As a former teacher in New York City for 25 years, I can say looking at the landscape now, I don't know why anyone would teach. AI is posed to change education, to make our kids even dumber than social media would have it and turn teachers into monitors without any real voice in learning. AI is being put into classrooms without any thought as to how it will change learning in ways that are not beyond our comprehension. In fact, it's pretty simple to predict outcomes based on children losing their ability to read, figure and think. I use basic words here because it is the basics that create the foundation. A weak foundation means that a student is preparing for a life of frustration and likely poverty. I am not saying give up or don't go into teaching, I am saying STOP THE AI MADNESS. There is nothing to be achieved by allowing students to let machines do the thinking for them.
I honestly don’t know how I’d cope in the deadly, insane Trump-MAGA farce without the clarity and focus Mary brings to daily reporting and analysis. Simply staying tethered to reality feels like a successful start to the day.
While many seem to be tuning out with hope it all goes away, I continue to believe in staying informed and engaged, ready to do what’s possible to resist the madness and help forge a better outcome than the Trump coup masters intend. Every drop of truth and resistance adds to the stream.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani inspires the young people of New York City like no one else. So glad younger folks are headed to the classrooms too. There is hope in action all around. Thank you, MG, for your articles filled with information and wit. Happy New Year.
I am very heartened to read your report about the trend of Gen Z going into teaching, clear eyed “stubbornly hopeful”.
They already seem to be teaching us something, and that being, there is much more to life than gobs of money and power! Yes this Trump Administration does go out of its way to Trump-et all about “firsts.” Being “locked and loaded” ready to protect protestors against tyrants overseas. He could start by highlighting the protests in Russia and in the US. The priest, who wanted to pray outside an ICE Detention Center in Chicagoland and was shot in the head with a pepper bomb fired by an Immigration Agent, is indeed a first.
As a former teacher with two adult daughters who followed me into the field, I have hope that Gen Z can and must right the wrongs in our system before it's overtaken by private corporations. Teacher's are the backbone of the system and yet we have allowed or observed the administrations in districts to not only receive ridiculous amounts of money, but to also be overstaffed with needless positions. Our school buildings are old as are the systems that bring heat and cooling. I sometimes wonder if this was done on purpose to allow a take-over of public schools. Much work needs to be done where little or no attention has been paid except to ask for bond money to address the issues that never appear to get attention. Long rant,Mary, and I agree with the thoughts behind your words ,but had these random thoughts come before I could clearly respond to the truth in your words today. We have work to do and we need all hands on board, especially Gen Z's!
Bravo to those choosing to be teachers. I hope that that choice includes, strongly, the things you mention--clear thinking, how to spot disinformation, respect for common humanity, the lessons we can draw from history---without fear of politicians, school boards, parents who don't want their kids to be able to challenge the received truths they insist on.
We are in our current situation in large part because those fear-producing forces have long stifled the idea that education involves growth into a thinking human being. We must all remember that lack of degrees doesn't mean dumb; in my career I met many contractors with a high school education who were way "brighter" that the many-degreed lawyers who might represent them. But brightness needs food. Above all, it involves curiosity and a real desire to understand problems that may face one; this has been squelched for so long. I hope it revives, utterly.
You can have all the new young teachers in the world, but if they can’t effectively teach kids to read, comprehend, and do basic arithmetic and math, it won’t help. Look at the teacher schools, they teach new math and STILL don’t teach effective phonics and other reading skills. See Project Follow Through. And Oregon is amongst the worst.
As a former teacher in New York City for 25 years, I can say looking at the landscape now, I don't know why anyone would teach. AI is posed to change education, to make our kids even dumber than social media would have it and turn teachers into monitors without any real voice in learning. AI is being put into classrooms without any thought as to how it will change learning in ways that are not beyond our comprehension. In fact, it's pretty simple to predict outcomes based on children losing their ability to read, figure and think. I use basic words here because it is the basics that create the foundation. A weak foundation means that a student is preparing for a life of frustration and likely poverty. I am not saying give up or don't go into teaching, I am saying STOP THE AI MADNESS. There is nothing to be achieved by allowing students to let machines do the thinking for them.
There's no stopping AI. Using it productively may still be available. When schools get personal phones out of classrooms, we'll see what can happen.
I honestly don’t know how I’d cope in the deadly, insane Trump-MAGA farce without the clarity and focus Mary brings to daily reporting and analysis. Simply staying tethered to reality feels like a successful start to the day.
While many seem to be tuning out with hope it all goes away, I continue to believe in staying informed and engaged, ready to do what’s possible to resist the madness and help forge a better outcome than the Trump coup masters intend. Every drop of truth and resistance adds to the stream.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani inspires the young people of New York City like no one else. So glad younger folks are headed to the classrooms too. There is hope in action all around. Thank you, MG, for your articles filled with information and wit. Happy New Year.
I certainly would not want to be on the pointy end of a NASA or Space-X rocket during this Administration...
I am very heartened to read your report about the trend of Gen Z going into teaching, clear eyed “stubbornly hopeful”.
They already seem to be teaching us something, and that being, there is much more to life than gobs of money and power! Yes this Trump Administration does go out of its way to Trump-et all about “firsts.” Being “locked and loaded” ready to protect protestors against tyrants overseas. He could start by highlighting the protests in Russia and in the US. The priest, who wanted to pray outside an ICE Detention Center in Chicagoland and was shot in the head with a pepper bomb fired by an Immigration Agent, is indeed a first.
As a former teacher with two adult daughters who followed me into the field, I have hope that Gen Z can and must right the wrongs in our system before it's overtaken by private corporations. Teacher's are the backbone of the system and yet we have allowed or observed the administrations in districts to not only receive ridiculous amounts of money, but to also be overstaffed with needless positions. Our school buildings are old as are the systems that bring heat and cooling. I sometimes wonder if this was done on purpose to allow a take-over of public schools. Much work needs to be done where little or no attention has been paid except to ask for bond money to address the issues that never appear to get attention. Long rant,Mary, and I agree with the thoughts behind your words ,but had these random thoughts come before I could clearly respond to the truth in your words today. We have work to do and we need all hands on board, especially Gen Z's!
You do so much with that red tie! It never gets old!
Amen.
Bravo to those choosing to be teachers. I hope that that choice includes, strongly, the things you mention--clear thinking, how to spot disinformation, respect for common humanity, the lessons we can draw from history---without fear of politicians, school boards, parents who don't want their kids to be able to challenge the received truths they insist on.
We are in our current situation in large part because those fear-producing forces have long stifled the idea that education involves growth into a thinking human being. We must all remember that lack of degrees doesn't mean dumb; in my career I met many contractors with a high school education who were way "brighter" that the many-degreed lawyers who might represent them. But brightness needs food. Above all, it involves curiosity and a real desire to understand problems that may face one; this has been squelched for so long. I hope it revives, utterly.
Always an interesting read and thought provoking.
You can have all the new young teachers in the world, but if they can’t effectively teach kids to read, comprehend, and do basic arithmetic and math, it won’t help. Look at the teacher schools, they teach new math and STILL don’t teach effective phonics and other reading skills. See Project Follow Through. And Oregon is amongst the worst.