These observations nail it on the head: schools are failing from naive, idealistic and short-sighted leadership on the part of school administrators (principals, assistant principals, and anyone else in a leadership position supporting these ill-conceived policies) --and the tragic point is, this comes from the failed leadership at the top: we're reaching about eight years of leadership by Joel Klein, a school chancellor with no prior experience or training in education issues.
A Teacher at a Closing School Comments
Here are the main problems.
1. Inexperienced/ Inept leadership at principal level
2. Failure to accept that all students do not want/ are unable to be college graduates
3. Failure to realize that without qualified electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, etc we are totally screwed.
4. Failure to realize that students learn best with students of similar abilities and interests.
5. Failure to understand that social skills are a better predictor of success and happiness than academic aptitude.
6. Failure to realize that as students grow their abilities and interests change and that continual reevaluation of their potential is both appropriate and necessary.
7. The above is true for teachers and administrators as well.
8. Everything that worked 40 years ago may not work today but some of it probably will.
If you cannot read you cannot lead. If you cannot lead no one will follow. If no one follows you are alone.
Don't think the DOE has given up for an instant.
Just amazing that no one in the media, aside from a few reporters at the tabloid rags, "The New York Post" and "The Daily News" has questioned the tenets of the education deformers' Kool-Aid.
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