Evaluation of Teachers is Being Prescribed by Federal Policy.  How Should Teachers Be Evaluated?

Award winning New York principal, Carol Burris, describes the way she believes teachers ought to be evaluated: The Newest Rhetoric on Teacher Evaluation—and Why It is Nonsense.

How Do Teachers Feel about the Widespread Attacks on the Profession?

Pilgrim Press has just published a new book of personal prayers for school teachers.  Title is Give Me Strength: Personal Prayers for School Teachers.  It's a wonderful book.  Check out this review.

John Merrow, PBS reporter, maintains a web page with statements from public school teachers, Why I Teach.

Are Bargaining Rights for Teachers Under Attack in Your State?

Here are reflections on the fall, 2012 Chicago teachers strike.

September 27: In this post atEducation Week's "Bridging Differences" blog, Deborah Meier reflects on issues at the heart of the Chicago teachers' strike.

September 14, 2012: Writer Alex Kotlowitz wonders, in the context of the Chicago teachers' strike Are We Asking Too Much from Our Teachers?

September 14, 2012: Joan Barkan in Dissent describes Who Is Victimizing Chicago's Kids?

September 11, 2012: The Nation magazine features an excellent analysis of the Chicago teachers' strike: Chicago Teachers Push Back Against Neoliberal Education Reform.

September 10, 2012: Today school teachers in Chicago went out on strike because months’ of negotiations have broken down. Here is a piece by a Chicago teacher, as featured on the website of the National Education Policy Center. He explains what’s at stake from his point of view as a teacher. . It is important to remember that union contracts are not merely about salaries but also about things like class size and working conditions. All these affect the school climate that children experience each day.

Worried about Scapegoating of Public School Teachers?  Check out these reflections...

• February 12, 2012: Michael Winerip, in the NY Times, reports on wonderful teaching at PS 142 in New York City.
• November 6, 2011:  Michael Winerip, in the NY Times, reports that Tennessee's new test-based, teacher merit evaluation program rates all teachers based on math and reading scores.  A middle school teacher of music or P.E. gets to choose whether to be evaluated on the math or reading test results, even though that teacher instructs in  neither reading or math.  Sound pretty crazy?  Check out this article.
• Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs, pastor at the San Marino, California Congregational United Church of Christ and former executive director of the UCC Office of Communication and OC, Inc., shares this reflection on the importance to his own family of his children's public school teachers.  "What's up with all this business about slamming teachers and dumping on public education?" he asks.
• Read here about the July 30, 2011, Save Our Schools (SOS) rally near the White House and the article published in United Church News.
• March 31, 2011: Marie Myung-OK Lee, who now teaches writing at Brown University, writes this tribute to two high school English teachers in Hibbing, Minnesota, teachers who helped form her as a person and as a writer: "What I Learned at School." 
• June 3, 2010:  The Rev. John Thomas, Senior Advisor to the President and Visiting Professor in Church Ministries, and former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, shares his thoughts on faith, ministry, theological education and the public role of the church in the world.  In this very moving blog, Rev. Thomas shares his reflections on the current public education debate, "It's Not OK to Hate Teachers."  
• June, 2010, Rethinking Schools editorial asks, "What's Up with All the Teacher Bashing?"  
• June 4, 2010, Mike Rose, UCLA professor and author of wonderful books on public education, Possible Lives and Why School?, just published a Los Angeles Times opinion piece, "A Lesson for Teachers: Learning to Teach Well is a Long Journey, and Not an Easy One." 
• 2006 Message on Public Education cover story, "Federal Law Felt as Attack by Public School Teachers," explores the damage the No Child Left Behind Act has inflicted on teachers.