This teacher describes how the testing mania–the evil spawn of No Child Left Behind–has consumed his school without changing the odds against the students. They are still behind and certain to remain far behind.
He writes:
I teach fourth grade in a Philadelphia public school. Though the school has made AYP for the past two years, most of the students are not performing at grade level in math or reading. So, at this school, like most urban schools, the standardized tests have become our god, informing every aspect of our teaching.
For instance I am required to teach reading and math only. If I submit lesson plans with science or social studies or something else, I am out of compliance and will be told to get back into compliance. The principal is a competent and supportive school leader who is simply navigating the academic culture that has developed since NCLB and high stakes testing began. From the district, to the region, to the school, and finally the classroom, every one is under intense pressure to get the test scores up. From day one we are focused on teaching test taking skills. ( and this is in a context where teacher evaluation is not yet tied to the test scores. )
Why is it so difficult to get the students to perform better? I could write a five page blog describing the actual challenges our children contend with that profoundly effect every aspect of their lives, which also happens to include their school experience.
After more than a decade of “academic improvements” and increased oversight and “support”, the student population that has struggled the most, still struggles. Isn’t it obvious by now that we are not addressing the real problems, but are persistently dealing with the symptoms? Where is the real support for our children?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I just proctored for my son’s end of grade math today. It took upwards of 5 hours. No kid can leave their seat other than to be escorted by a hall monitor to the bathroom) until the entire grade is done – when I was done with my proctoring after 5 hours, another grade level was going.
And this was day to of 4 days of testing, with the preceding 10 weeks being about homework and classwork in language arts to bubblework upwards of 350 assignments.
Math review starts also 6 weeks before, and a benchmark and practice is given…
What leaves me most shock is the statutory consequences of a teacher or principal speaking out against the test, based on the ‘guidelines’ even saying anything about them (any time of year, didn’t just say test day) can implicate a teacher or principal in doing something that would result in unwanted absenteeism or not doing the child’s best which according to the proctor guide which included a legal section is punishable up to and including ‘criminal’ charges.
I was wondering if I should have an attorney present to volunteer and proctor?
Having an attorney present to volunteer and proctor would be a huge eye opening experience. I think people should be able to look in at the fall out for the students and the teachers. The aim is to control and make money at the same time. This is called BUSINESS…profits.
“Criminal Charges”!!!
As a parent, I’ll d*mn say what I want!!!
Any teacher who is a parent can say anything to their child!
I would tell anyone anywhere not to ever get a teaching degree….never…it is no longer a desirable job. I have too many friends who have suffered severely…mentally and physically…and for that …Criminal Charges need to be filed against the system that allowed this to happen to them…
They threaten the teachers on a daily basis.,..”Be a sweet person…do not say anything negative…do not blow the whistle and tell the public what is really happening to the children of this nation!!”
Say…say…and say….what needs to be said will be said…
I love Private Schools….
“The principal is a competent and supportive school leader who is simply navigating the academic culture that has developed since NCLB and high stakes testing began.”
I’m sorry, but we really need to dive in and face the cognitive dissonance inherent in that sentence before we can ever begin to dig out of this mess. Anyone who “simply navigates” their way through this – and moreover forces his underlings to do the same thing – is not “supportive” and not really even “competent”, except to the same extent Adolph Eichmann was “competent” in keeping the trains running on schedule. Every cog in the machine that participates rather than resisting is part of the problem, and the further up the food chain you are, the less excuse you have for “I was only following orders”. This principal needs to be supporting your right – in fact, your duty – to teach science and social studies – not undermining your efforts to do so.
Beat me to the punch on that sentence, Dienne, had it copied, ready to paste.
That principal is definitely not “competent and supportive”. Spineless wimp would probably be a better moniker.
The “spineless wimp” is like the rest of us, in need of financial security and thus a job. When we have billionaires trying to throw school board elections from 3000+ miles away one really doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving an attack of the powers that be who are often comfortably well off and some well placed friends.
We all try our best to work within the system but there is a system in place and until the public sees the carnage going on in assessment land, well, like I said, we all need financial security and we know that if we go out the door someone else will waltz in and probably do an even less stellar job.
