Do Board of Education members even know what the North Star project involves? Apparently the grant proposal doesn't give a lot of detail and one reviewer was left with a lot of questions. So exactly what is the Department of Education going to get for the $5 million that it is turning over to Superintendent Weast?
Here are some excerpts from one review (see pages 34-35 of link) of the MCPS North Star grant proposal. This reviewer gave MCPS a score of 4 out of a possible 15 points.
The problem with this grant is not about the quality of the research design. Pearson knows all about how to conduct quasi-experimental research...that is, not exactly experimental because children and teachers in school systems cannot be truly randomly assigned like in medical research.
ReplyDeleteThe PROBLEM is the exclusive partnerships sends the following messages loud and clear:
1. MCPS trusts textbook writers knowledge over teachers' knowledge and expertise. Whatever is in the book must be taught. It takes teachers' autonomy and creativity away.
2. There will be an exclusive relationship such that all products in the school system will be from ONE perspective...Pearson's. What if a teacher says, "thanks but no thanks, I like my scholastic books in my literacy centers?" Teachers will have absolutely no control about what books, concepts, approaches they will use to teach.
3. If teacher's have no control, how could they possibly differentiate instruction based on the needs of their classroom students?
4. From what I read, a lot of the curriculum will be on-line, so accessibility is an issue that is mentioned in a few of the reviews. But more importantly, the human teacher is left out of the scenario. It's the child and the computer. Is this where MCPS sees instruction for our ELEMENTARY students in the future?
Anonymous1, If teachers are so concerned as they seem to be, at least individually, about the pedagogical direction of MCPS, why don't they do something about their union leadership? How do you think MCPS has accrued so much power as to push the Pearson contract through the BOE with only 48 hrs notice? Teachers, we taxpayers would appreciate your stepping up to the plate here. We need your support. It seems the parents and taxpayers support the teachers but your own union leadership doesn't.
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