Reforms I think are most pressing to Education

Tonight, one of the debate questions was about education reform, and I happen to be a professional in the field (still a bit weird) so I thought I'd make a list of reforms I find to be most pressing to the educational world (and ps John McCain- your claim that we have reached equality in education is bs. I'm calling you out on that).
1. Better continued professional development support for teachers: Education is a fast changing field as far as our understanding of what the students need, but a slow-changing reality in the classroom. A lot of this has to do with the continued professional support for teachers. Yes, there are people who are just bad and need to get out, but a lot of teachers were good and can be good again, they just need the updated training. I may be a good teacher now, but without continual support to get better, I can easily become a bad teacher.
2. A strategic plan for closing the achievement gap through early education and culturally relevant programs: The fact that there is an achievement gap makes me sick to my stomach. The fact that people ignore it makes me sicker. We need a specific plan for how we can close that and I think increasing early education to get kids the same opportunities from the start and culturally relevant so students can pick up the tools they need to learn any culture are two of the most important ways. (getting better measurements of achievement is another...)
3. A careful examination of the assessment tools used to measure standards in American children and the research about assessment: Standardized tests are not a valid measure of what our students know. Time and again this gets proven and then ignored. Pay attention people. Other countries have come up with much more valid measures to test a child's achievement.
4. Easily available grants for teachers trying to get resources: I can understand people's fuss about money being wasted. I don't agree with the way money gets pulled from schools that are failing, but I get this want for accountability. How about instead the government offers a website like donorschoose that allows teachers to apply for resources they need to fix their classroom? I just talked to a middle school librarian tonight whose students are going to massacre him because the circulation in the library has doubled but there aren't enough books for the kids to read. That is a person trying to make a difference for good with his hands tied because of the wonderful backwards way our schools get funding.
5. Mandate a larger amount of school funding be state-wide and more of it be nationwide: I know schools have traditionally been locally run, but if we are held responsible to anyone outside of the local than someone outside of the local should be paying up. This one I am particular about since a local referendum failed at my high school. Schools in Illinois are funding by property taxes (many states are this way) since property values are linked to the quality of schools and keep the control city wide. The problem is we have Ethel here on a fixed income who owns some property. If she's on a fixed income she can't pay any more on her property just to keep the property value up- her income is FIXED. Make it an income tax and you are taxing the money people have to be able to give and are more likely to give it. This also closes the gap between the haves and have nots. Just because the city doesn't have a lot of money doesn't mean the students should suffer. It's already hard enough convincing students who live in down and out towns that they should take pride in where they came from.
6. Valid teacher accountability: If you don't perform on any job you get fired. For some reason teaching has gotten exempt from this rule. I get the purpose of this in colleges, so professors can calm down from the cutthroat competition and focus on more important issues, but in high school I should be held accountable for what I'm doing. Things such as evaluations, standards of continuing education, better national requirements are ways of holding teachers accountable. Comparing students' test scores is not.
7. Create more cross-curricular learning: Do you know how many times you have to hear a word before you learn it? I have it written down from some Dressman lecture, but it's a lot. And we want our teaching to be relevant to the students, but how often do you sit down outside of school and say I'm going to do some history and then some english and maybe a little chemistry experiment? We mold all of these into all of these fields. Math people write, and English people do math. Some of the most interesting work is in the fusion of various fields where we can really get to the crux of the problem from multiple angles. (And for the love of god- math and science are not the only fields in the world)
8. Stop trying to fix things in some schools rather than all schools: Sure we can bus a kid to another school, but what about the 1000 kids left at the school who don't want to get bussed because they won't know anyone anywhere else? Charter schools may work and vouchers may be turning around the system in DC, but those aren't solutions for my school that still has students who need to learn.
9. Class size nationally mandated: You want a positive mandate coming at the national level then make the class size a nationally mandated level at 25. I know the research shows that class size doesn't matter past a certain age, but it does matter when you are trying to create universal design and have to worry about 40 kids. 25 allows you personal time with all students. It's for the teachers' sake as much as anything.
10. This one isn't so much a policy change as a mind-set change: Recognizing that every student has the potential to change the world in a positive way, and our teachers have one of the greatest chances of influincing that as long as we can change the idea that education is for wimps and only bad things happen in our schools. (two different sides of the fence there, but equally damning.)

Your student failed to suit...

A list of comments that I can make on my students' reports cards...

Comment Code	Comment
01	Exceptional work. Demonstrates mastery of standar
02	Produces beyond the assignment.
03	A pleasure to have in class.
04	Obeys rules, respects public and personal property
05	Works well with others in a variety of situations.
06	Accepts responsibility for personal actions.
07	Shows determination in accomplishing assignments/t
08	Work is improving to meet the standards of the cou
09	Demonstrates thorough use of knowledge and skills.
10	Low scores.
11	Does not complete assignments/tasks.
12	In danger of failing/not meeting promotion standar
13	Excessive absences and/or tardies.
14	Experiencing difficulty in meeting the standards.
15	Frequently comes to class without necessary materi
16	Seldom or never dressed for Physical Education.
17	Needs to participate in class activities.
18	Exhibits disruptive and/or inconsiderate behavior.
19	Talks too much.
20	Grade based upon a modified curriculum.
24	Parent conference requested. Call for appointment
25	Demonstrates honesty, fairness and/or integrity.
26	Demonstrates insight and thorough use of knowledge
27	Maintains courteous, positive relations with other
28	Maintains excellent attendance.
29	Completes work assigned.
30	Demonstrates understanding of standards and tasks.
31	Follows directions.
32	Accepts suggestions for improving work.
33	Completes all assignments.
34	Does well on oral assignments.
35	Does well on written assignments.
36	Contributes greatly to the class.
37	I'm proud of your child's achievement.
38	I'm proud of your child's improvement.
39	Assists others in meeting the standards.
40	Grade average is going up.
41	Grade average is steady.
42	Maintains satisfactory attendance.
43	Does not take suggestions for improving work.
44	Exhibits little effort; indifferent to corrections
45	Does not finish assignments.
46	Seldom is prepared for class.
47	Exhibits little effort to learn.
48	Makes careless errors in work.
49	Exhibits little effort to improve.
50	Does not pay attention in class.
51	Grade average is going down.
52	Exhibits discourteous behavior.
53	Too many violations of class rules.
54	Does not respect equipment and materials.
55	In danger of earning a "U" in Work Habits.
56	In danger of earning a "U" in Cooperation.
57	Chewing gum and/or eating in class.
58	Tear-offs/notices home not returned.
59	Books not covered.
60	Exhibits a negative attitude in class.
61	Demonstrates a lack of self-control.
62	Truancies/tardies are affecting class work.
63	Does not follow directions and/or instructions.
64	Seldom participates orally in class.
65	Seldom works in class; wastes time.
66	Often exhibits discourteous and inconsiderate beha
68	Awaiting mark from previous school.
69	Too many non-suits in Physical Education.
70	Fail - non-compliance with school's attendance pol
71	Recommended for intervention.