Reclaiming the Teaching Profession

By J. Amos Hatch

Reclaiming the Teaching Profession gives educators (especially teachers and future teachers) and their allies a clear overview of the massive effort to dismantle public education in the United States, which includes a direct attack on teachers. The book details, and provides a systematic critique of, the shaky assumptions at the foundation of the market-based reform initiatives that dominate the contemporary education scene. It names and exposes the motives and methods of the powerful philanthropists, politicians, business moguls, and education entrepreneurs who are behind the reform movement. It provides counter narratives that public school advocates can use to talk back to those who would destroy the teaching profession and public education. It includes examples of successful acts of resistance and identifies resources for challenging reformers' taken for granted primacy in the education debate. It concludes with strategies educators can use to "speak truth to power," reclaim their professional status, and reshape the education landscape in ways that serve all of America's children and preserve our democracy.

Preface: We're Not Paranoid: They Are Out to Get TeachersPart I: Debunking the Assumptions of the Education Reform Agenda1. Assumption 1: Public schools are failing2. Assumption 2: Teachers are inept3. Assumption 3: Teachers will only work hard to avoid punishment or earn external rewards4. Assumption 4: Standards-based testing for accountability is the best way to reform schools5. Assumption 5: Test scores accurately assess what teachers are teaching and students are learning6. Assumption 6: Public schools need to be privatized7. Assumption 7: Business models have direct application to education8. Assumption 8: Teachers' unions are a major reason why schools are so bad9. Assumption 9: Alternative teacher licensure programs are better than traditional teacher education10. Assumption 10: Wealthy individuals, entrepreneurs, and politicians know more about education than school professionalsPart II: Speaking Truth to Power11. Exposing the Forces Behind Educational Reform12. Talking Back to Those Who Would Destroy Public Education13. Strategies for Reclaiming Our ProfessionAppendixesIndex