\ud83c\udfc6 2023 BIBA\u00ae Non-Fiction: Teaching Winner!<\/p>\n
We have an existential crisis in our schools. Teacher job satisfaction levels are at an all-time low, there has been a huge increase in the number of students facing severe mental health issues, schools have become the center of culture wars, and the public (falsely) believes that American schools are failing and treats teachers with increasing hostility and disrespect. Citing research from the fields of psychology, biology, neurology, economics, sociology, and education, Dr. David Locke explores the causes of and potential solutions to this crisis. Key points explored in Crisis in Our Schools include the following:<\/p>\n
Teachers are facing unbearable working conditions. Teachers are facing state and federal mandates that decrease their level of autonomy, increasing hostility from parents and the public, low wages, unrealistic expectations for increasing test scores, and an increase in the number of special needs students without needed classroom support, including dangerous and out-of-control students who are protected by law from adequate consequences. Teachers are responding to these conditions by leaving the profession, leading to an enormous teaching shortage in the United States.
\nThe standardized tests we give our children are ineffective, have no value, and act as a poison in our schools. Research has shown that these tests can\u2019t measure the vast majority of what children learn in school, are strongly biased against minority and low-SES students, and provide data that is essentially meaningless. Furthermore, achievement tests give the false impression that our schools, teachers, and students are failing and are the major cause of the increasing hostility that teachers feel.<\/p>\n
American schools are not failing \u2013 they are among the best in the world. Our schools are teaching American students skills associated with problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, conscientiousness, and entrepreneurship, which allow them to grow up to lead the world in science, engineering, medicine, mathematics, technology, business, communications, entertainment, and computer science. The knowledge and skills behind America\u2019s world leadership begin in American schools.<\/p>\n
We can begin to heal the crisis in our schools by changing from a focus on testing to a focus on student and teacher engagement.<\/p>\n
In this book, Dr. Locke explores five research-validated changes we need to make to end the crisis:
\nEnd high-stakes testing.
\nMake schools physically and emotionally safer.
\nMake school learning more social.
\nProvide much stronger support for teachers.
\nWork to greatly enhance students\u2019 sense of safety, motivation, engagement, and belonging.
\nIn Part 1 of Crisis in Our Schools, titled \u201cThe Failure of Testing,\u201d Dr. Locke describes the failure of the school reform movement and standardized testing. In Part 2, titled \u201cThe Promise of Engagement,\u201d he explores changes schools can make to support teachers and help make schools places where students and teachers are excited to be. Dr. Locke closes the book with a call to action for educators and parents to fight to end high-stakes testing, greatly increase teacher support, and create safe, supportive schools that bring back joy into teaching and learning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\ud83c\udfc6 2023 BIBA\u00ae Non-Fiction: Teaching Winner! We have an existential crisis in our schools. Teacher job satisfaction levels are at an all-time low, there has been a huge increase in the number of students facing severe mental health issues, schools have become the center of culture wars, and the public (falsely) believes that American schools […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7977,"template":"","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_4417260021_4417260021":"","facebook_2752729431657742_150450788658353":"","facebook_2752729431657742_17841415386502662":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending"},"class_list":["post-7788","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","product_cat-2023-winners","product_cat-non-fiction-academics-teaching","product_tag-david-locke"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestindiebookaward.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/7788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestindiebookaward.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestindiebookaward.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestindiebookaward.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestindiebookaward.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}