Matvey wrote,
> I do not think that my situation is unique. There are many
> parents who have
> an idea what they want their kids to be taught and who are doing simila=
r
> things as we do. There is no doubt that parents' visions are very diver=
se.
> Those who have close ideas could have organized schools provided the
> government gives back the tax money for this and provides support for
> independent school movement (like continuous training for the teachers,
> educational materials, etc). Who is against it?
Recently my colleagues and I discuss an interesting issue of whose agents
the teachers are. It is very clear that a physician is an agent of patie=
nt
working on his/her behalf to improve the patient's health and well-being
(doctor Kauvorgian is a very interesting case in this sense of being
patient's agent in helping them to die). Lawyers are agents of their
clients. It does not mean that doctors and lawyers do not have other
obligations over other participants and agencies (e.g., insurance compani=
es,
courts). However, many societies recognize that their priorities and
special privileges and rights of being agents. There is no such thing fo=
r
teachers. California chain of anti-immigrant propositions suggests that
teachers are state agents in public schools and should prioritize state
interests over any others. It also came out in my class for preservice
teachers recently when one student suggest that we should stop "bashing"
testing and stop discussing harm of testing for students because state
requires it anyway and teachers are state employees in public schools.
I wonder is teachers are agents of students or to be precise, they should=
be
agents of students and recognize as such by the society. The teacher can=
't
(shouldn't) report on a student to INS even if a law requires other citiz=
ens
to do that because of her/his professional commitment. Unfortunately, th=
is
professional commitment of teacher to a student is not recognized by the
society and is not supported by a law.
If we accept this premise, I will side myself with Matvey and not with Na=
te
on the issue of special role of parents in deciding students' education
especially for young kids. Nate is right listing many stakeholders in
education. However, it is often parents who are ombudsmen (or should it =
be
"ombudspersons") for their young children and recognized by the society a=
s
such. The issue of voice of a young child in adult-dominated communities=
is
very important (thanks Jay for raising this issue in your many postings i=
n
past) -- who is taking on child's behalf. So far, parents are often the
highest particularity for their young children in their lives. When
children become older they can reclaim their voice to speak fully for
themselves and, thus, teachers can deal directly with voices of students =
as
they agents.
What do you think?
Eugene
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Matvey Sokolovsky [mailto:sokolovs@uconnvm.uconn.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 8:38 PM
> To: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: Campaign Against Public Schools
>
>
> At 05:35 PM 5/16/1999 -0700, Kenneth S. Goodman wrote:
>
> Today's North American teachers are the most
> >professional, the most knowledgeable, the most effective teachers the
> >world has ever known.
>
>
> It's pretty paradoxical that honoring North American teachers may sound
> extremely offensive, but it is for me. I graduated from the School # 57=
in
> Moscow, and I don't think there are many of its graduates who are
> not proud
> of the school. I don't think that Iran's math high school team who are =
the
> strongest in the world now (as far as I know) think that they are train=
ed
> by second class teachers. It is hard to believe that Chinese students t=
hat
> are present in the US Universities in such high numbers were able
> to master
> sciences and English from ineffective teachers (by the way, I was not a=
ble
> to find any school locally where Chinese is studied). Programmers from
> India that work in the US are probably unaware of the
> deficiencies of their
> school education. Etc.
>
> My emotional response against supporting the campaign for public school=
s
> was one of the messages that sparked this discussion. I send my kids to=
a
> private school, and I like the school a lot. I clearly prefer it to our
> local public school that is considered to be one of the best. I
> am unhappy,
> however, that I have to pay 1/3 of my family income for their education
> when I also pay for education of other kids. Though I like the school, =
it
> doesn't cover all the areas of education I want for my kids, so I
> complement this with extra classes; plus I cover some areas myself with=
my
> kids.
>
> I do not think that my situation is unique. There are many
> parents who have
> an idea what they want their kids to be taught and who are doing simila=
r
> things as we do. There is no doubt that parents' visions are very diver=
se.
> Those who have close ideas could have organized schools provided the
> government gives back the tax money for this and provides support for
> independent school movement (like continuous training for the teachers,
> educational materials, etc). Who is against it?
>
> State bureaucracy is an easy target but probably a scapegoat -- they wi=
ll
> be needed anyway and will receive their salaries.
>
> Money managers? It looks like that 25,000 student schools may teach mat=
h
> price-effectively (though less efficiently than 25,000 student
> classes) but
> transportation, security, student funerals, and superintendent's salari=
es
> may be cut. Plus I hardly agree that education is about money
> (furthermore,
> private schools are hardly the bast way to get profit). I think money
> managers would not starve and find their way to survive. I am not afrai=
d
> for them.
>
> Professors in Schools of Education? Hardly. A more developed and
> diversified system of education would increase the need in teachers, ra=
ise
> requirements and allow more creativity for university training.
>
> Underprivileged students? This looks like a bad joke.
>
> I see only two possible answers.
>
> On a psychological level, the struggle against vouchers is a struggle f=
or
> power, opportunity to abuse it and dictate everyone around how to behav=
e.
>
> On a socio-economic level=85 I completely agree with Kenneth Goodman th=
at
> Today's North American teachers are the most professional, the most
> knowledgeable, the most effective teachers the world has ever known. In=
a
> different sense though (I guess). Unfortunately, many teachers are a pa=
rt
> of the reproduction of the society of mass consumption. I am
> positive there
> are many people interested that kids are trained well to spend time in
> McDonalds, watch soap operas, browse malls, click buttons on computers,
> etc. these people place tremendous pressure on how education system sho=
uld
> work. And they do succeed. Honestly, their influence is the major threa=
t I
> try to avoid in the schools I visited before I found the one I
> liked. And I
> am really pessimistic that a struggle of several people has a realistic
> chance to change the society in the timeframe of my kids schooling.
>
> It is also interesting that the whole discussion has shifted to very
> general issues of social politics. I think it is a way to avoid a very
> local question that parent face summerly -- how to find a
> appropriate place
> for their kids.
>
> As for "the best in he world"=85 Well, I wish US would not use its mone=
y to
> starve Iraqi children and bomb Yugoslavia. There is a chance for the
> education system to improve because there are many devoted people
> involved.
>
> P.s. please note that I never said that I suggest eliminating
> public schools
>
>
>
> Matvey Sokolovsky
>