Tuesday, November 20, 2012

what parents want?

This article is worth the read. Beyond anything else, it is a great reminder that when we say "good school" we aren't talking about a specific, set criteria that everyone agrees on. When people are thinking about the culture where their child will spend significant hours of his or her life, test scores may not matter as much as how teachers speak to children, and how parents are treated.

The article is a fascinating look at school choice and the ins and outs of cultural norms in education.

1 comment:

Suzanne G. said...

Thank you for sharing this article. I live in Massachusetts (best schools in the country according to bubble tests) and Responsive Classroom is in ALL districts in our state, rural, urban, suburban, and everything in between. We do have schools that are far below what the kids could accomplish, but they are overcrowded and underfunded. In order to counteract the desparate and authoritarian (fear-based) parenting, teachers need an environment to introduce students to civility and respect in human discourse. Students need room to move and interact with materials, poorer districts need a higher teacher/student ratio so individual needs are met, and there needs to be adequate funding for adjustment counselors and other mental health professionals to help teach social, executive, and emotional skills so that underprivileged kids can shine. Great article.