He's sorry that he spent thousands of tax dollars on test materials, practice tests, postage and costs for test administration.
Sorry that his teachers spent less time teaching American history because most of the social studies test questions are about foreign countries.
Sorry that he didn't suspend a student for assaulting another because that student would have missed valuable test days.
Sorry he didn't strictly enforce attendance because all absences count against the school on the State Report Card.
He's sorry for pulling children away from art, music and gym, classes they love, so they could And more: Students pass state test, but at what cost to their education?
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This won't happen here. No NYC Principal will apologize for "teaching to the test" at the expense of a total academic learning experience.
ReplyDeleteFew if any of the ever decreasing number of NYC principals who are capable of understanding what this Ohioan principal said, would say it in the insane environment created by the NYC Department of "let's pretend." Let's pretend we're a money money corporation selling educational 'services' even though none of us is trained, experienced, or have any possible credentials that would approach being qualified to do so."
ReplyDeleteThat's what IS plain and simple.
I'd like to offer a succint interpretation of a famous remark made by Mark Twain and make a comment on another of his statements about education.
* "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."
We tend to forget that what goes on in schools has rarely been considered real education. Under the Leave No Child Behind and Children First education hasn't taken a back seat; it's not been allowed on the bus (except when snuck in the classrooms of the more skillful and seditious teachers). These days these teachers are just as likely to be sitting in the Rubber Room as they are to be found in any classroom.
* "Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge."
The "schooling" being put forward by those who are playing "let's pretend we're a money money corporation selling educational services even though none of us is trained, experienced, or have any possible credentials that would approach being qualified to do so" is just "McDonalds for the mind." Indeed it's more like watery gruel that wouldn't come up to McDonald's like schooling standards.
(It would be great to show how NCLB has provide great impetus to the states to water down their standards. For NYers it's painfully fascinating to see kids who probably wouldn't even be hired to wash and wax floors much less to be hired as clerks for low wage / no benefit conglomerates get "2's" for knowing next to nothing. But the many are joining the Department of "let's pretend" which has taken to advertising "significant improvements," and "increasing graduation rates" on bus shelters. To show how NCLB and CF have failed the nation and the city would take some will, muscle and money. Any takers?