Anonymous wrote:

In Finland, the qualifications to be a teacher are unbelievably high. They are extremely well paid and respected because it is so difficult to become a teacher. You have to do homework because the classes are so large and being a teacher is neither well paid nor prestigious - thus you have the type of people teaching that you have. Sorry to say it, but the really interesting and dynamic people in the US are in private industry, not boring your kids to death in school.

Interesting that you should immediately leap to blaming teachers for the country's testing culture and obsession with homework.

+1

In Finland, the qualifications to be a teacher are unbelievably high. They are extremely well paid and respected because it is so difficult to become a teacher. You have to do homework because the classes are so large and being a teacher is neither well paid nor prestigious - thus you have the type of people teaching that you have. Sorry to say it, but the really interesting and dynamic people in the US are in private industry, not boring your kids to death in school.

Interesting that you should immediately leap to blaming teachers for the country's testing culture and obsession with homework.

Anonymous wrote:And we wonder why other countries are surpassing ours.

+1

A few years ago, there was a movie, "Race to Nowhere," and I bet they have a website and can direct you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework.

To whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework.

To whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Finland, the qualifications to be a teacher are unbelievably high. They are extremely well paid and respected because it is so difficult to become a teacher. You have to do homework because the classes are so large and being a teacher is neither well paid nor prestigious - thus you have the type of people teaching that you have. Sorry to say it, but the really interesting and dynamic people in the US are in private industry, not boring your kids to death in school.

My kids have had some truly life-changing teachers, so I don't agree with that part. Even if the criteria to become a teacher got much harder, those particular teachers would meet the mark. There are definitely people born to teach. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and there are those who should have chosen a different career. In the US those people only get weeded out if they burn out. They aren't fired or are rarely fired.

This is true, but the OP was about testing.

Anonymous wrote:In Finland, the qualifications to be a teacher are unbelievably high. They are extremely well paid and respected because it is so difficult to become a teacher. You have to do homework because the classes are so large and being a teacher is neither well paid nor prestigious - thus you have the type of people teaching that you have. Sorry to say it, but the really interesting and dynamic people in the US are in private industry, not boring your kids to death in school.

My kids have had some truly life-changing teachers, so I don't agree with that part. Even if the criteria to become a teacher got much harder, those particular teachers would meet the mark. There are definitely people born to teach. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and there are those who should have chosen a different career. In the US those people only get weeded out if they burn out. They aren't fired or are rarely fired.

Anonymous wrote:Whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework.

To whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework.

Whom should I write to complain about our country's obsession with testing and homework.

OP, sadly I do not think there is any hope this will change while your children are young.

-A former teacher

And we wonder why other countries are surpassing ours.

Yes, in Finland it is highly prestigious and competitive to be a teacher, but early on the salary is far from high as per this article..

http://www.businessinsider.com/finlands-education-system-best-in-world-2012-11?op=1

In Finland, the qualifications to be a teacher are unbelievably high. They are extremely well paid and respected because it is so difficult to become a teacher. You have to do homework because the classes are so large and being a teacher is neither well paid nor prestigious - thus you have the type of people teaching that you have. Sorry to say it, but the really interesting and dynamic people in the US are in private industry, not boring your kids to death in school.

A march on Washington sounds good

Do I contact my school board member? Do I write to the department of education? Do I start a petition? I feel like parents and teachers have been banging their heads against the wall for years and it just gets worse. How do we get things to change? I don't want my children to spend their childhood this way.

How many articles do we have to read about how superior Finland's educational system is the US before we make some bold changes? In Finland they don't start formal education until 7. They rarely take tests or have homework until they are in their teens. They get an average of 75 minutes A DAY of recess in elementary school. My kids get 20. Somehow youngsters from Finland end up out performing our kids across the board academically. Maybe it's because they actually have time to enjoy the learning process and they get enough playtime that their minds are ready to focus in the classroom. Why, in the US, do we think it is essential to give young children so much homework and so many quizzes and tests and so little recess? The system is broken. Time to start over. I know most parents and teachers agree. I know there have been endless editorials and articles. What will it take? Do we need to have a march on Washington?