Diane Aoki, Creativity Activism
  • Home Page
  • Blog
  • Poetry
  • Songs
  • Art
  • Plays
  • Reviews
  • Travel Journal
  • Artists of Note
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog

Blog

My Turn: Hopes for Biden education policy

12/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Another opinion piece for my local paper.
The Dec. 1 Bloomberg Opinion piece on education policy reminded me of the bad old days of former presidents George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind and Barack Obama’s Race to the Top, with its anti-union undertones and that trigger word — “accountability.” 
It paints unions as protecting members, devoid of accountability. No one goes into teaching because it’s easy, or because they can do whatever and be protected by a union. If you ask educators why they went into the profession, their answers will most likely be altruistic. Teachers want to be successful in their jobs, but most know that success measured by test scores is shallow and demoralizing. Encouraging positive relationships, assigning meaningful long-term projects, promoting collaboration with others, fostering creativity, reading to pursue their own interests, applying critical thinking are goals that don’t get measured but contribute to measures of success for most teachers.

The Bloomberg piece encourages Biden to expand charter schools. We do have successful ones in West Hawaii, but expansion means the opposite for traditional schools — reduction. Again, the Bloomberg piece demonizes unions, saying they have “waged war” against charter schools. In Hawaii, charter schools are represented by the same union as traditional public schools, so there isn’t the same antagonism that other places may have. However, there is some resentment between the two types of schools, having to do with funding.
In the Biden-Harris administration, I am hoping for a new era of respect for public education. Opportunities that we provide can be monitored and elevated. Besides securing the basics, we can note if students are getting the counseling they need and the arts that would enhance their learning; if their physical environments are conducive to learning; if they are safe; if they have nutritious meals; if they are learning how to get along with each other; if they are connecting to their communities and the world; if critical thinking is valued and implemented.
Test scores are only one piece of information about student development, but if it’s the major thing you consider, everything else will take a back seat.
Diane Aoki is a resident of Kealakekua
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Read More in About

    Author

    Diane Aoki is a writer who explores other modes of creativity as her intuition leads her. 

    Archives

    January 2022
    May 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    January 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

Go to the contact form to subscribe to my newsletter or send me a message.

Contact Form
t
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from MikaelWiman, Got Credit, www.cemillerphotography.com, Gerry Dincher, symphony of love
  • Home Page
  • Blog
  • Poetry
  • Songs
  • Art
  • Plays
  • Reviews
  • Travel Journal
  • Artists of Note
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog