Test Confidence: Sabotage!

I was wrong. I can read more about people who defend testing in the wake of “cheating” scandals “Even the hint of testing irregularities and misconduct in the test administration process could call into question school reform efforts and undermine the state accountability systems….” Arnie Duncan “Test score data will be the life blood of… Read more »

I said Sabotage not Cheating: Another Reason to March

Just like my last post on why I’m marching, I found inspiration in a short reading session. I can’t read one more defense of testing in the wake of all the cheating scandals. These people just don’t get it. Read the quote below. “Of course, the worst idea of all is to cheat in the… Read more »

SOS Invitation to Senator Casey

Below is my note to Ms. Kim Bierly (PA Senator Robert Casey’s contact). Maybe we should all send personal invitations to our elected representatives. Dear Ms. Bierly, It has now been almost 5 months since we (Michele Gray and I) met with you to talk about Senator Casey’s position on standardized testing, NCLB and Race… Read more »

It’s Not Cheating. It’s Sabotage.

After thinking about my last post where I imagined educators consciously “cheating” on state tests as a form of protest, I now believe that teachers and administrators must actively engage in a form of civil disobedience. “Irregular erasure patterns” — it’s that simple. In a warped sense, educators in Atlanta, Philadelphia, D.C. and all the… Read more »

Stop labeling teachers, label the lawmakers

Dear Editor, The age of accountability should be renamed the age of blame, when teachers wear the scarlet letter for the failings of a nation. We send teachers into pockets of poverty that our leaders can’t or won’t eradicate, and when those teachers fail to work miracles among devastated children, we stamp ‘unacceptable’ on their… Read more »

Why I am Marching in the Save Our Schools March on July 30.

I was thinking about why I am marching on July 30th, and after reading all the reasons offered by so many I almost remained silent. I didn’t want to rehash all the great rationales offered by the many activists and bloggers. So I decided to do a little reading first. Maybe find something interesting. Something… Read more »

Good Teachers and Good Doctors: How do you Know?

“At least 99 percent of both teachers and principals rated as ‘satisfactory’ in 2009-10, according to the state Department of Education. Tomalis said he finds that hard to believe given that many students are still not scoring at grade level in reading and math.” Can anybody help Secretary Tomalis? He seems unable to believe that… Read more »

PSEA likes Testing: Did anybody ask theTeachers?

“Pennsylvania’s largest teachers union has issued its strongest endorsement to date for using student test scores in evaluating teachers, and proposed a streamlined dismissal process for educators and principals.” http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-06/news/29625627_1_largest-teachers-union-teacher-performance-evaluation How do you even begin to address this opening statement? Since its release I have been bombarded with emails from teachers (in PSEA) that are… Read more »

Meeting AYP and Not ready for College

According to Education Week, students are graduating from high school and then going directly into remedial Math, Reading and Writing Courses. Given the release of the research last week from the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine this should really come as no surprise. We… Read more »

Pennsylvania Cutting Education and Spending More on Market Reforms

“Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration is working to develop two important elements of his public education agenda – a new A-to-F grading system for public schools and merit pay for teachers, officials said.” http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/548220/Corbett-targets-teaching-measure—.html Really? Is this the same Corbett that just proposed cutting over $500 million to public education and is reducing the State’s contribution… Read more »