Dodging responsibility for our children: Reducing learning to test scores

Dodging responsibility for our children: Reducing learning to test scores

Author: Ethical Schools December 17, 2020 Duration: 36:50

We speak with Samuel E. Abrams of Teachers College, Columbia University. The root problems in K12 education — including poverty-related stress and underpaid and underprepared teachers — are pervasive and expensive to fix. So instead, the U.S. has  adopted a “commercial mindset,” measuring success through standardized test scores and increasingly outsourcing school management to for-profit and nonprofit corporations. Dr. Abrams explains what we can learn from Finland’s education system.

Overview

00:00-00:42 Intros

00:42-03:01 What “education and the commercial mindset” means

03:01-05:26 Examples of for-profit and non-profit privatization 

05:26-13:57 Effects of privatization

13:57-20:01 What can be done to enable public education to better meet student needs

20:01-21:45 Separation of church and state

21:45-28:37 Potential positive lessons from business; W. Edwards Deming; rejecting value-added measurement

28:37-32:13 Comparison of U.S. and Finnish education systems

32:13-35:27 Key changes that can be made in U.S. education system

35:27-36:50 Outro 

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
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