An attack on teachers
I am a daily fan of the newspaper, yet do not agree with every perspective. In this past Sunday’s editorial, it was noted that we are once again changing to a new student assessment company. As a retired teacher, I attended many test-prep workshops, served on committees to evaluate test validity/trend data, and led teacher Professional Learning Committees (PLCs) over my tenure. Ultimately, it’s the state’s responsibility to select formats and determine validity of tests and levels of accountability.
I was terribly disappointed in the editorial stance over the Fair Dismissal Act axed in the LEARNS Act, finding it a cheap shot at the teaching profession. Formal and informal teacher evaluations are completed every year.
There are steps in place for intervening for poor classroom performance. If the teacher continues to be “sleepwalking to retirement … or not cut out to be teacher,” there are clear steps on fair dismissal. Ultimately, if a poor-performing teacher remains in such a state, the fault would be on the administration, whose job it is to interview, hire, monitor, intervene, and recommend terminating teachers.
The very reason our state abandoned the ACTAAP was because fourth-grade students were beginning to perform “too high” (not my words, but of a highly ranked testing coordinator), and after evaluating the ACTAAP, it was found that it was not assessing students at a high depth of knowledge, and the complexity of the assessment was limited. Hence, the jump to ACT, which was by far a more complex test.
Unfortunately, the trend data in ACT scores show there is still work to be done, so instead of continuing the work, the state shifts to yet another test that will allow high-profile schools to maintain their A and B performance grades.
Again, not my words, but the quiet grumbling within the education grapevine.
The clear and invasive attack on teachers and the classroom needs to end. There is accountability, so let’s not whitewash it and point fingers. We definitely teach our children and students not to act in this manner. Let us all be the model and remember what we learned in kindergarten; the lessons will serve us well into the future.
NANCY FISCHER
Sherwood