Walk the walk?
An attack weathered by all education-policy pundits who have not taught in dreadful, moldy, urban schools where classes are dismissed to the sound of gunfire is this: “Ah ha! But you haven’t spent time in the classroom and therefore have no grounds for opining.” How silly, though, if our legislators, staring at their 18.5 percent approval ratings, took to CSPAN and said, “Foolish Americans. You have no idea how difficult it is to serve one’s country! The vast majority of you have never been politicians, and probably you couldn’t even legislate new flags for your respective city halls. So, shush up.”
That’s not the same thing, Liam! Oh, isn’t it?
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:49 am
They are elected.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:11 am
So what you’re saying is you’ve never taught in a struggling urban environment, yet deem yourself qualified to dictate policy that affects it. See, I couldn’t tell through your continued deflection and sarcasm.
Godspeed, Mr. Julian. I’d like to think that there will be a day when you and your ilk will have the fortitude to shoulder some of the responsibility for why our public educational system is broken. Until then, carry on in your smashing role as an over-educated, under-experienced spectator wafting white papers, studies, and curricula down to school level from up on high. And know that your readers—what few there are based on the comments I’ve seen—are acutely aware that you lack the courage to take to the classroom and prove, once and for all, just how right you think you are.
Please turn the lights out when you’re done.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:37 am
Take a breath, Mr. McDermott, and let me buy you a beer when next you’re in D.C. If you’re really dying to hear it, I’m happy to tell you my life story then. Cheers.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Liam-
Your criticism that “teachers not cutting it” at Frederick Douglass caused such a response because it was pretty ridiculous to anyone who works in schools. As a high school teacher, if you get dealt a hand of kids who can’t read, what are they supposed to do? If kids don’t come to school, is that on the teacher?
Blaming the teachers for that mess is like saying “The food at that diner really sucked because the wait staff just wasn’t getting the job done.” Or “man, that movie was terrible because the guy at the ticket counter was a real jerk.” I mean, sure they had something to do with it, but do the deserve the majority of your criticism?
July 1st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Liam Julian - very flippant and breezy. We don’t want your life story. Just an answer to the question: have you taught in a classroom - urban or otherwise. Between leaving college and arriving at this blog what experience of the ed. system did you acquire?
Maybe you need to offer McDermott an apology for your offhand comments in the NRO article. And if he or any other teachers with experience of the urban ed system take you up on your offer of a beer - then YOU should do the listening.
July 12th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I’m not and have never been a classroom teacher, but I can use observation, data, and analytical skills to critique policy and teaching. I have two kids in public education and have seen both effective and ineffective teaching (by observation and by comparing measurable results) and have talked to many other parents about their experiences. I’ve also seen effective and ineffective principals and have noticed the apparent effect on the overall quality of their schools. I’ve done a lot of research and reading on teaching methods and education reform that many teachers haven’t. I don’t think that only classroom teaching experience qualifies one to critique teaching quality or effectiveness. I may not personally know how hard it is to teach, but that doesn’t logically disqualify me from noticing that some policies and methods are more successful than others.
I’m not a physician, but I can and must develop positions on health care policy as a citizen and voter. I’m not a lawyer, but I can and must develop positions on the law.
The criteria for assessing the validity of someone’s critique is whether it is based on sound data, the coherence and logic of their position, and whether it substantially addresses the issue at hand. People with classroom experience are not precluded from making valid critiques of education policy (assuming that they use sound data and are coherent, etc) but classroom experience is not a prerequisite for doing so.