In response to Mickey McGuire’s column, “U.S. must be competitive in recruiting teachers,” (June 10 Tracy Press), I must say that as much as I admire McKinsey & Co., I am not sure if I can agree with the firm’s finding that classroom teachers are the most effective controllable factors in impacting the education system.
Although, without understanding the details of the variables, including the factors that are controllable and non-controllable, it’s difficult to pinpoint the defect in the study conducted by McKinsey. It is, nonetheless, important to look into the following items.
The three country examples McGuire gives are South Korea, Finland and Singapore. They all have other controllable variables in common, such as a two-track education system and longer studying hours in and outside the classroom, which I believe have a bigger impact on the overall outcome of their achievement than teachers.
In the South Korean education system, 62 percent of the high school students go through the traditional education track, while 38 percent follow the vocational school path. Were these variables isolated from the statistical data by McKinsey? I think not! I am doubtful about their findings.
Although I am not minimizing the teacher’s role in shaping children’s education, I am only arguing that their influence is only limited to the effectiveness of the overall education system, inclusive of many controllable variables.
It’s no coincidence that the several European countries also known to produce higher education standards, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, also happen to follow the multi-track education system. You may recall those examples and my argument supporting the education paradigm changes in my column “Education system needs complete overhaul,” published in the Tracy Press several years ago.
I think teachers are a convenient target for the people who are seeking a simple solution to the education problem. However, the educational issue is neither simple nor single-dimensional, controllable or otherwise.
Couldn't agree with ya more. That's why I'm in favor of home school first an private school second.
But that don't provide education ta th kids whose parents don't really care an are basically lookin fer a free state paid babysitter.
Oh right, thair poor. Ever hear about not gettin inta stuff ya can't afford?
Oh but they gotta right ta have some happiness by havin kids. Yeah right, how's that workin out fer em an th rest of society that has ta deal with it?
Sorry, been dealin a lot with th underbelly of our American society as of late so I'm a little crotchety. I'll get over it but it does gall me ta be fillin empty hands that are perfectly capable of dealin with these thangs themselves but are just to blame lazy ta do it.
Don't mind helpin those who really need it but have little tolerance fer those that are just workin th system. We can't afford it anymore.
Cant disagree with ya about school boards an principals. Ya vote fer school board members that hire th school administration that in turn hire th principals. Ya also approve th monies th schools can collect in th way of taxes. So if th thang ain't workin right it seems voters are gonna have ta make better decisions about who is elected ta school boards an how monies ta run th schools is ta be collected an spent.
Not much of this involves any parental involvement directly in th classroom. Parental help in th classroom can be helpful but it ain't th real answer ta th problem in th education problems we face taday.
Don't thank aeh4543 was transmittin th message that ya received but cartinly can understand why ya might thank that way an understand yer frustration.
Nan, I thank aeh4543 was actually meanin th type of mom or dad that's continually in th class room, hoverin over thair child an actually causin more of a social problem in th entire classroom by really bein the problem rather than th solution.
Funny, was discussin this with my daughter-in-law taday as we discussed some basic theatrical lessons fer my granddaughter. I mentioned, "I think it's fine but don't become a stage mom."
She asked, "What do ya mean?"
Told her, "Ya know, th mom that comes ta a theatrical audition an is so wrapped up in her own child that th rest of th children in th production just aren't good enough ta be cast in thair parts an that thair child, regardless of how good or bad they actually are, simply must be cast in th leadin role."
She replied, "Nope, th kid's gotta stand on thair own merits. I'll give her th ability ta larn an if thairs talent thair she can be successful with it. But if she's got a tin ear, two left feet an simply wants ta be thair ta larn an have fun, I am happy with that too."
ertion, if it can happen on a sports team, a children's choir, band an children's theater thairs no reason why it can't happen in th classroom.
It's one thang ta provide yer kid with th abilities ta hone thair talents an another thang ta thank yer kid's America's Got Talent winner when thair really not all that good in th thang that they love ta do.
That's what I believe aeh4543 was communicatin.
If yer old enough our public education system largely did have some focus on th industrial/vocational arts were somethang taught. Tracy High use ta build an sell a small home each year an students larned all phases of what it takes ta build a modern home frum scratch.
Then some bright eyed an well intentioned bean counter convinced most people an school boards it was costin too much money ta run them courses an focus was shifted ta more "social" forms of education an pure academia became th rule of education.
Not everyone is goin ta be th next , sports star, singer, doctor, lawyer, engineer or physicist. An thairs cirteinly no reason why anyone can be successful in life as a carpenter, mechanic, welder an thairs a whole field of agriculture that benefits many as well.
Many great people didn't have much of an academic education yet achieved many important thangs an led excitin an fruitful lives.
"We seem to forget that many parents are a big part of the problem here. They either don't care enough to participate in their child's schooling, or they become a helicopter parent..."
So the problem in the schools is caused by parents who don't participate in their kids' education. And by parents who *do* participate in their kids' education.
D*mned if you do, d*mned if you don't. As for getting "somewhere" let me know when you locate your map.
If Jerry Brown can take redevelopment fees and say the money goes to schools...?
Then not one teacher should be laid-off, in California.
Do you believe that will happen?
Yes. I do remember that. It was one of your finest works. Can I get you to autograph it?