The idea is that just as lawyers must pass state bar exams to practice law, teachers would need to pass a test that proves their knowledge and critical thinking skills to be effective. That would, theoretically, dispel the public’s perception that teachers are the college graduates who can’t get a job doing anything else.
It would also be a step toward emulating the teacher preparation programs of nations like Finland, whose students’ high performance on international tests has made the country a darling in the education world.
This week America celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, five days chock-full of poems, gift cards, and discounts for K-12 educators all across the country, and today is also National Teacher Appreciation Day. I appreciate getting a free burrito at Chipotle and homages to Taylor Mali, writer of “What Teachers Make,” as much as the next educator, but the current tenor of our national conversation about education also reminds me of the dire straits our profession is in.
For instance, President Barack Obama tainted last year’s Teacher Appreciation Week by proclaiming that same week National Charter School Week, opting to highlight only what charter schools do to the exclusion of teachers from all school systems nationwide.
…we at United Opt Out National, a grassroots organization committed to ending the influence of high stakes testing and corporate-driven education reform, are declaring January 7 as National Opt Out Day. What does it mean to opt out? It means a refusal to buy into something—in this case the stranglehold that high stakes testing has on public education. We must resist and rebuild public education this year…
Ellen DeGeneres Helps Heroic Teacher Who Pledged to Work for Free
Last month, teachers in Chester, Pennsylvania were hailed as heroes when they pledged to work for free after their school district ran out of the funds to make payroll. The segment, which you can see above, included footage of the district’s impoverished students and evidence of how budget cuts have gutted the schools.
Ten inspiring teachers are competing for one $10,000 CLASSROOM GRANT and we need your help to pick the winner.
Starting every Monday from now through October 30, we’ll upload a new video at 9AM (PST) from the finalists. Click here each week to watch teachers responding to questions about education in their own words, then vote for your favorite educator to advance to the next round.
…American educators work the most hours of all industrialized nations, but are the fifth lowest paid after 15 years on the job. Only Luxembourg, Hungary, Iceland, and Norway pay their teachers less.
After receiving hundreds of nominations from across the country, GOOD and University of Phoenix are proud to announce the twenty finalists for the Great American Teach-Off 2013.
From New Hampshire to Minnesota to California, innovative teachers in grades K through 6 and grades 7 through 12 are competing to each win one $10,000 classroom grant. And starting from March 4 noon PT, they need your help to win.
Every Monday from now through April 7, we’ll upload a new video at noon PT from the finalists. Over the course of five weeks, you can watch teachers respond to questions about how they’re transforming education in their classrooms, then vote for your favorite educator to advance to the next round.
For week one, you have until March 10 at midnight to make your vote count. You can vote up to once a day during each weekly voting period. The two teachers with the fewest votes each week will be eliminated, until we have one last teacher standing in each grade set.
See the ten finalists in grades K through 6 and 7 through 12 answering this week’s question: How are you an innovative teacher? Then, vote for your favorite andspread the word.
Let’s help one deserving teacher continue their good work, one student at a time.
You can join the conversation with this challenge on Twitter at @GOODmkr and @TeachOff via #teachoff.
GOOD and University of Phoenix are proud to announce the launch of the second annual Great American Teach-Off for teachers in grades K through 12.
This program is a nationwide competition to celebrate U.S.-based elementary, middle and high school teachers that are engaging students to learn effectively and graduate successfully. Whether these teachers have innovative teaching methods, create unique classroom projects, or organize inspiring after-school programs that encourage community involvement in their school, we want to hear more about them!
Here’s how it works: Nominate an outstanding teacher currently teaching in grades K through 6 or 7 through 12—it can be a teacher you’ve had, your child’s, or even yourself—by February 15 noon PT. We’ll select the finalists based on how they foster creativity in the classroom, help students learn beyond the classroom, and impact the greater school community.
We’ll announce the top 20 finalists on March 4 noon PT. Finalists will share videos responding to a short list of questions about their teaching experience, and the GOOD community will vote for their favorite teacher over the course of five weeks. At the end of five weeks, the top voted K through 6 teacher and the top voted 7 through 12 teacher will each receive a $10,000 classroom grant.
Dedicated teachers that are pushing students to learn and think in different ways deserve to be recognized. Give these teachers the chance to further learning in their classroom by nominating them in The Great American Teach-Off by February 15noon PT. Watch profiles of last year’s winning teachers, Terry Dougherty and Daryl Bilandzija to get inspired.
You can join the conversation with this challenge on Twitter at @GOODmkr and @TeachOff via #teachoff.
It’s almost the end of the nomination period for the 2013 Great American Teach-Off. Have you nominated your favorite teacher yet?
GOOD and University of Phoenix have teamed up to support and celebrate everyday teachers that go beyond the curriculum to find innovative and creative ways to engage students. Don’t miss this chance to tell us about your favorite teacher by February 15 noon PT so that he or she gets the opportunity to win a $10,000 classroom grant. It’s only three days away until the submission period ends and judging begins to select 20 finalists each in grades K through 6 and 7 through 12, so if you know a teacher that has made a positive impact on you, your child, or community, nominate him or her (it can even be you) to participate.
Let’s recognize teachers that are not only changing the lives of their students, but also their community. We want to hear all about the teachers that are integrating technology into the classroom, doing community outreach with their students, or pushing their students to learn and think in different ways so that they can graduate successfully and achieve beyond the classroom. Consider the Great American Teach-Off as a way to give your favorite teachers some of the best report cards they’ve ever had.
After the top 20 finalists are announced, voting opens on March 4 and in a course of five weeks, the GOOD community will vote for their favorite teacher. At the end of the five weeks, the top voted K through 6 teacher and top voted 7 through 12 teacher will each receive a $10,000 classroom grant.
Think about how the teachers in your community have positively affected their students’ futures and watch profiles of last year’s winning teachers, Terry Dougherty and Daryl Bilandzija, to get inspired. Remember, you have only until February 15 noon PT to make your nomination count.
You can join the conversation with this challenge on Twitter at @GOODmkr and @TeachOff via #teachoff.
It’s been quite an incredible year in the education space. While we’ve witnessed a surge in the number of politicians with no education experience make decisions on how schools should run and a wider adoption of nonsensical ideas like the “flipped classroom” and value-added teacher evaluations, there have been some memorable, equation-changing events and initiatives that have emerged.
So, let’s highlight five of the most extraordinary things that happened in education in 2012:
mattjosephdiaz-blog