Juneau teachers showed up en mass last night at the school district board meeting to testify against the district's proposal to cut out of the teaching contract the paragraph that addresses academic freedom. It is believed that the administration's intention is to strip teachers of their freedoms in an effort to promote the use of scripted , "canned", programs. We teachers feel a deep lack of respect for our professional capabilities and esteem. We are not interested in education without personal connection, and we feel removing the freedom given us to teach with our individual styles and preferences in play is not what is best for kids. Why educate us to be teachers when a robot could do the canned programs we are being told are coming our way? Teachers are appalled by the intent to strike intellectual freedom from our contract, currently under negotiation.
Please visit the following link and scroll to "Article 12" to see the proposed changes to academic freedom in the teaching contract. Note as well that instruction is to be "data driven and results oriented". In other words, standardized test will rule.
http://yourjea.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/jsd-initial-bargaining-proposal.pdf
It doesn't sound like negotiations are going well.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the fight. Our students deserve better, and many need that extra caring atmosphere that teachers provide.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne and Val. Things are indeed quite heated currently. Wouldn't it be great if everybody valued diversity in education?
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering why my URL for my blog is so much longer than everybody else's....must have done a goof at some point.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Life is never dull as a teacher and things like this can end up giving teachers/teaching a bad name. Keep working hard and hope everyone remembers to do what is best for children/students.
ReplyDeletePaige, this sounds like a tough battle ahead. In the elementary grades of the Bozeman and Belgrade school districts they have a scripted math book that they have to follow to the lettering the mornings. In the afternoon they have more freedom in what they present. It seems a little dry to me and lacks creativity like you said.
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