President Obama has good intentions with respect to education, but his reform efforts have little merit. An example is the idea to increase the number of math and science teachers in the K-12 system. The president wants to brings thousands of science and math teachers into the k-12 education pool. To make his vision come true, he has proposed a $10,000 tax credit so that 100,000 math and science teachers will leave more lucrative positions to pursue teaching careers.
Will 100,000 new teachers somehow transform the pipeline leading into the chemistry and physics classes? The answer is, "No." Even if there are 100,000 new math and science teachers, will it necessarily improve math and science instruction? The answer is again, "No." Having taken classes at the community college, state college, and university levels, the best teachers were generally at the community college level. This is because community college instructors generally have better presentation skills than college and university professors. They don't necessarily have the breadth of knowledge of the university professor, but they are better teachers. The point is, that instruction isn't always about knowledge, but presentation.
That isn't to say that knowledge isn't important, but one cannot escape the idea that building the entire product is important, not merely the end product of the education process. The k-12 education reforms are based on
whims. By improving the process of education, we'll inprove the education that students receive. We keep looking for education saviors in the form of charter schools, higher standards, and now "super teachers." Why not find the best lessons and know what works best. I guess we'll try anything but common sense.
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