Thompson: Another Strange Report From TNTP
The New Teachers Project has released yet another report that demonstrates they are oblivious to the realities of teaching and learning. They propose evaluations where teachers must show that "nearly all students at all skill levels master the lesson objective" using a checklist that is "specific, student-centered" and "leaves little room for inference." Have they ever stepped foot in an inner-city high school class where skill levels may range from 2nd grade to college, and the majority of students are English Language Learners, special education students, and/or wrestling with extreme trauma? Similarly, what is the basis of the TNTP’s extraordinary statement that tests using district-wide writing prompts "generally" yield more useful information than teacher-designed take-home essays? Contrary to the TNTP’s theories, effective teachers must embrace ambiguity and should be held accountable for old-fashioned expectations such as making thoughtful and accurate assessments of student understanding. Real world "inference" is what educators do, nonstop, and our our work cannot quantified. - JT
Oh this is just getting ridiculous. I think organizations like TNTP just come out with these "ideas" for the sake of it.
What is wrong with having teachers as part of the discussion? Aren't we there on the front lines and see what is happening day to day?
Posted by: Bronx Teacher | October 08, 2010 at 16:03 PM