Chapter 12: Educational Reform

I like the example in the book where about the captain that hears that an iceberg is ahead and he needs to decide when to turn the wheel, and how American schools have heard the message about reform and they are beginning to turn the wheel to change the course. Teachers used to teach students to raise their self-esteem and to subject matter, now with the competency tests, teachers are teaching to the test and they are under stress to meet the goal.
We should emphasize the performance assessment to assess the student knowledge and critical thinking and mix it up with multiple-choice. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind was signed to revised elementary and secondary education and the main goal is to close the gap between students who perform well and student who do not. Some educators show enthusiasm towards the program because it provides extra funding for school districts with poor children, others are critic of it because of several issues, such as an unrealistic goal of 100%  achievement by 2013-14.
There is no doubt that teachers have to be front and center to any academic reform. There are high expectation on teachers and their performance. There are teachers competency testing to assess the teacher's knowledge. Teacher have to have an incentive for being a teacher and in recent years there have been an increase in salary and an initiative for career ladders without leaving the classrooms.
Some parents choose to home school their children because they do not agree with school curriculum, safety and for religious reasons.
There are mixed feelings about the school choices. There are charter schools, magnet schools and vouchers and they vary by state.
School reform is ongoing issue in America, and the role of a teacher is critical to overcome obstacles and to provide excellent education to the students.