I don't know why the teachers' unions haven't proposed their own quality standards.

Let me preamble this by saying two things:

1. I support teachers. They aren't paid enough, and taxpayers are always trying to skimp on funding them thinking that they can get something for nothing.
2. I would prefer that we have strong public schools over a patchwork of less-accountable charter schools. I am a proud graduate of public schools.

That having been said, as a person who tries to look at the dynamics of political strategy, I think the the teachers' unions make a mistake when they have not proposed their own competency standards to challenge the ones being used by the states. I think that a hard-line stance against them lessens their credibility, and their own proposal would serve to highlight the problems in the state standards. Skilled trade unions have found success in guaranteeing a certain quality of work through certification and apprenticeship as their leverage in bargaining; I feel that the teachers' unions would benefit from giving themselves this sort of leverage, and the credibility of public education in general would benefit as well.

You are vastly overestimating the fairness and competence of the M$M, I applaud your generous nature.

progress than standardized tests.

instead of teaching how to learn, comprehension, and creating study strategies.

to succeed on the ridiculous AIMS test.

strictly learning to take the test.

leaving April and May for actual learning.

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Not whether they can parrot back what I told them or they read. I regale when even the younger children ask me for more information to support what I told them. Music to my ears: How do you know?

Critical thinking is the gold standard.

I find it sad you assume this has not been done.

support for unions.

This thread was the answer.

:sarcasm:

You specifically asked me to elaborate on this issue. You are only telling half of the story if that.

Every individual has different potentials, circumstances, support systems, resources invested in them,aptitudes, and drive.

People aren't widgets and everything is not best run as a business.

But give the same person a pile of sand and some paste, the results will be totally different.

Washington every day to destroy pubic schools. They have little to no power to change things and a teachers union has nothing to do with teaching SOPs when it comes to NCLB. You should talk to a teacher and learn something about the profession, before posting out of ignorance. No offense.