In an open letter to teachers nationwide sent in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6), U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledged that teachers are frustrated and have come under attack in recent months.
He writes:
[Y]ou are frustrated when teachers alone are blamed for educational failures that have roots in broken families, unsafe communities, misguided reforms, and underfunded schools systems. You rightfully believe that responsibility for educational quality should be shared by administrators, community, parents, and even students themselves.
He acknowledged that many teachers are fed up with the teach-to-the-test effects of No Child Left Behind, and with being the target of accountability measures that don't factor in other elements of students' lives.
Many of you have told me you are willing to be held accountable for outcomes over which you have some control, but you also want school leaders held accountable for creating a positive and supportive learning environment. You want real feedback in a professional setting rather than drive-by visits from principals or a single score on a bubble test. And you want the time and opportunity to work with your colleagues and strengthen your craft.
The solution? Not surprisingly, Duncan says he wants to work together with teachers to change federal law to create a "a system of evaluation that draws on meaningful observations and input from your peers, as well as a sophisticated assessment that measures individual student growth, creativity, and critical thinking."
We'll see how that goes.
The whole letter is worth a read. It's after the jump.
