First Amendment brouhaha at Jeff: PAT'S Miller speaks out

PAT'S Jeff Miller has weighed in on the threatening memo left for Jefferson teachers not to talk to reporters without permission from the principal.  Like me, Miller sees what he calls "management through intimidation" as a flagrant violation of First Amendment rights:

" 'It’s as if someone … forgot about the First Amendment of our federal Constitution,' wrote Miller, adding that teachers still are allowed to speak to reporters without permission during breaks or before or after work. 'It’s called the right to free speech.' "

Since the current issue of the PAT's Advocate isn't online yet, here's another of Miller's  "messages", this one reaffirming what I wrote about the district's  K-8 reconfiguration mandate.  Miller is one sharp cookie.

"No careful study has shown that K-8 schools in and of themselves cause higher achievement, reduced absenteeism, or fewer disciplinary problems."

That's what I said last May:

"Merely reconfiguring schools into K-8's, while ignoring curricular reform, will do nothing to raise student ahievement."

Earlier I wrote a post claiming that research supported the switch to K-8 schools.  I was wrong.  Some does, some does not.  I still like the idea of returning to the K-8 model, but as a long time middle school teacher, I know that middle schools, if they avoid the temptation to put on high school airs, can do wonderful things for pre-adolescents.

The district, however, is pushing the K-8 model for all the wrong reasons, improved student achievement among them.  The real goal is improved efficiency, as in saving money and closing neighborhood schools.

What happened to focusing on what's best for students?

Comments

[Chuck Butcher]

Baker 5J experimented for awhile with K-5, 6, 7-8. 6th was in a separate building somewhat modeled on 7-8 and it gave 6 a chance to acclimate to scheduled classes without older peer pressure. They closed the school several years ago and went back to K-6, building sold recently. Money.

That system had it fans, my son went through and socialization wise it seemed to work. I have no data on grades.