Comments on: BCE Year End Message for Teachers

By: Meghank

Meghank — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 22:04:37 +0000

Certainly we need a strong teacher voice, but it is a lot easier to be vocal about your opinions if your job isn’t in jeopardy as a result of your sharing them. Which is another reason it is a shame tenure for teachers no longer truly exists in our state.

I’d really rather do a post on the excessive testing in our schools and what it is doing to children than on the topic you suggested. If you wouldn’t mind.

By: bluffcityed

bluffcityed — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 18:49:16 +0000

And I firmly believe that we need the voices of teachers on both sides of the issue if we are to have a productive conversation about how to improve education in America as long as those voices aren’t just speaking out in opposition but are actually offering alternative solutions. The offer to share your opinion is a standing one, just let me know if you ever want to take advantage of it.

By: bluffcityed

bluffcityed — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 18:34:38 +0000

Sorry you feel that way. Personally I believe we need to ensure a strong teacher voice is present regardless of who is in elected office. If we don’t have this it won’t matter who we elect, we still won’t be present at the table.

By: MeghanK

MeghanK — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 17:37:46 +0000

The fear is actually reprisal by the Tennessee Department of Education when we criticize policies put in in place by its leaders. The fact that policy makers are retweeting your blog posts is actually what makes me less likely to share anything publicly here. The policy makers are not going to have their minds changed (their beliefs have been firmly put in place by campaign contributions from corporate interests). We need to get those policymakers out of office and get better ones in.

I’m all for a massive uprising of teachers, but it doesn’t seem to be happening in Tennessee (except in Knoxville!), and a teacher standing up here or there is easily picked off. It’s well and good to say you do not fear speaking out, but what if that means you can’t teach anymore? Teachers need to pick their battles. We need parents to stand up and decry the constant testing and test prep of their children, because it has truly grown to abusive levels.

Parents: OPT OUT of the state tests (AND the “benchmark testing”)! Don’t believe them when they tell you you “can’t” do that. DEMAND it.