The annual exercise in
paranoia known as the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) ended a few weeks ago
and I do not have the slightest idea what was on the tests that will likely
determine how my school and my teaching are perceived by the general public.
Our Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education has strict rules for the administering of standardized
tests, as do the departments that oversee these winner-take-all exams in the
other 49 states.
During a mandatory meeting
several days before the test, teachers were told they were not to do the
following things:
-Take a look at the contents
of any test booklet.
-Talk about the tests with
any of our fellow teachers
-Ask our students any
questions about the tests once they were finished taking them
We are not even allowed to
make sure the students are actually doing the tests, even though their lack of
effort could have an impact on our jobs.
A student can leave
everything blank, flip a coin before answering, or just lean back and take a
nap, and we can’t do a thing about it.
And this is what the
so-called educational reformers want to use to determine how much we are paid?
In the Missouri House last
week, a portion of HB 1526 calling for teacher pay to be determined by these
very tests was removed, even though the end result was not much better. The
part of the bill that passed and is now in the Senate eliminates the use of
seniority in determining teacher layoffs, a move to designed to open the door
to using standardized tests for pay decisions and, of course, eliminating
tenure.
It will surprise those who
have read my past blogs to know that I am willing to compromise on this issue.
Let’s base 100 percent of
teacher pay on the results of standardized tests. Make it all or nothing, but
if we are to have true educational reform, a concept that seems to be lost when
used by those who claim that mantle, I want the following conditions:
-After schools have given the
tests and they have been graded, a complete copy of the tests and the answers
must be posted online. End this ridiculous secrecy and let the public see just
how bad these tests, which cost millions of dollars per year, really are.
-Place a complete ban on
testing companies selling test prep materials. These are turning our schools
into test-taking factories and eliminating learning. In fact, why don’t we
simply take one test at the beginning of the year and take a similar test at
the end of the year to see what the students have learned?
-Require all state
legislators to take the same tests and post their scores online. My guess is my
eighth graders’ scores would put the scores of legislators like Sen. Jane
Cunningham, and Majority Leader and future Speaker of the House (and birther
lawsuit plaintiff) Tim Jones to shame.
-Have legislative pay
determined by a bunch of fools who know nothing about government. That would be
similar to having education pay determined by a bunch of- well, you get the
idea.
And while we’re at it, let’s
take this movement nationwide.
Arne Duncan- Take this test!
I am not going to hold my
breath waiting for that to happen.
8 comments:
It's time for teachers to quit trying to tell school boards how to run the schools.
Hey Anonymous -let me guess, you're a school board member?!
No, 10:57 AM, I'm a taxpayer who believes that taxpayers and voters decide what tax levy rate we are willing to pay and vote for school board members to hire administrators who in turn hire teachers. Board members should set policies; the budget; direct the administration and let the teachers teach. It's not really that complicated.
If you, 10:57 AM, are a teacher, you need to concentrate on the classroom and the success of your students at whatever pay rate you receive. If you don't like the pay, apply at a larger district with more revenues or go out and get an 8 to 5 job and let another dedicated person have your classroom.
I only get paid to work 7:45 to 3:30. But I work way beyond 8-5 and then I go home and grade papers and do lesson plans. You have no idea.How great that would he to only have to work 8-5 and then go home.
The school boards have no say about how MAP tests are developed or administered, or how the results are used. It seems that you missed the entire point of this post.
Well 9:17, there you go again. Isn't it your job to teach kids so they will have the knowledge to pass MAP tests?
Maybe school boards need to take a more active roll in directing the administrators to hire teachers who understand this.
And you Sigler. You mean to tell me you report to school early in the year before the students to develop lesson plans and do not have it ready for the beginning of the semester?
Karen West, I don't believe Sigler said he didn't have things ready to start the semester, most of us teachers never feel as ready as we would like to be when it comes to moulding and preparing aour students for all the life challenges, least of all Map scores. People outside of school systems have no idea what teachers have to deal with. Half of our time is spent dealing with abused and neglected children who have have parents who couldn't pass the Map tests, much less a parenting class or perhaps a drug test! How aboout parents being allowed to retain custody of their children by passing a test administered by a board elected by the public of their peers. Please excuse any misspellings etc. I am a music teacher and am angry right now! I and any good teacher did not just teach my subject, but spent time teaching the whole child by relating my subject through life skills needed to live a good and produtive life and become an upstanding member of our society as well. I considered my job a mission not for profit and was happy to take that on even though it was not high paying, but I knew that in advance. I am all for striving for excellence and also endorse the fact that there are a lot of bad teachers out their. BAD ON US! But basing pay or employment on test scores is BALONEY, which by the way a lot of us/we teachers ate alot of!
No, Randy, don't make them take the MAP test. Make a test to show their state (or city or whatever) has improved in how it is faring over last year. Are the citizenry healthy? Wealthy? Outside forces such as the world economy, natural disasters, etc. don't matter. They must show improvement each year or they are fired!
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