Chico—
First, if you are in the minority concerning how you choose who to support—I am there with you—I couldn't have stated it better myself—
Next, the Gerstner Commission AND the NEA BOTH have it wrong—With all due respect to some on that commission—The problem in education is we time and time again look at schooling politically—Sigh—
Consider how we look closely at the organization and achievement of clubs on this message board—Wouldn't it be fair to say that soccer success has been more likely when clubs think through a soccer lens instead of a political/bureaucratic lens?—I think so—CESA's success has been to take an aggressive athletic stance about the club—Rigorous try-outs, rigorous training, competitive schedules, high goals. . .
Soccer clubs, and promoting of those clubs, are interesting because it is a whole different animal—Comparing education and sports is a common analogy—One that ultimately falls apart—Sports is a world of CHOICE—Athletes CHOOSE to be athletes and have some internal drive to make teams and then play—Coaches and clubs are encouraged to have try-outs, to cut or move down weaker players, and then to play only the best in game situations—NONE of that is possible and none of that is desirable in a school setting—Competition by its very nature CREATES winners and losers (and those who CHOOSE to compete know this going in)—That's why many of us balk at the "everybody wins" mentality of some recreational leagues—
Education cannot afford winners and losers (And in our democracy we have decided that education is COMPULSORY; we fight against those who choose NOT to participate in education)—It is a different paradigm where we are seeking opportunities for everyone to succeed as well as he/she can and as well as he/she is willing to try—
Due to those dynamics—We CAN hold coaches more accountable for the performance of their athletes, but we will never be able to link directly student performance to individual teachers because we can never know for sure if any student even TRIES on an assessment—
