WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!

We hear a lot from corporate reformers that there must be accountability. That is there argument for high stakes testing. Well I am sorry but I just don't buy that it is the only method of accountability.  So lets look at how accountability works without testing.

First off the main issue should be financial accountability. The tax payers should know that the money they are giving is being spent properly. I don't anyone can argue with that measure. Currently schools send in reports and claims to the State Department of Education. They know our personnel, how there paid, and out of what accounts. They track administrative costs. If a district spends over the 8% allotment they have to go before the state school board and explain themselves. The board can waive penalty or enforce it.  So financial accountability is there and handled. That is a really good thing.

So that brings us to academic accountability. For years accountability was held at the local level. Where it should rightfully be held. We have a legislature that sets how many credit hours a student had to have to graduate high school. They also set how many and what classes those had to come from. It was a minimum that almost all schools exceeded. The State department has the ability to check online that students are in those proper classes and has the ability to check to make sure the right classes are being offered. Any all laws or regulations passed by our legislature or SDE is checked for compliance. We have state and regional accreditation officers. Yet another form of accountability. Once a student finishes school the local school board signs off saying this group of students has meet those requirements and can graduate. Another form of accountability. An elected one. If you hear our SDE talk that is really important point, especially when it comes to their disagreements with their appointed board.

As you can see there is plenty of accountability of schools. That is not truly what corporate reformers care about, that is just how sell their products. Which we buy at an 18.2 million dollar clip. Which will raise significantly next year. So please stop the accountability nonsense. We have it and have it abundantly.