Oklahoma to change course?

Oklahoma is one of many states who has bought into the "corporate reform" movement in education. In this reform movement you see increased student testing, teacher evaluations tied to testing results, state education departments handing out school grades typically in the form of an A-F grade, increased use of charter, private, and virtual schools, holding back 3rd grade students who fail standardized tests, and passage of tests by high school students to earn their diploma. This reform movement has as its backbone three so called success stories to "prove" its successful. those stories are Texas, Florida, and Washington D.C. public schools. All three have seen these shining lights dimmed in the recent years, months and days.

The Texas plan was the basis for NCLB. It started the testing craze. It took this testing craze and  model the basis of NCLB by have standardized results and broke down into subcategories. The hope was to have perfect students by 2014. When that wasn't going to happen the federal government backed off and we switched to Race to the Top. Now Texas is reducing the number of test they give. They even had legislation to not fund the testing companies.

The next big success story was Florida. In 1998 Jeb Bush was elected governor. Bush immediately held back 3rd graders who were not successful on state tests to remediate them in reading. What this did is help Florida's 4th grade NAEP tests look amazing and Jeb was the education governor. Trumpeting his system of holding back 3rd graders, being tough on teachers, and giving out grades. What happened later you ask? Well Florida's ACT scores dropped to below 20 to a 19.5. 54% of Florida's high school graduates had to take remediation classes compared to 40% nationally. Now their teacher evaluation system in shambles and is giving grades to teachers for kids that are not even in their school. Bush has since started a private foundation to push his agenda. Which surprisingly backed by testing companies and other companies who make profit of public funds to school. In the last year his foundation has been seen as one who rights model legislation for states, influences state boards, and fattens the pockets of his backers an partners. Emails have tied him to state department of eds all over the country.

Lastly Washington D.C. Michelle Rhee an undeserving appointee to the head position in Washington D.C. also spoke of all these tough measures. She had an assault on public ed teachers. Put immense pressure on principals to raise test scores and even had them sign papers saying the would achieve certain grades or be fired. Recently we have seen how these changes produced results. Cheating!! Rhee handed out bonus after bonus to successful schools. Only those schools cheated. Or a vast majority did. Teachers and administrators erased scores. The average erasure for a test is just under two times per test. These had as many as 29 and averaged in the high teens. Also test were unsecured in the schools and teachers were allowed to get the test and prep students directly from the test they were taking for up to two weeks. Now here is the shocking part. Rhee found out and did nothing. Instead used it to her advantage. Saying that she was a success and her method worked. Well after just two and half years Rhee quit. Starting a private foundation to spread her "success" where she now garners $50,000 per speech to tell groups that teachers making less than she gets an hour are on a "gravy train".

So my point finally is this. Can Oklahoma finally go a different direction? The models we are trying to follow or being forced to follow haven't showed proven results. Each case has been shown as a failure. Can Oklahoma stop the train and get off and start doing what is best for our kids. Can we get legislators, state department heads, and school officials to sit down and finally do our kids justice.  We keep chasing the next reform in some other state. Lets stop and be a beacon, not a lost ship wondering out at sea.

Testing 2013

Well it has been way to long since I posted a blog. In my defense my wife and I took on two precious foster children. Both of them under 3. I had taken sleep for granted, lol. As I write this the testing season of Spring 2013 is upon us. The teachers are anxious and nervous. The students are feeling the same. On a side note I would like to remind everyone that 3rd-8th grade students can get a free breakfast tomorrow morning and participating McDonald's restaurants. It is dine in only so you might have to get up a few minutes early tomorrow.

Testing seems to be on the front burner as that time of year comes around. I read on twitter and other services of a student walk out in New Jersey. I wonder what I would say to my students if they planned that here at Greenville. I know my stance on testing. Would I be willing to let them make that decision and face those consequences or would I try to stop them?

So what would I do? My personal stance on testing is that it is fine as a means to measure students growth. I think there should actually be better testing to truly have a beginning, middle, and ending growth measure. A tool to judge where a student is at, what they have shown mastery of, and what they need remediated in during the year. I don't however like tests being the end all be all. I think students can show mastery in other ways besides tests, even if those test include writing and not just multi-choice. Testing has to only be a tool. Like a drill to a carpenter, it is important but not the only tool that you use to build something. I don't like a student taking a single test and using it to judge a teacher or school. There are anywhere from 150 to 180 days in a school year. Picking one day to judge makes no sense to me in any way.

So back to what would I do? I think I would support them. Let them know the consequences but let them be heard. What avenues do our students have to be heard? Do we care if they feel over tested or that it takes away from other subject areas? Just today I had a student ask me for an art teacher. I want an art teacher too! It breaks my heart that I can't provide that for her and the other students who want that also. Because that is what it should be about, students and what is best for all of them. Not trying to let them all be common.