Comments on: In the news: controversy over black studies classroom move http://ppsequity.org/2009/08/06/in-the-news-controversy-over-black-studies-classroom-move/ Covering the beat of Portland Public Schools Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:00:36 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Steve Buel http://ppsequity.org/2009/08/06/in-the-news-controversy-over-black-studies-classroom-move/comment-page-1/#comment-38879 Steve Buel Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:53:19 +0000 http://ppsequity.org/?p=681#comment-38879 This is a great example of how schools are really influenced by the overall trends in education which usually come down through the district administration. Here is the new trend -- we can use it to justify the failures from the last trend we implemented which was to undo the failures from the previous trend we had previously implemented -- and on and on. Sitting down and having open discussions with the teachers, administrators, other school adults, and kids and deciding what would really help the school work better is a thing of the past. After all, "research shows" this new trend is the way to go. Nevermind the research stinks and the new trend doesn't actually address the serious complex problems which are hindering the school from working. Of course, it would help if PPS would come up with a definition of what constitutes a good education so people might know the directions they should pursue. This is a great example of how schools are really influenced by the overall trends in education which usually come down through the district administration. Here is the new trend — we can use it to justify the failures from the last trend we implemented which was to undo the failures from the previous trend we had previously implemented — and on and on. Sitting down and having open discussions with the teachers, administrators, other school adults, and kids and deciding what would really help the school work better is a thing of the past. After all, “research shows” this new trend is the way to go. Nevermind the research stinks and the new trend doesn’t actually address the serious complex problems which are hindering the school from working.

Of course, it would help if PPS would come up with a definition of what constitutes a good education so people might know the directions they should pursue.

]]> By: ppsvet http://ppsequity.org/2009/08/06/in-the-news-controversy-over-black-studies-classroom-move/comment-page-1/#comment-38876 ppsvet Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:23:41 +0000 http://ppsequity.org/?p=681#comment-38876 I didn't want to comment as I am LHS teacher. However the Mercury article is so slanted to be anti-teacher I had to say something. It appears to me that the administration is so oblivious to the impact of their decisions that they have lost the support of the teachers. Or at least, many of them. If there had been any desire to honestly communicate this would be a non-issue. I've been out of town for more than a week and it's still festering. That looks to me as if the institution is not functioning as a team from either side. That's sad as Lincoln used to be a good school. These issues are not exclusive to Lincoln, they're systemic. One side may say get rid of all of the teachers. The other may say that it's time to replace the administrators. A sports analogy comes to mind. You can't fire the whole team, so it's time to get a new coach. My biased point of view. I didn’t want to comment as I am LHS teacher. However the Mercury article is so slanted to be anti-teacher I had to say something. It appears to me that the administration is so oblivious to the impact of their decisions that they have lost the support of the teachers. Or at least, many of them.

If there had been any desire to honestly communicate this would be a non-issue. I’ve been out of town for more than a week and it’s still festering. That looks to me as if the institution is not functioning as a team from either side. That’s sad as Lincoln used to be a good school.

These issues are not exclusive to Lincoln, they’re systemic. One side may say get rid of all of the teachers. The other may say that it’s time to replace the administrators. A sports analogy comes to mind. You can’t fire the whole team, so it’s time to get a new coach.

My biased point of view.

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