Comments on: Obama, Reformers and TFA http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/24/obama-reformers-and-tfa/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:24:30 -0500 hourly 1 By: Rachel http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/24/obama-reformers-and-tfa/comment-page-1/#comment-4721 Rachel Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:48:24 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1293#comment-4721 It seems to me that its perfectly possible to be pro-education, and even pro-education reform, without being anti-union or even anti-ed-school, and that will be exactly what a Democratic president needs to do. The tendency of the Fordham folks (and others) to insist on the dichotomy, and to suggest that all the answers are known, and just waiting for people with the resolve to implement them, decreases their credibility in my eyes. It seems to me that its perfectly possible to be pro-education, and even pro-education reform, without being anti-union or even anti-ed-school, and that will be exactly what a Democratic president needs to do.

The tendency of the Fordham folks (and others) to insist on the dichotomy, and to suggest that all the answers are known, and just waiting for people with the resolve to implement them, decreases their credibility in my eyes.

]]> By: morgan http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/24/obama-reformers-and-tfa/comment-page-1/#comment-4715 morgan Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:32:59 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1293#comment-4715 I think that Mike is overplaying the case here, and as a TFA and Obama fan I'm not worried. For one, LDH has I think moderated her anti-TFA rhetoric over the years, partly because it's really hard to argue that TFA is an inherently bad thing. I saw her on a panel with some urban principals a year or two ago, and every principal praised their TFA teachers. For another TFA is hugely popular among non-education folks, and I really don't see anybody trying to stem that tide effectively. Lastly I'm not sure federal policy has a huge amount to do with TFA, but maybe I'm wrong on that. I think that Mike is overplaying the case here, and as a TFA and Obama fan I’m not worried. For one, LDH has I think moderated her anti-TFA rhetoric over the years, partly because it’s really hard to argue that TFA is an inherently bad thing. I saw her on a panel with some urban principals a year or two ago, and every principal praised their TFA teachers. For another TFA is hugely popular among non-education folks, and I really don’t see anybody trying to stem that tide effectively. Lastly I’m not sure federal policy has a huge amount to do with TFA, but maybe I’m wrong on that.

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