AFT-Speeches

In this symposium article Shanker speaks about educating students in American Citizenship. He proposes the question of whether or not it is the educators job to adjust the students to the society that we have or prepare them to live in a changed society. There is dialogue on the last few pages from Dr. Stephan Fain, Professor at Florida International University, Simine Heise, Project Manager for Dade County Public Schools and Wilhimenia Tribble, director of Employee Management Development for the Metro-Dade County Government.

Shanker speaks on the problems that place a “squeeze” on public education: mainly the country’s economic situation, fewer voters with children in school, and no automatic respect for teachers and administrators. He also touches on discipline in public schools and he insists that there have to be tougher standards for public schools as well.

This document includes the statements of Willard McGuire, President of the National Education Association; Albert Shanker; and Patricia Abjerg Graham Dean, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, on behalf of the AERA. The three were commenting on the legislation designed to improve instruction in math and science education.

Speech given to the National Institute of Education’s National Testing Conference. Shanker defends public education against attacks that it is not good enough and that its teachers are not qualified. He stresses that “we” need to concentrate on improving performance of teachers and administrators instead of expecting them to be perfect the moment they begin.

Shanker addresses the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives about the issue of the truth in testing. He states that although testing is an important part of gauging how well students are doing, it is not the only thing that shows how well they do. He also suggests that we need to be able to use the same tests a few years in a row instead of getting new tests every year, that way we can better gauge how students are doing.