Teaching Methods

In this country, teaching always has been considered, condescendingly, a "women's profession" -- a legacy of outdated sexual stereotypes that defined men as "breadwinners" and dismissed teaching as "women's work."Today there is general agreement that public school students could benefit from seeing more male teachers -- especially minority males -- as role models and mentors. But for all the talk, not much progress has been made.The reasons are obvious. Teacher pay scales traditionally have been lower than those for other professions, and opportunities for promotion and pay raises are limited.

Each year, Carroll County Public Schools hire about 100 teachers to fill vacancies and new positions.To get the best candidates for the classroom, the county spends several months recruiting at collegesand universities in the mid-Atlantic region.In "The Search For Excellence," our seven-part series that began Sunday, Carroll County Sun reporter Greg Tasker has been looking at the district's comprehensive recruiting program, which involves the efforts of about 50 administrators, supervisors, principals and teachers who screen more than a thousand applicants.

It's often hard to keep politics out of decision-making on education. But when it came to selecting reading curriculums as part of a No Child Left Behind literacy program, some Department of Education officials didn't even try. A report released last week by the Department's inspector general shows that the reading improvement program has been shamefully mired in favoritism and conflicts of interest. Department officials need to clean up the mess as quickly as possible. The Reading First program aims to help first-, second- and third-graders read better as a way to boost broader academic success.

Ann L. Brown, 56, a professor whose work focused on how children learn and how they should be taught, died June 4 in Berkeley, Calif., after a brief illness. Her teaching methods focused on reciprocal teaching, in which students learn from one another. Christina Foyle, 88, managing director of her family's renowned bookstore in London's Charing Cross Road and founder of the Foyle's literary luncheon, died Tuesday in London. Her collection of personal correspondence included a letter from Adolf Hitler, responding to her complaint about Nazi book-burning.

The director of Jemicy School, a private school for dyslexic children, has resigned because of disagreements with the board of trustees. Ellen Kelly will leave the school Aug. 31 after six years as director. Mark Westervelt, middle school director for the past three years, will serve as interim director. Parents and friends of the Owings Mills school received word of the change in a mailing July 17 that included a letter from Kelly and a letter from the chairman of the board of trustees.

"NOTHING GREAT was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson said it first, but it has become Debbie Harbaugh's motto.It's clear her enthusiasm and abilities as an English teacher at Westminster High School are being recognized. Harbaugh recently was named Maryland State Teacher of the Year."I was surprised," Harbaugh said. "I feel especially good because I was chosen by my peers, other teachers. Even though the real reward is in seeing the kids learn and grow, [the award] reinforces what I do."

THE MARYLAND legislature has turned thumbs down on the $800 million tax restructuring recommended by the Linowes commission, at least for this year.That's bad news for Baltimore and other poor jurisdictions across the state. In particular, the legislature's rejection of Linowes will have immediate consequences for efforts to improve the public schools.Had the Linowes recommendations been adopted outright (never a likely outcome), Baltimore might have been able to anticipate infusions of state funds to finance long overdue reforms in the system -- a move toward school-based management, restructuring the high school curriculum and teaching methods, better coordination between schools and other city agencies that deliver services to students and their families.

In one day, Martineta Leka made $200 selling hot dogs from her hot dog stand.But the money was just part of a computer simulation Leka and three other Albanian high school teachers were using at Anne Arundel Community College."

The Baltimore City schools are considering how to put in place a new curriculum that stresses the contributions made by people of color, an area traditional schooling has ignored. The move toward "multicultural" or "Afrocentric" schooling can be a positive development if it helps motivate students who are alienated from the educational system. But it is no panacea.The present school curriculum is outdated in more ways than just how it deals with minorities. The last comprehensive overhaul occurred more than 20 years ago. The world has changed quite a bit since then; there have been scientific discoveries, political upheavals, cultural transformations.

George Bush wants parents to be able to choose what schools their children attend, and to allow public funds to follow students who choose private or parochial school. Bill Clinton says he's for choice as well, but choice limited to public schools.Supporters of choice have portrayed it as a reform which would make other reforms happen. If schools have to compete for students, the argument goes, schools that are performing poorly will be forced to clean up their acts. School choice, they say, would extend to lower-income families a privilege higher-income families already enjoy.