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Khan Academy Pilot Educators On Khan Academy
theodp writes "In what may surprise Khan Academy backers Google and Bill Gates, educators from the Los Altos School District where KA was initially piloted and implemented have responded to some recent KA critiques with a blog entry which notes, 'Teachers in our district have determined that the greatest value of the Khan Academy lies, not in the videos, but in the exercise modules and data generated as students work practice problems.' Not too surprisingly, when it comes to revolutionizing student learning, teachers are bullish on teachers. 'Key to this revolution are the Los Altos teachers,' the educators conclude. 'Teachers in our district are highly valued for their pedagogical perspective, content knowledge, experience, and creative abilities. When district administrators put tools in the hands of teachers and give them room to work, amazing things happen for students. Tools will come and go, but it's the teachers who create meaningful learning experiences that challenge students to grow.'"
In california, the teachers union (along with other unions) operates like the mafia. Tax dollars come in and are funneled directly to the unions via the public school districts.
You know that's all public record, right? Why don't you request those balance sheets and publish it in the newspaper if it's true? The answer is because it's not, the unions are funded by union dues paid by the teachers ... of course, you don't know what's really going on or how really poor most schools and teachers are, you're just regurgitating talking points against unions that Glenn Beck or someone fed you.
Maybe you should ask your friend for some tutoring in reading comprehension. The unions =/= the teachers. You see, the teachers are individuals. The union is the group. Yes, McDonalds made billions last year, but that doesn't mean you want to work for them.
In North America, Teachers are consistently one of the least respected, poorest paid professionals, yet they work some of the longest hours (out of altruism) of anyone. Those teachers who don't burn out after their first few years, and continue to make it a career are the true heroes.