When you get a chance please read this article from The Washington Post, because this man has the job I want, the job that I'm working towards at this very moment.
Yes, yes, y'all, that's right. I'm going back to school so that I can get my MA in English Education, as well as my New York State certification. Given my work experience, I wanted to focus on writing and rhetoric. And while you can concentrate on a specific sub-area, it's my understanding that you can only do so after years of teaching standard English (writing and lit). The course I'm taking right now is fascinating and it's opening my eyes to the challenges that teachers, especially those teaching in urban schools, face.
That's also where I want to focus my efforts, in inner-city and urban schools. Have you read and/or heard some of these No Child Left Behind stories? How there are some schools that actually underreport (or sometimes completely fail to report) the test scores of their minority students because the actual results might show that the schools and teachers aren't making any progress towards meeting NCLB mandates, and there's a (legitimate) fear that they will be held accountable. And because of NCLB, teachers may feel pressured to test prep all year long instead of actually TEACHING -- helping their kids make lasting connections to the concepts they learn, connections that will stick around long after testing day.
The whitewash, it seems, is nothing new. This week I read a biographical account of a now 30-year old man who was once a student in NYC public schools, and you know what -- he couldn't read a lick! His teachers passed him each and every year -- he even attended one of the most competitive high schools in the city -- and by the end of it all he could read is "and" and "but"! His grades were no indication -- As and Bs. He didn't graduate (dropped out in 11th grade) and he's learning to read now, trying to make his business big out of his apartment in one of the LES projects. But I could feel his frustration in his story...It begs the question -- how many other kids got passed along for show, in the end had very little to show for it?
As well-intentioned as NCLB was, it puts the focus and emphasis on testing and pays less attention to the quality of the teaching. It's not to say that tests aren't important, but shouldn't we be concerned when kids feel like the purpose of reading is to answer the questions at the end of the story? Don't we want them to read between the lines and come to conclusions that will stir their own curiosities, their own questions, and those questions in turn will lend themselves to those at the end of the story?
If life is one big test, education is a key part in preparing in prepping our kids for what life holds, the challenges it will bring. It's key to unlocking the potential of young minds, in passing down the keys to the kingdom. I'm saddened to think about all those minds going to waste, to only being considered as a number to meet a mandate. Quantity versus quality, indeed.
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2 comments:
'Net, nothing makes me happier than to think you're going back to school to go into the classroom - good for you!
You discuss the practice by administrators and teachers of "hiding" low-performing students, which I think needs more discussion.
First, I would note that it's just as common in rural schools as in urban settings, only the race of the student generally changes. (It's actually surprising to me how similar the educational problems of rural and urban schools are.) The most troubling trend is the overclassification of students as "special needs" students, shifting the requirements under NCLB. Not only is there a stigma for the student, but the administrative costs for special needs students are much higher due to the IEP requirements under IDEA ... in a sense, districts are wasting money to avoid responsibility!
Second, the idea that the districts have this loophole to avoid responsibility for their failure to adequately educate students is precisely why such accountability measures are necessary. However, as you point out, the federal language is ineffective at enforcement. A full discussion of this is the stuff of journal articles, but I'll put it this way - I think a big problem is that the federal law, by nature of being federal, is too broad and doesn't force states to implement strong standards on this point. In a sense, there was simply no way Congress could have drafted a stronger law and gotten it passed. That's why education policy (and most substantive policy, truthfully) should be left to the states, that have a greater ability to enact forceful legislation that works for their jurisdiction.
Finally, where do we go from here? Are there better options than the currently favored standardized tests? Sure, but they have no political shelf life. More subjective measures? Too expensive, and too risky. Longer school years? The tourist industry and teacher's unions will revolt. Eliminating testing altogether? Then what do we measure to know if schools are successful or not? It's a vexing problem ... and if you figure out the solution, you'll become a very, very rich woman. :)
P --
Totally unaware that the hiding practice is going on in rural areas (because my school is in NYC, we've got an urban focus.) But still saddened by it nonetheless.
I don't think it's a good idea to get rid of testing altogether, but one of the reasons why there is such an emphasis on testing has to do with the feds needing a way to measure performance across state lines. In essence, a standardized test functions as a national rubric.
I agree that educational policy should remain in the hands of the state. I think that's why there are states challening NCLB, and I expect there to be more to come.
I also have no problem with accountabilty, but teaching is a really tough job. I'm generalizing, now, but it seems a little unfair to penalize teachers or educators for failing to produce results on-demand. Take into account the fact that it takes some work to reach some students, or that some school districts are so effed up that it would take years to correct the "undereducation" problems that exhibit themselves in these tests.
I don't know what the solution is or if there is a solution out there. I'll leave that to policy people like yourself :) But we need to find a way to make our education system more competitive and bring some of the "behind" schools up to par.
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