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/us/02obama.html

President Obama on Education, Specifically Commencement
http://www.whitehouse.gov/commencement

All of these articles talk about education, how it’s failing, and how ‘we’ are going to make it better. And it frustrates me deeply. Firing a principal? Firing all of the teachers? NCLB? The whole point of school is to gain an education – TO LEARN. Test scores aren’t the only indicator of learning. And, each student and school operates under different circumstances. How is an all English speaking upper class school able to compare with an all English learning language school? It can’t. And for some reason we continue to treat them as the same. Until the playing field is equalled out, the schools will never be the same. And lots of children, teachers, and schools will get left behind. and forgotten.

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