[edi581] More on tenure
- From: "diana romeo" <dromeo@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: edi581@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 22:45:54 -0500
Hi Class,
The current exchange on tenure gives me a chance to beat up on my favorite
subject again- State standardized testing- and I will show shortly how they
relate.
First, let me say that I am not totally opposed to statewide testing. If
nothing else, standardized tests might be an equalizer between schools or
individual teachers who give "soft" grades and those who grade more fairly.
Even if this is so, it is obviously of legitimate, but limited value, and the
tests should be used for monitoring purposes and count a small part of the
students' grade.
What I object to is that New York State has made these tests the be all and
end all, Jesus, Allah, Yaweh, and the American flag. All must pray at their
altar! All must salute!
As I have railed before, "teaching to the test" is no longer a cliche in New
York State. It is a fact of life!
Everything that goes on in the classroom (well okay! Nearly everything) is
geared at preparing the students to pass these tests, starting in September.
Enrichment? Frivolous nonsense! We live in a real world, where students have
to pass the State test at the end of the year. Meaningful discussions? Only if
"meaningful" is defined as preparing them for the test. The job is not to
prepare them for the real world, but prepare them for- do I have to say it- the
State Test. "We just don't have time to do anything else, even though we would
like to."
I don't blame the teachers, because that is how they are evaluated at the
end of the year. It does not matter if they are talented teachers who are able
to light the fires, instill the love of learning in their students or relate
the things they need to learn to their world- if their students, as a group, do
not meet expectations on this one almighty test, the teachers have failed their
job. What a travesty!
Now about tenure. It has come to the point where I have sat in the faculty
room and heard TENURED teachers(who are also very good teachers) wondering in
their conversations with each other, if their students did not meet District
expectations on the State tests for a couple years in a row, what would happen.
Could the District call this imcompetent teaching? Could this be used as an
excuse to get rid of high salaried teachers or ones they did not like?
Some say this could never happen. I do not dismiss it from the realm of
possibility.
As if we needed one more reason to change this insanity- could this be it?
Carl
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Class website: http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/taylor/suny/
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