Week 13: Accountability
Increased accountability measures from various levels of government imposed on schools has led to the deprofessionalization of teaching. The education field is more focused on outcomes rather than process. Students, teachers, and even entire schools are evaluated on a moment in time rather than evidence of progress. Teaching has become less about pedagogy and cultivating lessons to build critical thinkers. Curriculum has been doled out factory-style by textbook companies and education management companies. The teacher talent pool is shrinking for a multitude of reasons, and now it’s not uncommon to find a teacher without certification leading a classroom. How did accountability get us here? To be clear, I’m not arguing that accountability should not exist in education. Rather, that accountability should look differently in the education landscape. Alfie Kohn writes “In the Case Against Grades”, “collecting information doesn't require tests, and sharing that information doesn't