Midwest Chick's Place

(A.K.A. Non-Original Rants)

–Co-opting good stuff from all over the ‘Net and maybe some original thoughts—ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

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Can't even 'teach to the test'

One of the many issues with public ‘education’ these days is the fact that instead of teaching students material, teachers, when they can be bothered to, teach to standardized tests.

Apparently in New York (among others), they aren’t even able to do that.  So what do they do?  They lower the passing scores. 
Seriously.
Most of them are in Chicago, where the Chicago Teachers’ Union holds sway, but there are even some downstate.
The unions are always wanting more money ‘for the children’.  And it seems that the more money that flows to public schools, the worse the outcomes.
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Midwest Chick

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hate to say it, But Mike may have a point…. look at the locations (in the article) where those failing schools are. Enclaves of “Urban” lifestyles.There are several issues: Genetics, culture, parental (dis)involvement, and the fact that no decent, sane person wants to teach in (or even be in) those neighborhoods, so you don't get the best teachers either.

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  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    All of that, plus the effects of the abominable No Child Left Behind, where the violent, disturbed, and children with learning disabilities are “mainstreamed” into class and it is difficult, if not impossible, to hold a student back in grade even if he/she cannot do the work. It also forces the teacher to teach to the average, cheating the better students of a good education. And guess which programs are the first cut when money is tight — gifted programs. Which students leave the failing schools? The better ones and those with parents who care, perpetuating and exacerbating the problem.Not all of this on the teachers.

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  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mike SMO–I understand your point but I'm certain that public education is irretrievably broken and think that's a big part of the equation.Dan–Yep. That's a big part of it.B–All good points. But it's the downstate ones that were particularly surprising.Joe–I almost put something in about No Child Left Behind. It's teachers, local culture, and the administrators all combined for a pile of fail.

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  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mike,Are you suggesting those astute West Afrika slavers kept the smart and good-looking, then sold the ugly and stupit?Huh…

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  5. Avatar
    Anonymous

    see Proverbs ''Woe to the land when a slave becomes its ruler''.

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  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    In the real world, if someone is able to do their job with any manner of proficiency the person is fired. Teachers that can't get a specified percentage of their students to a specified level of proficiency should be relieved of their duties. I was a meat cutter thirty years. Production and presentation are-ahem, were-a big deal in a retail setting. If you couldn't make the grade, you got fired. End of story. As an aside, based on what I see in stores' meat cases now days there aren't an awful lot of decent meat cutters out there anymore. Anyway, if no students can pass, no teachers are retained. Easy deal.

    Like

    Reply
  7. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hate to say it, But Mike may have a point…. look at the locations (in the article) where those failing schools are. Enclaves of “Urban” lifestyles.There are several issues: Genetics, culture, parental (dis)involvement, and the fact that no decent, sane person wants to teach in (or even be in) those neighborhoods, so you don't get the best teachers either.

    Like

    Reply
  8. Avatar
    Anonymous

    All of that, plus the effects of the abominable No Child Left Behind, where the violent, disturbed, and children with learning disabilities are “mainstreamed” into class and it is difficult, if not impossible, to hold a student back in grade even if he/she cannot do the work. It also forces the teacher to teach to the average, cheating the better students of a good education. And guess which programs are the first cut when money is tight — gifted programs. Which students leave the failing schools? The better ones and those with parents who care, perpetuating and exacerbating the problem.Not all of this on the teachers.

    Like

    Reply
  9. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mike SMO–I understand your point but I'm certain that public education is irretrievably broken and think that's a big part of the equation.Dan–Yep. That's a big part of it.B–All good points. But it's the downstate ones that were particularly surprising.Joe–I almost put something in about No Child Left Behind. It's teachers, local culture, and the administrators all combined for a pile of fail.

    Like

    Reply
  10. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mike,Are you suggesting those astute West Afrika slavers kept the smart and good-looking, then sold the ugly and stupit?Huh…

    Like

    Reply
  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    see Proverbs ''Woe to the land when a slave becomes its ruler''.

    Like

    Reply
  12. Avatar
    Anonymous

    In the real world, if someone is able to do their job with any manner of proficiency the person is fired. Teachers that can't get a specified percentage of their students to a specified level of proficiency should be relieved of their duties. I was a meat cutter thirty years. Production and presentation are-ahem, were-a big deal in a retail setting. If you couldn't make the grade, you got fired. End of story. As an aside, based on what I see in stores' meat cases now days there aren't an awful lot of decent meat cutters out there anymore. Anyway, if no students can pass, no teachers are retained. Easy deal.

    Like

    Reply

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