Seven-Eight-Nine

Chapter Seven: How Schools are held Accountable

It seems that the No Child Left behind Act pervades the way the public school is managed in America. Since the passing of NCLB act, accountability has been greatly emphasized. In fact, the act was created to mandate accountability in the public school system. The primary goal is to improve student achievement and to close the gap between white and minority students.

NCLB requires states to administer standards-based assessments in reading, math, and science with the goal of having all students proficient in those subjects by 2014. The intentions are admirable, but it throws all the burdens on the teachers. Parent involvement and parent support is actually essential to see this through, and it has proven to be a great factor in student achievement. Still, teachers in the U.S. are compensated for their hard work in the form of extra money, or performance pay.


INTASC Standard 7



Chapter Eight: Your Legal Responsibilities and Rights as a Teacher

Gaining knowledge on the legal responsibilities of a teacher can be a bit overwhelming. The responsibility that struck me the most is preventing tort liability, which is a civil wrong against the rights of others. There are three kinds of torts that you may encounter in school and in the classroom: negligence, intentional torts, and strict liability.

As teachers, we must try to avoid all three torts. Our conduct or care should not harm or injure another person. We should not engage in conduct that centers around the harm and defamation of individuals in school, whether they are students, colleagues, or parents. We should also try to prevent hazardous occurences from happening by providing and maintaining a safe classroom environment.

But beyond the overwhelming legal responsibilities, teachers also have legal rights. The one that stood out for me the right to nondiscrimination. Last school year, I truly felt I was being given a hard time by an administrator because I felt I was being discriminated against because of my sexual preference.

I realize now though that I have the same legal rights towards discrimination as my students. As a matter of fact, school districts and school officials cannot discriminate in the hiring, dismissal, promotion, and demotion of teachers. Sure, I realize that the Catholic religion plays a big part in communal decisions, but I don't think it should hinder the way a government operates. Although we respect the individual's choice in religion, it should not play a role in how public schools function and operate.


INTASC Standard 9



Chapter Nine: The Implications of Philosophies of Education for You and Your Students

As a teacher, what do I believe? My personal philosophy on education may seem minuscule, but it greatly shapes the way I teach in the classroom. It shapes the way I live my life, and the example I set in the classroom and out in public. The primary tension is between the philosophies of education and the educational practices that support them in the public school.

There are many philosophies on education, but what do you agree with? These philosophies, from perennialism to exitentialism, all suggest different approaches and belief systems, but as teachers, we should create our own personal beliefs and philosophies because they reflect who the teacher is as an individual and as an educator.


INTASC Standard 1