“Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.” Harvey MacKay
We've approximately been in school now for 140 days. However, this year in 5th grade our administrator choose to put us on an A/B schedule, so as of today I've had 10-11-12 year olds basically 70 days. It will be a total of 75 days before we start our high stakes testing. I will not lie, I'm concerned this year. Very concerned!
How can a logical thinking person believe that this was doable. I've never had over 5 children fail the test, and that was the year I taught the inclusion class (they had paperwork that said they couldn't pass). I don't think this year will look that good. I've got the lowest of the low. I've had beautiful little girls sit and look at me and go, "I just don't get it because I'm stupid." I've taught and retaught, but that was only every other day, because they had to rotate.
See one of the screwed up ideas in NCLB was what constituted "highly qualified" teachers. My best friend next door isn't considered "highly qualified," because she has middle school certification in math, science, history, plus a gifted endorsement. The year NCLB came out my best friend was recognized as the best elementary school teacher in the county and her name was put on a plaque hanging in the board office, because she had 100% of her students pass the writing test and the CRCT. Yet, under NCLB she became "Not Highly Qualified". Sucks doesn't it!!!!
Well for years we worked through this because I taught all the ELA/history to her class and mine, she taught all the math/science. We had a great thing going. Then administrator decided it was unfair that ALL students couldn't see us. We were able to take the lowest of the low and keep a 90%+ success rate on that damn test. Problem was we were beating the other teachers scores by a considerable amount. Enter A/B days for 5th graders. We've lost precious time we can never get back, because adult educators couldn't do their job. And now the test is 10 days away or 5 in our A/B world.
This leads me to today. Here I sit with time ticking nursing strep throat and extremely high blood pressure, not at school with my babies. In my world the answers are simple. If you have teachers who cannot perform take the steps necessary for them to improve or get rid of them. At the very least do not let the teach your critical years. I am NOT for merit pay, but I am for doing your job! I had a fourth grade teacher bring me the content descriptors last week and say, "You mean they are suppose to know this?" Well YES!!!!!!!!!
Are my kids ready? This year I don't think so. The consistancy hasn't been there. They are struggling. They needed time and time was the one thing they weren't given.
If you are a praying person, pray for a struggling class of students in rural Georgia on April 19-23rd. We will be needing a direct intervention from Above.
5 comments:
I appreciate your post today!I've taught in FL, GA and now rural VT and have seen all kinds of bad teaching (and some good, too!). Last year in Atlanta I actually had to fire a student-teacher who was so bad I couldn't let him continue... only to find out he was hired in Louisiana! (This was sad, sad, sad to me because he was in a Master's program from a prestigious school and even they knew how bad he was and allowed him to graduate anyway!) I have never understood why, in the field of education, you cannot just fire someone who is not doing their job. Union or no union, it seems to me that if documentation is kept showing that a teacher is not performing, they should go.
Aimee,
I think one of our problems is there is no documentation. One of the teachers on my hall just can't cut it anymore. There is yelling all day. The other day my student teacher was flustered and she looked at me and said, "I'm sorry I just can't take that screaming I hear through the walls." I told her to think about the kids.
Times are tough. My Student teacher is excellent and may not get a job, but we will keep bad teachers because of tenure? Doesn't compute.
Oh, Lennye, I'm feeling your frustration! This is incredibly maddening. And so unfair to the students. They've already been beaten down (my heart broke over that quote from your student), and not passing this test will only hurt them more ... and put another unwelcome, unhelpful label on them. Why doesn't anyone think about the learners -- really think about them -- when they make these random decisions? I'll be thinking of your kids and you as we move through this high stakes testing season.
~~Stacie
Lennye....I have been working on a plan! Aunt Grace and Mrs. Reese will stay on their knees (or the best they can do for 80 year old ladies) Monday - Friday from 8:30 - 11:00 during that testing week with a list of names for them to read over and over and over.....How is that working for you?
Freda
Freda,
I truly believe this time God will have to intervene. We haven't had them enough time. I've got the list we may need to refine it. GirlGriot has it right, kids who already are defeated are not going to feel any better when they fail the test!! Somebody has got to become an advocate for these kids. The ones with no paperwork who struggle.
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