mail this InsideTeaching entry to a friend
28 October 2004: The Schools Are Burning (3 of 6)
So, returning to the image of a two-story brick building with a burning roof and dying children trapped inside, what do we have to expect from California schools?
Like those in charge of the school in Kumbakonam, India, policy makers can be expected to start handing out blame. Blame ineffective teachers and administrators. Blame students for being poor, or coming from undereducated homes. Blame immigrants for not speaking English. These are the things that are preventing student achievement. As our current president insists, it is the "soft bigotry of low expectations," that prevents students from learning. High expectations, along with fewer resources for those most in need seems to be the answer to low student achievement, but it is certainly not the cause.
|
