Re: [xmca] Teach for America

[Tony Whitson <twhitson@UDel.Edu>]

I'll just add that TFA reflects an image that's rather common in America 
of what teachers are, and what they do.

Another reflection is provided by Laura Bush in her speech to the 
Republican National Convention in 2000:

"George's opponent [Al Gore] has been visiting schools lately and 
sometimes when he does he spends the night before at the home of a 
teacher.

"Well, George spends every night with a teacher.

"... I first decided to become a teacher when I was in the second grade. 
...

"Growing up, I practiced teaching on my dolls. I'd line them up in rows 
for the day's lessons. Years later our daughters did the same thing. We 
used to joke that the Bush family had the best-educated dolls in America."

On Sat, 20 Feb 2010, Tony Whitson wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Feb 2010, Au, Wayne wrote:
>
> > Sorry for the long-winded answer, but there's a lot (more?) to be said 
> > about TFA.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Wayne
>
> No need to apologize, Wayne. You did an awesomely "fair and balanced" [not in 
> the Rupert Murdoch way] job. When I read the query, I thought about it for 
> only a few seconds before realizing I would not be capable of such a 
> controlled and nuanced rendering.
>
> Just to provide a little more of an edgy political context, though, Obama's 
> Ed. Sec. Duncan has been giving speeches trashing education schools (although 
> he spoke to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education last 
> week, and I haven't seen or heard anything about that yet); and he has 
> publically said that the best thing that's ever happened to education in New 
> Orleans is Hurricane Katrina.

Tony Whitson
UD School of Education
NEWARK  DE  19716

twhitson@udel.edu
_______________________________

"those who fail to reread
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