Dear Editors: Last week, Joe Nocera wrote about educational successes in Central Falls, Rhode Island, providing considerable detail about administrators of the successful charter school, the superintendent, and one principal. One group he never mentioned: teachers. And he never explained exactly what led to such success. This is how education news is usually reported. Result: the public and many political leaders have little idea what a high quality education really looks like, so they’re not well equipped to propose reforms. [...]
Teachers everywhere are beginning to realize that in the present social and political atmosphere they need to begin speaking up about the work they do. Much of the public, the media, and the politicians have very little idea what goes into creating a great classroom every day. But they’ll only begin to understand and to make more informed policy decisions if we explain more about what we do. The linked article, from the November edition of the NCTE Council Chronicle [...]