As the saying goes, “The truth hurts.”
“like the rest of us, in need of financial security and thus a job”
Yes, another way he’s just like Eichmann!
FLERP:
Eichmann did join the SS as a career move but if you liken this much maligned principal to him then all of us who participate in mandated testing are culpable. Somehow the comparison just does not sit well with me. I’m there doing the very best that I can for my students and I believe that most public school educators do the same. We did not ask for the situation but as I said earlier, we are employees charged with certain duties and we can be replaced. While some of these duties may be objectionable, they haven’t quite reached the genocide level. We are all working in our own way to make things better for our students and I suspect there is a little bit of resistance in all of us. Perhaps the public will take up the cause and vote the decision makers out. Until then, I’m getting up and going to work and to test tomorrow and I’ll just bet that there are many more like me out there.
Ms. CL @ 10:44
“I believe that most public school educators do the same.” Agree 100%!
And you are correct to state that “they (objectionable duties) haven’t quite reached the genocide level.” No, but fairly close. But that still does not obviate the fact that testing mania has caused and continues to cause harm to the most vulnerable/impressionable members of society, the children. All the harm for what??
There is harm, no doubt. Is this what your job should be about and if not what do you do to help eliminate this very banal evil? Do no harm???
This response is to “Ms. Cartwheel Librarian”:
You wrote: “Eichmann did join the SS as a career move but if you liken this much maligned principal to him then all of us who participate in mandated testing are culpable. Somehow the comparison just does not sit well with me. I’m there doing the very best that I can for my students and I believe that most public school educators do the same.”
I understand the sentiment. The last half of my 19 years teaching secondary school I felt like that, and truth be told, if I could find a system that would pay me what I’m worth (nobody’s hiring above step 3-5 these days, it seems… see my essay on the “Golden Handcuffs” at http://askingquestionsblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/oh-those-golden-handcuffs.html for more on that) I might still be in the game. It’s hard when they literally dangle your livelihood in front of you… “Stay with us and make $60, $70, $80K, plus benefits; or go out there and try your luck as an adjunct college professor, making $20K, $30K if you’re lucky, with no benefits…” A lot of teachers, most I’d guess, would stay put and keep their mouths shut, “play the game.” I’ve had many teachers tell me that they know what’s going on, but what can they do but focus on “their own four classroom walls.” Well, guess what happened if all teachers do that? The top-down, test-driven, corporate-governmental bureaucracy is given free reign to run roughshod over all, with no resistance. What was it that Martin Niemoller wrote about German intellectuals during the Nazi rise to power? Remember that poem? Comes a time for some people when that’s just not good enough, the crimes are too atrocious to be a part of.
The simple, sad fact is that teachers that stay, even if they think they’re doing good, even if in their hearts they remain true, even if they think they’re fighting the system in their own little way, MANY (if not MOST) are at least in SOME small way allowing the system to continue as it is simply by continuing to participate in it, and therefore are contributing to the problem. And as Diane pointed out in a recent blog, it doesn’t seem to be getting ant better. Something has to change. It’s not a question of “giving up,” it’s an issue of taking the battle to the next level.
Also, in regards to the desire for teachers to stay and “do the very best [they] can,” consider the words of Gandalf the Grey (substitute “Race to the Top” for Sauron’s “One Ring” LOL) to Frodo about trying to best an enemy with his own weapon:
Frodo: Take it!
Gandalf: No, Frodo.
Frodo: You must take it!
Gandalf: You cannot offer me this ring!
Frodo: I’m giving it to you!
Gandalf: Don’t… tempt me Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo. I would use this ring from a desire to do good… But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.
I’m not saying it can’t be done… but I think we’ve gotten to a point where a principled and public walkout will be more effective and proactive than teachers soldiering on as always… that’s what teachers have been doing for the last generation, soldiering on nobly, and it certainly has not halted the top-down bureaucratic madness, has not made teachers’ lives better, has not made students’ lives better; why assume that it will stop anytime soon without more drastic action?
