An Open Letter to @arneduncan #edpolicy
Education Rethink 2013-09-13
Dear Arne Duncan, I am honored that you (or your staff) chose to follow me on Twitter. However, I'm not sure it's going to make a difference. I have a hunch that it has more to do with a Connected Educator month than a sincere desire to listen to teachers. However, if you want to connect, I suggest you start with a horizontal, democratic conversation with teachers. Real teachers. The kind affected by your policies. I believe that you care about kids. I believe that you think merit pay and VAM scores and PARCC assessments will help us reach the top. I don't mind the fact that we disagree. I get that. However, I am bothered by the way the Obama administration uses positive, empty rhetoric while doing little to change the failed policies of No Child Left Behind. Here's what I mean:
- talking up STEM while pushing policies that continue to assess science and engineering through informational text and high-stakes tests
- pandering to the teacher's union and then promoting reformers that are openly anti-union
- speaking in favor of the altruistic nature of teachers while supporting VAM scores and merit pay (here's a hint: we're not motivated by money. If we fight to keep our pay, it's because many of us have mouths to feed at home)
- promoting connected learning while doing nothing to ensure universal wireless connectivity in American schools
- criticizing standardized tests while continuing to use them to rank schools and rank teachers