Reply to Soaring Child Poverty in DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I see what you're saying, but I think the frustrations that you are seeing in this thread are a reaction to the fact that if teacher quality becomes TOO much of the focus (which it has), then when do we really get serious about lowering the poverty rate?  Moreover, the disturbing part about the rising prominence of things like charters and TFA is because many of them are willing to play the "poverty doesn't matter" game.  Poverty does matter; these groups just play the game themselves by doing things like heavily teaching to the tests and accepting that if kids can do well on these tests then that actually means they're "college ready."  I think people are tired of playing this dumb game, particularly well qualified teachers that know it is wrong.  People are tired of sitting back and watching as the "poverty doesn't matter" crowd gains more and more clout.  Bill Gates knows a whole lot more about the economy and how money works than most people, isn't it worth even considering that maybe more of his focus should be on addressing rising poverty rates than on discovering the key to good teaching?  That's why we have things like the National Board For Professional Teaching.[/quote]

Right the idealistic, TF crowd is indoctrinated with the belief that they as novice teachers can overcome the effects of poverty.  THey teach their hearts out for two or three years; the kids scores don't go up and the TFAers leave and go on with their privileged lives.  What are they thinking when they leave? These efforts haven't worked.  Reformers know it, but they keep repeating the cycle -- keeping adults employed while not helping kids.  I'm referring to the adults who hire and train the revolving door teachers.

Teachers who have the proper attitude about student poverty haven't gotten the scores up. In fact scores are slipping. Yet school leaders think that attitude is what's needed to help poor kids learn.

There is no data to support that belief, but school leaders persevere. [/quote]

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