According to American psychologist Abraham Maslow, if a person’s basic life needs such as food, water and safety are not met, then higher-level needs such as achievement, responsibility, and personal growth will be beyond one’s reach.
It is erroneous to believe that teachers are solely responsible for the education of our youth. Too many other factors exist. The current solution for teacher accountability will not work, and I fear it will just add to the downward trend, producing a weaker public school system that is the dumping ground for the unmotivated student.
Teachers are given full responsibility to educate, but are now being put in a position of “ineffective” until proven effective. Teachers are the scapegoats of an educational mind-set that is broken, discouraging, and not conducive to a healthy society.
Maureen Stearns
Letters to the Editor, St. Petersburg Times, 4/6/10
Thinking Teacher Connect 