I hope the new super takes a long, hard look in the direction of Safe and Drug Free Schools. There is definitely something wrong with the leadership. Thank goodness Mr. Peace was able to get a new supervisor. Maybe now he can get back to the secondary schools where he is truly needed and belongs.
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This is for whoever is in charge of CRT scheduling. I work at a middle school. Not one single student that I know of has ever been majorly stressed out because of the CRT. By extending testing through two weeks, three if you count the students who have to make it up late, all that has happened is two-three weeks of curriculum time lost. The students are still not stressed by the test, but they are asking why it takes so many days. To make matters worse, the students spend half the day testing, quietly with only one 15 minute break. Then these same students are expected to attend class and focus. Hard part about that is teachers can't teach or give homework or any real work during CRT. So the kids are completely bonkers. Not one single person, student or staff, that I have talked to likes the new way of taking the CRT. If we have to stretch it out so long, can we at least have half-days (at least for the students) so we don't turn into another babysitting service?
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Jack Jenkins and Jerry Laws filed their lawsuits this week. This should be interesting.
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To all 3-5th grade elementary teachers, students, and parents, I'd like to congratulate you on a tedious, time wasted, underappreciated job you've done this week with the CRT! We all know by now that these 2 weeks in February are the most wasted weeks on our calendars. To the teachers; thank you for teaching the students with learning and/or behavioral differences, test anxiety, those that come from homes where education is not valued, and all the others that this test does not show where their true strengths lie. This district is filled with incredible teachers. To you, my hat's off. These two weeks are the most painful for you, I know.To the students; This test goes against everything you know as being a child. Your understanding teacher makes sure you get up and get some type of activity at least every hour during normal circumstances. However, the energy you possess that we adults would so like to put into pill form sometimes, becomes your enemy this time of year. It is unnatural for kids your age to sit for hours upon hours doing nothing but pencil and paper tasks, yet that's what we ask of you. The adults in your life tell you to do your best, but especially you third graders to whom this test is brand new, I realize your best work is not what you produce on this limited space, but what I see everyday in class. I want you to know that I already know what you know and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and so do your parents. Students, you all are troopers!!!!!To parents; To get a true picture of what your child knows, read with them, be an active participant in their daily lives, take an interest in their day at school, and keep in touch with their teachers. This test is primarily for administrators at the top who don't know your child, will probably never meet your child, and honestly, don't care about your child as an individual. Unfortunately, this test is the only way for them to know your kiddo. Sad huh?! Still even more unfortunate, is that the most authentic piece of assessment in this whole test, the writing portion, has not even been graded for the past 2 years. Parents, love on those kids, and understand the forced maturity that has been burdened on them this week.We all have an opinion on this testing situation. I just hope for the sake of everyone involved, that we remain positive especially in front of the kiddos. They hear everything we say.
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The other day, I read something about New Mexico's high school kids being at the bottom in math and science scores on standardized testing. I have to say it is NOT because the kids are dumber here, or have lazy parents. And teachers, for the most part, work their butts off and try to teach with the skills they have been trained in (with a few exceptions) It is the WAY these subjects are taught. Our kids do not get the chance to master basic, big picture concepts that build towards the higher ones--so they are continuously confused and often bail out of these courses when they have met the pathetically bare minimums for graduation. I went to high school back east (PA and VA) and took a full, four year college prep curriculum (through Physics and Pre-Calc) that was standard at the time for all high schoolers planning to go to college. No honors classes, no AP--just good old fashioned college prep. My HS math teachers were drill sarge ants--we went over and over and over all the basic important skills in algebra and geometry. I'm no genius, but I did score 550 on my math SAT's, which was pretty good at the time. How many of our kids here could do that? My son didn't, and he has an IQ of 145. As a parent of four kids who have gone through or are still in LCPS, I can say that our kids do NOT get anywhere near the same quality of instruction I got, and especially those who have the compressed schedules such as at Mayfield--they move way too fast through material, and do not make sure that kids get problem solving down. As a result, they may never feel anything but confused about math or science processes. One of my teenagers was in Algebra II for the second time at Las Cruces High, and the teacher merely showed up each day,gave a little lecture, wrote problem numbers on the board, and told them to use their books if they couldn't figure out how to do them. when my son asked for help, the teacher couldn't explain it, and seemed to feel it was my son's problem. Now, I know this guy was a worst case scenario, but I think that far too often, kids are lost and teachers have no idea how to break things down for them. if we don't take a look at HOW we teach these kids, and adopt successful techniques used in other states, we are always going to be a state with really smart kids who are undereducated and underprepared for the future.
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Frightening to think that one of our local teachers is "enlightened" by Del Hansen. I pray my child is not in your class. And this same teacher is annoyed by testing which is one way to determine how well his/her students are doing. Once again, another teacher who thinks that accountability measures have no relationship to what they "were hired to do."
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Still waiting to find out about the lunch prices and how many jalepenos I can eat.....
posted by LCPS1 @ 9:10 AM
6 Comments:
To the idiot who wants to "Free The PDTs", speak for yourself only! I can't imagine where my school would be on the literacy guide without a PDT. I am an administrator in an elementary school. I could do without a few people in my building, but not my PDT. We are not done by a long shot either. Teachers have had no formal training for shared reading, so it really isn't being done still. We have told the teachers they will get trained on shared reading next year. We have a new assessement kit coming called the DRA to replace the IRI disaster. Teachers are going to seriously need help with this new DRA kit next year. I hear it is not something you just train once and expect people to know how to do. I do not think we can do all of this next year without a PDT. I am busy most of the day with discilpline, managerial duties, and putting out fires. I need someone to have those conversations about teaching and learning, cause the good lord knows I do not have a chance to do it very often.
I heard that parents have the right to sign a paper and refuse to have their child be subjected to the CRT? I don't think it matters to them in any way as far as college goes either. Colleges do not look at CRT score when choosing students. Does anyone know if this is true? If we could get this whole town to refuse to allow their students to be subjected to two weeks of wasted time on a test, then what would the state do? They can't shut us down. Why do we insist on being sheep and not being a voice for our children?
I heard that parents have the right to sign a paper and refuse to have their child be subjected to the CRT? I don't think it matters to them in any way as far as college goes either. Colleges do not look at CRT score when choosing students. Does anyone know if this is true? If we could get this whole town to refuse to allow their students to be subjected to two weeks of wasted time on a test, then what would the state do? They can't shut us down. Why do we insist on being sheep and not being a voice for our children?
Go for it Jack and Jerry and I hope the rest have to guts to file there law suits. The board is still pulling the shots.
School lunches are subsidized by the government for students. Adults pay the "un-subsidized" price. In other words, where one lunch per person at the high school will cost $2.60; the student will pay one price depending on their eligibility [free/reduced] and the govt. will pick up the rest of the $2.60. I hope this helps explain the difference in cost. As to how many jalapenos you can eat; if you want more than the allotted amount that goes with the lunch, you have the option of purchasing more. [I think the cost is 10 cents per extra serving]
How dare Jack and Laws try to become the victims of what they state. Maybe Gibbs should conduct a further investigation and seek the real truth behind being "terminated without a cause" as they allege.
The real victims are other people and not them!
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