[etni] Fw: In response to Reuben's message (Digest # 299)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: In response to Reuben's message (Digest # 299)


The HOTS issue is not just a financial matter to be haggled between the 
Irgun (the only union that's trying to help, as far as I know) and the MOE; 
much more is at stake than that -- the most important point being the fact 
that our professional concerns about the program have clearly NOT been 
addressed.

By now, everyone is surely aware of the inevitability of the program and the 
fact that the Ministry is not going to back down on something it has 
invested in so much.  However, their insistence that the program is 
immutable (beyond whatever token changes have been made to date in the 
original design) should disturb us more than anything else because it 
reveals how we're viewed by the policy makers.
It's as if our realtime experience in the Israeli classroom counts for 
naught and whatever enthusiasm and "high order thinking" we have motivated 
while teaching literature
long before this (so-called) innovative program came on the radar screen is 
inconsequential.

The questions we have repeatedly raised relate to the weaknesses in the 
program, for which, apparently, there exist no satisfactory answers.

Many teachers are dissatisfied, but feel powerless to do anything about 
it -- so they prefer to go along with this fad and stay on the good side of 
the VIPs.  (Of course, this is why we get increasing workloads without 
proper remuneration.)

It will be interesting to see how long this new program lasts before another 
'new and improved' program comes along to bring plenty of work for teachers 
but no particular benefit to EFL students!

CoMISERatinglY,
Batya



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