to the editor: I also hope that strong leadership in education can help California children (“California children are still struggling in our schools. Will this change help?” July 13). As a retired teacher with 42 years of experience, this is what I would like to see:
High standards for universities that provide education. It is no secret that a professor or administrator can earn credits at “universities” that are basically “pay and pass” institutions. This can and does result in a poorly educated principal telling a Stanford-educated teacher that “reading to kids is a waste of time.”
High standards for teachers. Strive to have a fully credentialed teacher in every classroom. stop broadcasting “emergency” credentials whenever there is a shortage of teachers.
Teacher participation. Smart people want to be empowered at work. Structure school governance so that teachers have an important role in decision-making.
Strive for valid and reliable evaluations of schools and teachers. Schools can definitely be evaluated, but it can't be done with a cheap test administered to everyone. Consider effective evaluations, such as annual inspections conducted by experienced educators. Annual portfolios of student work can also reveal a lot about a child's growth. Tests could be designed to measure each child's school progress, but these tests would have to be administered by external parties. Perhaps retired educators could help with evaluations.
There are many things that are wrong with education in California. Much can be improved with strong leadership and a dose of common sense.
Linda Mele Johnson, Long Beach
