Monday Musings: Leading/Teaching, Duncan Style

Have you, the anti CCSS Warrior, heard of “Teach to Lead”? Get set for another U.S. Dept. of Education approach to the education overreach and P3 involvement. In the screen shot below, note the pro-CCSS groups also backing “Teach to Lead”.

“Teach to Lead” is the apparent brain child of the National Board (they included the NEA and ATF in their inaugural press release as having been involved) and the U.S. Dept. of Education. The NEA, National Educators Association and the ATF, American Teachers Federation have worked with the National Board on other projects as well. See the “Teach to Lead” press release: http://www.nbpts.org/newsroom/us-department-education-partner-national-board-teacher-leadership

Watch the video below and see if you can glean any coherent message. I, tried..I really did, but the people talking said enough to take up lots of time, yet the message didn’t really share much of anything. At least in the way I was listening. But, as always, the resources are provided so you can make up your own mind.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPBQOZADrMg&w=560&h=315]

Let the CCSS Abound:

While the video above wasn’t blatant with CCSS love, the website more than makes up for it. For example, the Resources page looks more like a CCSS Shoppers Dream. Titles include:

Creating Sustainable Teacher Career Pathways: A 21st Century Imperative by NNSTOY

Common Core: Teacher Leaders and Common Core Implementation in Tennessee by the Aspen Institute and Lead Teachers

and then there’s this ‘beauty’:

To get the entire PDF to see how the “Teach to Lead” needs you to align: Teacher%20Leadership%20Competencies%20-%20FINAL

Hey, Let’s Get Mikey..

If you’re over 40, you may well remember the Life cereal commercial. Two boys are afraid to try it, so they chime in “Hey, let’s get Mikey. He hates everything he won’t eat it.”  Mikey tries it and proceeds to dig into the bowl of cereal. It is only after this that the others find it to their liking as well.

It appears the “Teach to Lead” is almost up to the same approach. In fact, the whole guise of getting the teachers to do the ‘dirty work’ via this program sounds eerily close to the “EdReports” way of conducting business. (see: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/03/09/monday-musings-ccss-subjective-objective/)

Why can’t we let teachers conduct their job? Why are so many so busy selling them (and us) on one way to do teach?  If CCSS is so great, why is it being pushed so hard? Why is so much going in to convincing others? Why does the U.S. Dept. of Ed act like teachers weren’t leaders before this program? Teachers ARE leaders! They always have been! Let them lead without the CCSS agenda, Mr. Duncan!