Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you the COMMENT OF THE WEEK

interesting article: How to Raise the Status of Teachers Aside from a pay increase, what are other ways of attracting high-quality educators? Let Us Teach! Updated March 27, 2011, 07:00 PM Vern Williams teaches honors math at Longfellow Middle School in Fairfax County, Va. He was named to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in 2006. I really doubt that it is possible to raise the status of teachers and teaching in the U.S. considering the major stake holders currently involved in K through 12 education. I understand why students in the top third academically refuse to become teachers, while in Finland, Singapore and South Korea, teaching candidates are selected only from the top third. Until classroom teachers are allowed to make real decisions regarding curriculum, assessment, textbooks and professional development, the status of teachers will remain low. .What we, as teachers, need to do is take back our profession. Most teachers will take to the streets and protest over salaries, pensions and working  conditions, but how many teachers would do the same if someone  who has never taught their grade level or subject, imposed a  new curriculum or demanded that certain pedagogy be followed?  Until practicing classroom teachers are allowed to make real  decisions regarding curriculum, assessment, textbooks and  professional development, the status of teachers will remain  low. At the moment, our profession seems to be in the hands  of politicians, researchers, special interest groups, school system  bureaucracies, unions, technology companies and textbook  publishers. Even though I highly respected the members of the  National Mathematics Advisory Panel I served on, I was the only  practicing K through 12 teacher on the panel. Why should bright  high school students decide to become teachers if they suspect  that everyone will make decisions concerning their profession  except them? In the 1990s, I spent three weeks during a few  of my summers teaching for the Johns Hopkins University’s  Center for Talented Youth. I found it fascinating how instructors  were treated and respected. They were careful in who they  hired, but once hired they trusted you to plan and teach your  assigned course to your students without interference. Even  though I was teaching sixth graders, I felt the prestige of a  college professor. This is how teachers should feel each and  every day in their classrooms if the status of teaching is to  be raised.  http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/27/how-to-raise-the-status-of-teachers/let-us-teach By Anonymous on The auditors are coming, the auditors are coming..... at 6:58 PM