If you ever want to know why teachers are being vilified on the news [View All]

[erodriguez]

I give you these articles.

In Florida, Virtual Classrooms With No Teachers

MIAMI — On the first day of her senior year at North Miami Beach Senior High School, Naomi Baptiste expected to be greeted by a teacher when she walked into her precalculus class.

“All there were were computers in the class,” said Naomi, who walked into a room of confused students. “We found out that over the summer they signed us up for these courses.”

Naomi is one of over 7,000 students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools enrolled in a program in which core subjects are taken using computers in a classroom with no teacher. A “facilitator” is in the room to make sure students progress. That person also deals with any technical problems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/education/18classrooms.html



Headlines from the NY daily News.

Education Dept. plans to spend $52M on computer contractors as it lays off 4,600 teachers

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/03/04/2011-03-04_education_dept_plans_to_spend_52m_on_computer_contractors_as_it_lays_off_4600_te.html



From Ed Week:

Digital Learning Council Releases 'Road Map' to Ed. Overhaul

The recently commissioned Digital Learning Council has recommended major changes to state education policy that include abolishing seat-time requirements, linking teacher pay to student success, and overhauling public school funding models.

The recommendations are part of the council's 10 policy suggestions in a report issued Wednesday for states to use digital learning as a catalyst for education reform.

The council, headed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, also suggests that, not only should all students have access to digital learning opportunities in the form of online or blended courses, but they should have choices between providers and methods of access.

Someone wrote about this on Du here.

http://www.democratunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x548998

The endgame cometh

There is no coincidence that Former NYC chancellor Joel Klein left the schools to join an educational software company that contracts with the city.
There is no coincidence that Rupert Murdoch bought that company about a week after Joel Klein joined it.
There is no coincidence that Jeb Bush is pushing online learning and the abolishment of seat time.

There is money to be made and teachers and their unions stand in the way.