tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post9200452814081058368..comments2024-03-28T19:47:39.985-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Teaching To the Test Is Not OkayPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-67890274559393150892016-05-20T08:52:17.286-04:002016-05-20T08:52:17.286-04:00NY teacher's probably right.NY teacher's probably right.Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-2817319017789195342016-05-18T09:42:23.487-04:002016-05-18T09:42:23.487-04:00Crunchy,
In my mostly rural state school district...Crunchy,<br /><br />In my mostly rural state school district boundaries are in farmer's fields. You can choose a district by choosing a house, but unless you are wishing to live in a very rural area, you have to choose a house in the next nearest town. In many places in my state, that town could be 50 to 100 miles away.<br /><br />Interesting that you see being assigned to teach the most challenging students in a school as an effective threat to a teacher. As long as that is true, there is little hope for the students in those remedial classes. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-87428036625393398382016-05-18T06:10:38.461-04:002016-05-18T06:10:38.461-04:00TE, that doesn't mean that administrators in s...TE, that doesn't mean that administrators in search of school funding - to which test scores have been tied in one way or another since NCLB - or of scores that make their schools look good (we've been house-hunting and there are almost always links to the local schools that include test scores; people pay attention to those things) - aren't pushing for those scores to go up. Teaching to the test can still happen without direct consequences for teachers that you know of. "Get those test scores up or next year you're teaching the remedial classes" is still a consequence.CrunchyMamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14434606158400653601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-46163091189876915312016-05-17T19:09:10.312-04:002016-05-17T19:09:10.312-04:00NY Teacher,
In my state standardized exams have n...NY Teacher,<br /><br />In my state standardized exams have no consequences for teachers or students. Never have. That can not be the explanation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-39523682087655716822016-05-17T14:52:08.100-04:002016-05-17T14:52:08.100-04:00The economists feel that they have a right to opin...The economists feel that they have a right to opine about education because, since its inception during the Industrial Age, the purpose of compulsory public education was to create worker bees for the economy. Has that changed? Not according to the mission statement of the U.S. Department of Education. While the mission statements of learner-centered schools center around the education of the "whole child" and the development of unique strengths and abilities of individuals, Ed's mission remains "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness." In other words, we need more worker bees, but this time they have to grow the economy by "competing" for bucks with other job seekers around the world. But wait! This isn't an either-or dichotomy. Would helping individuals develop their fullest potential--not just mental, but creative, social, emotional, and physical--be BAD for the economy? Especially at a time when he haven't a clue what tomorrow's economy will look like?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02460639229043860740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-65030122762252742602016-05-17T09:58:49.862-04:002016-05-17T09:58:49.862-04:00The math deficiencies you are seeing are a direct ...The math deficiencies you are seeing are a direct result of 15 years of only teaching to the math test. Not even teaching for memory, which would have helped most math students with the skills they are struggling with. And forget about teaching math understanding through application - that ship sailed when the NCLB came into port.NY Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08292448959963091160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-15165798405694881842016-05-17T06:48:47.443-04:002016-05-17T06:48:47.443-04:00The funny (not ha-ha) thing is they can't even...The funny (not ha-ha) thing is they can't even get their own discipline right. Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570040547158789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-75995534817666740212016-05-17T04:36:57.446-04:002016-05-17T04:36:57.446-04:00Why is it always economists that think they have t...Why is it always economists that think they have the right to opine about education and that people should listen to them, when they obviously have no idea what they're talking about?Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-8393722200305579812016-05-17T00:44:25.856-04:002016-05-17T00:44:25.856-04:00Eric, walk into the school's office and compla...Eric, walk into the school's office and complain. Organize parents. Attend the schools parent meeting and demand change. Parents have the most power in all of this. It is beyond stupid and children are suffering because of this "accountability" movement.AGLLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10113071495616135465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-90155269171946298822016-05-16T23:15:48.571-04:002016-05-16T23:15:48.571-04:00How do we stop this madness! Please. Now!!How do we stop this madness! Please. Now!!abowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10433885140958821743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-21712034500939533962016-05-16T22:36:23.764-04:002016-05-16T22:36:23.764-04:00Eric,
I appreciate you post on Dr. Ravitch's ...Eric,<br /><br />I appreciate you post on Dr. Ravitch's blog about remedial education. I do not teach at UNC Chapel Hill. My university admits any student with a 2.0 average over a set of academic courses, a tightening of admissions from the beginning of my career when my state flagship university admitted ANY student with a high school diploma. My university has found it necessary to create the largest high school mathematics program in the state to address student's shortcomings in mathematics. Even after passing that course and at least one additional mathematics class, the least capable of my students still have trouble with fractions and basic algebra.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-77327784786294562472016-05-16T20:05:45.563-04:002016-05-16T20:05:45.563-04:00The middle school that my son attends is in test-p...The middle school that my son attends is in test-prep mode. All the classes are now reviewing/prepping for the end-of-grade exams. The entire school is focused on these tests, and the teachers did not choose this. The admin and the district have made these choices. To blame the teachers for this is, in my opinion, scapegoating, and scapegoating is generally a cowardly act. <br /><br />Testing and test preparation have definitely crowded-out other disciplines. At this middle school, there are only six real periods, and the seventh period is devoted to something called "mastery." But mastery is really just about testing strategies, etc. <br /><br />So, instead of more art, drama, foreign language, typing, journalism, shop class, etc., my son has to sit and learn how to fill in bubble tests. Beyond stupid. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07228908566250306699noreply@blogger.com