Testing Forum

Last night District 26's CEC held a forum about Testing in NYC Schools. It was heavily attended by teachers. I just wish more parents were able to come but as I found out from speaking to some parents there seemed to be other school functions that were also taking place at the same time.
I have been looking forward to this forum since I am anti high stake tests. They really dumb down the curriculum. I mean come on the only reason Science is now being taught around the city is so children can pass the science test at the end of the year. The curriculum that was purchased, books are by the very same company that writes the test. Can you say cha ching?
I just want to touch on the fact of Randi Weingarten's part of the forum. She did not talk about any negative parts of testing, in fact she did not speak about testing at all. She did say she was against merit pay and would never allow it.
Ummm Randi merit pay, performance based pay what the hell is the difference.
I don't think that Randi did not have one important thing to contribute. But what the hell that is just my opinion, oh wait no it is not and now I know what a lot of people like Norm Scott, and NYEducator et al have been screaming about. Higher aspirations I can see it in her eyes

Jane Hirschmann is my new hero, my role model so to speak on a list of many. I would love to see a District by District join her group Time out From Testing and ban together and boycott all these high stake testing. To say no to all the emphasis that has been placed on our schools, our children, or teachers. To get back to the basis of education. A real education not a teach to the test.

And not to dismiss Bob Tobias he also gave a meaningful dialogue but I must put this in print.
Frank Padavan has vowed he will look into the possibility of limiting the high stakes testing by imposing limits on state funds to NYC. I say we hound him and write him and ask him not make is a possibility but a reality. Testing has got to go.

Teachers and Parents alike last night spoke how much testing has taken away from education. We know it, to bad the Dynamic Duo keep ignoring us.
But then again money talks........

First Grade Takes a Test

I just finished reading a book with my First Grader for his required 10 minutes of reading a night.
I picked this book up for him on our last library visit, titled First Grade Takes a Test by Miriam Cohen. I picked it up because he stresses so much about tests he always tells me when their is an E-Class and comments on them. This was a great book showing how different children come up with different answers to questions when they know what the correct answer is.
I thought the best part of the book was when the author showed a part of the test
with a picture of Tom and Sally sharing a bologna sandwich but the question was who was taller Tom or Sally. Jim wanted to know what being taller had to do with a bologna sandwich. My son just wanted to know if that was the correct spelling for bologna.
After the test was complete one child was taken out of the class and placed in a "Special Class" and all the remaining children had doubts about themselves whereas the teacher explained to them that a test does not teach them about themselves and that a test is not all important. Something I always tell him.
The only unbelievable part of the book was the first grade class of 9 but I guess it must have been a private school

Small School

If a school historically has a low enrollment rate, what is the role of a Principal to try increase enrollment so class size does not become large? Should they ask the District Superintendent to allow the neighboring overcrowded school to re-route some of their children to your school? Should you hold open houses to encourage increased enrollment, or should you appeal to the Chancellor to allow your school to be a model for a small class size initiative that he says can not occur in the current climate. If this is a small school with a small enrollment why not take the chance? Can this be done in a New York City School, with an enrollment of 34 children in a grade, or should you just have the one class with 34, if the cap is 32. Is it acceptable to have a teacher and a para professional in an upper grade class (in an elementary school) with today's high stake testing requirements? What happens when your school starts to slip behind in the standardized testing, what is the ultimate price to the student, or are students not even in the equation anymore? Is it just data in an $80 million computer that matters.
On the other hand what is the role of the parents on this issue? They are the ones who paid money to move to the neighborhood to let their children go to the excellent school.
The parents need to fight for the right for their children to receive a decent education in NYC. What is the middle ground? I know work together for the greater good.
You can not ask schools to continue to succeed if you are going to increase class size and take teachers out of the classroom. It just does not add up.