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Obama appointed a Secretary of Education who would have been equally at home in the Bush administration, at least as far as their policy toward K-12.
Is there any organized resistance in Congress to repetitive standard testing, teachers' union-busting, and stealth privatization through charter schools?
If so who is doing it?
My wife and I were talking about what we were going to do as far as education for our new baby, and she mentioned Montessori, Waldorf, etc., but nothing about public schools. I asked if she would consider public school if we happened to live near very good ones. She said even the best will have a very narrow, rote learning curriculum, and waste too much time not only on taking standardized tests, but practicing to take them.
What is really sad is she is an elementary school teacher and her school has been recognized as one of the best in the state.
I got my high school certification when I got my bachelors, but after subbing and talking to friends who taught, I realized that the curriculum was so regimented and lockstep, that schools weren't looking for teachers: they were looking for tour guides who could remember the script.
I teach community college, and for the time being, we have the freedom, to teach as we please, and consequently, motivate and excite our students.
When people like my wife and I who are actually left of the Democratic Party don't see public schools as an option, and don't see the Democrats doing anything to fix it except look for a way for Wall Street to profit off not educating our kids, our government is not working for us, and needs more fundamental change.
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