Teacher Commits Suicide: Should Performance Scores Be Printed In The Newspapers?

Wow! As a teacher, I can relate better than I care to comment on... At some point, maybe collectively, we will tire of running around this "hamster's wheel" of society and decide that enuf is enuf...peace!

Wow! As a teacher, I can relate better than I care to comment on... At some point, maybe collectively, we will tire of running around this "hamster's wheel" of society and decide that enuf is enuf...peace!

Our public educational system is an abysmal failure yet we continue down the failed path. Seems like the premise for most things in the good ole U. S. of A

It's hard to decide.

The world is going to run out of teacher soon. I am talking on behalf of teachers. Let's people teach their own kids and see how far they can go?????

Unfortunately, not every parents have the skill, knowledge or qualification to teach their children in every aspect of the curriculum.

The suicide is sad, the Times is out of bounds, but what I want to know is who is setting up the criterion by which the teachers are judged? That is to say, why did America suddenly become so obsessed with "standardized testing" over the past few years? Maybe THAT is the larger problem.

Reading recommendation: "America's Report Card," by John McNally

Yes, the Times is highly intrusive and they still haven't stopped publishing the results.

Standardized testing alone is an inadequate way of testing children as well as teacher's performance yet our schools beaurocrats continue to use this method.

Will check out your recommended reading.

Let's be objective. Determine first the causes or causes why Mr. Ruelas killed himself if he had done so. If it is really established that his suicide has something to do with the publication of his school performance ratings, then it's high time that something be done to resolve the issue. I am of the opinion that teachers' performances be made public especially in public schools where people in general bear the brunt of maintaining the school What good will a moron teacher pass on to his wards?

I agree our education system needs a drastic overhaul but as someone who works with children academically, publicizing results in the local paper is not the way to bring about positive change.

Which other profession publishes their employees failures or successes in the newspaper?

I have been a California teacher for 19 years. This poor man's suicide sickens me and makes me wonder where the craziness will end. Most people do not realize there are no National Standards per grade level or a National Standardized Test for every state in the Union. California maintains higher State Standards than almost all other states, especially the Southern states where we are 2-3 years ahead. There are only a few states with competitive standards; New York and Connecticut being two examples. Some states even "dumbed down" their state standards when "No Child Left Behind" came out. We also have to look at the fact that this poor teacher's State scores are the end product of those students' K-4th grade education as well. He didn't get a homogeneous class, all at grade level, all speaking, reading, and writing English. His class like the rest of California classrooms probably consisted of half English Language Learners (all performing at four different levels), as well as, resource, speech, behavorial, emotional, and physical challenges. Until you have looked out into a classroom of 30 third graders and wanted to cry because it has been three months and Sally's mom still has not replaced her broken glasses, or Sammy has three rotten painful teeth and has never been to the dentist, or Juan can't do his homework because no one at home speaks English or is even willing to take advantage of the free adult education programs offered every month at the ELAC meetings, not to mention the numerous great-grandparents who are raising these children because two generations of their families have been lost to drugs and prison, please don't sit in judgement of this poor man. He didn't go into this profession to get rich or famous, he, like all the rest of us want to teach children and make a difference in their lives. I see this man's suicide as a wake up call to the Nation. You can't take away our support staff, aids, vice-principals, librarians, and increase class size from 20 to 30 without having negative consequences. By the way, I have to supply my 30 students with classroom supplies (tissue, pencils, paper, crayons, etc.) for the entire school year with a budget of $150! I could go on and on, but nothing will change until all students in this Nation are held to the same standards and provided with equal access to standards based core curriculum, safe schools, school supples, and qualified teachers and support staff.

I agree. I don't think every public school student is receiving a comparable education and until we stop interjecting politics, race, zip code and class in our educational system, much will not change.