Lastly, consider this: I don’t know if you’ve read Atlas Shrugged (it is a bit of a hyperbolic commentary on America, but if you suspend your disbelief for 1,100 pages, and endure a lot of long speeches, there is a takeaway that’s worth the journey) — the sentiment you describe, the inner conflict, the mixed feelings, the desire to stay, to do good, these are exactly what drove Dagny Taggart (the main character) to stay as long as she did. Consider her personal journey, and see if it doesn’t map neatly onto that of every frustrated teacher who has watched corporate and governmental interests appropriate all that used to be educator-driven in education. I don’t begrudge you your sentiments, because they were once mine, and to a certain extent, almost still are. I’m just presenting an alternative.
I share your feelings. I really do… I guess I just like to stir up sh*t more than most people 🙂
Those at the top of the food chain with no excuse but money: Jeb Bush, the President, Duncan, mayors Bloomberg, Emanuel, Villaraigosa, Gov Walker, Gov Kasich, Gov Daniels, and so many more.
It is a huge education Ponzi scheme, and everyone but everyone gets their cut, right down to the principals who receive bonuses based on implementing horrid policies by tamping down the protests of parents.
For Andrew King:
I read your blog and find myself wondering where everything went so terribly wrong. If it is all about the money then we are quite simply done for.
I need money to survive. Apparently big money wants more and more of us to just go away so they can make even more big money. They are willing to sacrifice people and our ways of life in order to do the dirty deeds.
What can we possibly do?
Has anyone done a comparison on DOE funding for public schools between Bush and Obama?
I’m looking at big subsidies for charter schools, too, and wondering if they “double dip”; because they are charter schools AND public school are they eligible for two sets of subsidies?
I’d love to see the numbers collected and compared between the 2 administrations.
I think it might be eye-opening for a lot of parents of public school kids.
Duncan clearly prefers charters, as did Bush of course. I’d like to see if this “playing field” they’ve set up disadvantages the traditional public schools this administration has abandoned.
Does anyone have any information on DIBBLES? I’m finding that my k students who read second grade level score as “strategic” or “intensive.” Something is very wrong. Please share what you know or lead me to any info you may have. I’m trying to create a case in my district to adopt a better test, if possible. Thanks for your help all…
Hi Bea,
If you go to http://scholar.google.com/ and search for David Pearson DIBELS, you’ll get a list of helpful articles. Ken Goodman wrote a book: The truth about DIBELS
Regie Routman has this list of resources:
http://www.regieroutman.com/teachingessentials/DIBELS.asp
You are correct to be concerned. Good luck!
Wendy Swanson
What the hell does “strategic” or “intensive” mean?
i would first point you the Heinemann book edited by Ken Goodman:
“The Truth About DIBELS: What It Is, What It Does”
http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01050.aspx
Here is a page of links from Regie Routman about DIBELS:
http://www.regieroutman.com/teachingessentials/DIBELS.asp
Good luck!
Try the University of Oregon’s site. I believe they are the creators of that? Are you talking about the fluency part or another part of the test. A lot of people have purchased this test. From my experience, it gives little real helpful data for teachers. It does give administration and others something to see but much of it in my opinion is false data. Speaking totally from my experience. As for another test, for kindergarten. Try for the old fashioned talking with kids and having them read to you. IMHO
The point of standardized testing was to identify which kids/schools were struggling and to provide resources… instead, what happens is that they’re identified, their teachers and principals are fired, and then they close their schools. This is NOT “providing resources.”
There is “no point” to standardized testing. (other than to line the pockets of the test makers)
Ugh… and I thought that maybe someone, somewhere had good intentions…
SO TRUE
It doesn’t help when major news outlets are jumping on the “testing is the answer” bandwagon… (lookin’ at you, Motoko Rich of the New York Times): http://askingquestionsblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/could-you-take-my-picture-cuz-i-wont.html
@ Ms. Cartwheel Librarian: I quoted you in my latest post – I think you made a good point earlier: http://askingquestionsblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/i-was-reading-diane-ravitchs-blog-this.html
Mr. King,
Please reread my post. It had nothing to do with the original writer, but was in response to another poster compairing the principal in the original post to Eichmann.
In your blog you wrote:
“[The 4th grade teacher wrote:] “The principal is a competent and supportive school leader who is simply navigating the academic culture that has developed since NCLB and high stakes testing began.”
