Comments on: Our voices DO matter http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/ Weblog of Wesley Fryer Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian Crosby http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-11640 Brian Crosby Wed, 23 Aug 2006 05:35:40 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/#comment-11640 Wesley, well said - I'm tired of teachers not speaking up in meetings, trainings etc. and then "off the rercord" listing all their issues with a policy. Then those hoisting the policy figure ... "Hey no one is seems to have a problem with this, so we'll just keep plugging along." It's unprofessional to not have the discusion(s) - the lack of open discussion is one of the issues that adversly impacts education the most in my opinion. I have to disagree with Andrew - if what I'm asked to implement as an educator is not in my students' best interest in my professional opinion - it is my obligation as an educator and professional and citizen to not only speak up about it, but to not implement that policy (or parts of that policy) and only leave my job if I am forced to so by legal means that show that my actions were not in my students' best interest. Otherwise I'm not much of a educator or professional or citizen. Learning is messy. Wesley, well said – I’m tired of teachers not speaking up in meetings, trainings etc. and then “off the rercord” listing all their issues with a policy. Then those hoisting the policy figure … “Hey no one is seems to have a problem with this, so we’ll just keep plugging along.” It’s unprofessional to not have the discusion(s) – the lack of open discussion is one of the issues that adversly impacts education the most in my opinion.
I have to disagree with Andrew – if what I’m asked to implement as an educator is not in my students’ best interest in my professional opinion – it is my obligation as an educator and professional and citizen to not only speak up about it, but to not implement that policy (or parts of that policy) and only leave my job if I am forced to so by legal means that show that my actions were not in my students’ best interest. Otherwise I’m not much of a educator or professional or citizen.
Learning is messy.

]]> By: astephens http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-11544 astephens Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:09:56 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/#comment-11544 Thanks for the optimistic viewpoint and encouraging words! Thanks for the optimistic viewpoint and encouraging words!

]]> By: Andrew Pass http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-11480 Andrew Pass Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:03:08 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/22/our-voices-do-matter/#comment-11480 Thanks for your comment and response to my comment. I must admit that I agree with you. We don't have an argument. It is important for us to speak up. However, perhaps there are two domains: the first one is practice in the classroom. As educators I think it is important for us to remember that we work for institutions and we must implement the policies of our institutions. We can certainly disagree with these policies and even encourage our students to think about their merit. But we must implement those policies or we should stop accepting our paychecks. The second domain is one of political discourse. As Americans we certainly have the right, nay the obligation to think about our government's policies and speak out when we disagree with them. As teachers we can not only speak as citizens but as professional educators. We can work hard to change these policies, but until they are changed we have an obligation to implement them or leave our jobs. These are just some thoughts. Andrew Pass http://www.Pass-Ed.com/blogger.html Thanks for your comment and response to my comment. I must admit that I agree with you. We don’t have an argument. It is important for us to speak up. However, perhaps there are two domains: the first one is practice in the classroom. As educators I think it is important for us to remember that we work for institutions and we must implement the policies of our institutions. We can certainly disagree with these policies and even encourage our students to think about their merit. But we must implement those policies or we should stop accepting our paychecks. The second domain is one of political discourse. As Americans we certainly have the right, nay the obligation to think about our government’s policies and speak out when we disagree with them. As teachers we can not only speak as citizens but as professional educators. We can work hard to change these policies, but until they are changed we have an obligation to implement them or leave our jobs. These are just some thoughts.

Andrew Pass
http://www.Pass-Ed.com/blogger.html

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