Education by Worksheet?

What does a steady diet of worksheet learning activities do to children's natural desire to learn?

The Creativity Crisis in American Public Schools....

There is a concerted effort on the part of U.S. public schools to emphasize preparation for high stakes testing in reading and mathematics. Teachers, administrators and even schools can get the axe if their test scores are not high enough after a few years or so. So what does that mean? More standardized curriculum, rote memorization and nationalized testing. Children are left out of the decision making processes central to the educational activities they engage in. This is where creativity takes a hit. Because without autonomy, creative learning experiences are snuffed out. Should policy makers be concerned about this? Apparently not.

Senseless....

"This doesn't make sense to me. Why are we lowering standards to become a teacher when obviously Tony Bennett didn't think that teachers were qualified?" Sarah Verpooten,  Lake Central High School.

What is the reasoning behind REPA 2? Good question. We heard over and over and over from the current IDOE Administration that we had a problem with instruction and a problem with teachers. So it boggles the mind that Tony Bennett and his cohorts would create conditions for less educated and less experienced teacher and administrator candidates to educate Hoosier school children who lack comprehensive training and education.

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has a great summary  of Tony Bennett's final education initiative for the citizens of Indiana.

REPA 2 Means New Teacher Candidates Can Be Less Prepared....

REPA 2 licensing changes have been passed by the Indiana State Board of Education under Supt. Tony Bennett.

Ultimately, this change means fine art teacher candidates can now be licensed by passing a test. It doesn't matter that the teacher candidate lacks extensive knowledge of cognitive psychology, curriculum design, learning environment design, child development, instructional methods or extensive practicum and studio experience.

No teacher licensing test prep can adequately prepare a candidate for the real classroom with real children like professional schools of education. 

Would you send your child to a medical professional who was not fully trained or educated in their field?

This is an attempt to degrade the teaching profession.

The passage of REPA 2 is a sad chapter in Indiana education history.