[Ms. Cartwheel Librarian commented, after citing the above sentence specifically:] I’m sorry, but we really need to dive in and face the cognitive dissonance inherent in that sentence before we can ever begin to dig out of this mess. Anyone who “simply navigates” their way through this – and moreover forces his underlings to do the same thing – is not “supportive” and not really even “competent”, except to the same extent Adolph Eichmann was “competent” in keeping the trains running on schedule. Every cog in the machine that participates rather than resisting is part of the problem, and the further up the food chain you are, the less excuse you have for “I was only following orders”. This principal needs to be supporting your right – in fact, your duty – to teach science and social studies – not undermining your efforts to do so.”
What hat did you pull that out of? I don’t mind being quoted but this did not come from me. I never cited the original post. Please retract.
I have to say that Motoko Rich is very, very, very weak at reporting on education.
She had absolutely no background in it before the NYTimes decided to replace the excellent Mike Winerip.
Why would the Times put a reporter with no experience on that beat at this time of enormous change?
Makes you wonder.
“like the rest of us, in need of financial security and thus a job.” Yes, we all have to pay our bills. Yes, we have invested years of schooling and years in the classroom to the profession of education. We believe in public education, we want to help our students, of which many (in my classes in Philly) come from disadvantaged homes. But after day after day of mistreatment and disrespect that teachers receive –not just from administrators, but from our own Secretary of Education and President Obama-it gets more and more difficult to hold on. Last night, our SRC (School Reform Commission) passed the new school budget for next year: with a $304 million shortfall, they are cutting all sports, music and art programs, school counselors, secretaries, and there will be up to 3,000 layoffs. They already voted to close 30 schools. My principal announced to us this week that she submitted her new budget based on the cuts: we will no longer have counselors (ours is a public college preparatory school), secretaries, or a vice principal. In our building, 5 teaching positions will be cut, our class numbers could go up to 45 (at this time my classes have 30-33 students) Contrary to Duncan’s opinion, this has a negative effect on a child’s ability to learn. Last year, I taught at a much tougher school, where fights would break out in the school every day. We had 4 vice principals, who worked all day trying to maintain order, dealing with discipline issues in classrooms. Next year, the principal will be working alone, breaking up fights, answering phones, talking to parents in addition to all of her other responsibilities. Obama and Duncan want teachers to be evaluated more, now with no money and no support, the principal will most likely never leave her office to visit any classroom. Our governor, Tom Corbett cut 1.1 billion from the state education budget last year. Today, it almost feels like the powers that be are trying to make teachers so miserable that we will all just go away and they can replace us with charter schools run by cheap labor-TFA. It’s a sad day for Philadelphia-another sad day.
Louisemarr3:
I can only think of Herbert Morrison’s, “Oh, the humanity!”
How can this continue?? Perhaps the genocide that I mentioned earlier is directed from above at the public schools themselves. We are set up to fail. People who can will leap out of windows and pray for a safe landing. The rest of us will go down with the ship, building, institution, whatever metaphor works.
My first grader failed a 72 question benchmark test as did the ENTIRE FIRST GRADE. I begged for something to be done about all the testing. I begged for them to make any testing to be age appropriate. I begged for someone…anyone…to do something about all this RIDICULOUS testing that our children are enduring! I went through the appropriate channels, followed protocol, spoke with teachers, administrators, parents. I was asked to speak to our Assistant Superintendent regarding how I felt. I did my research and I spoke to her based on what I am living on a daily basis with my child. Of course I got some speech about how we are right on target and the manner in which we test in definitely appropriate. So I questioned then why are all the 5-6 year olds in our school district stupid if the testing is so appropriate! No answer. At the beginning of the following year, I was called to the BOE office and was told by my child’s principal and the Assistant Superintendent that I needed to “shut up.” I was told that parents in our community listen to my opinion and that I need to “shut up.” Not once, not twice, but three times…”shut up.”
So if you think teachers are the only ones getting “reprimanded” for standing up for the rights of children…you are wrong…even parents are not entitled to their opinions regarding their own children because of the ALMIGHTY TEST SCORE!!! IT IS INSANE!!!
There is no support for our children because…the profit margins are far too small.