Tony Sinanis, a father of a third grade student in New York and principal of a school, writes a moving and sincere letter to John King, the state commissioner of education.
With all due deference to the state commissioner, he asks a series of questions about the purpose and quantity of tests now raining down on schools across the state.
Teachers are teaching to the test; children are concluding that are “no good” because they are not good at the testing.
Is this in the best interest of children?
Read the letter. Here is a sample:
First of all, our children are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and they are starting to doubt their own abilities and it is only October. Why? Maybe it is because they are being subjected to numerous difficult tests and tasks as a result of the expectations of the Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) that have recently been put in place. Don’t get me wrong – I know pre and post assessments are critical and that various data points (when properly analyzed) can be a powerful tool for guiding future instruction and personalizing learning; but, when is enough, enough? Do they really need to take a paper and pencil test in the gym in first grade as part of a Physical Education SLO? Or do they need to take the TerraNova in kindergarten as part of a literacy SLO? Or does a second grader need to take an online assessment as part of reading and mathematics SLOs that can go on for hours? Are these types of assessments really developmentally appropriate (especially when considering some of our kindergarten students are still four years old)? Is the data we are gathering actually useful or even accurate? As I heard you recently mention, each district can negotiate their own SLOs so maybe not every first grader is taking a paper and pencil test in the gym but they are taking some type of assessment even though they have barely had a chance to get acclimated to their new teacher, classroom environment and school year. Is this really in the best interest of children? I am not sure but if it is, please let me know how so I can explain it my third grader who shut down during a mathematics SLO and said he was too stupid to finish and refused to take the test (by the way, his teacher wasn’t sure whether she should intervene because all she wanted to do was swoop in and take care of this little boy’s emotional well being but she worried that it might compromise the integrity of the test). Please understand that I am not questioning the importance of assessment nor the analysis of data to help us better instruct our students but in light of the new APPR and SLO requirements, my question is, are we actually doing what is in the best interest of our children?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
(My school is closed again. This is a problem.)
Everybody take a minute to think about why Mr. Synanis feels compelled to write these words:
“Don’t get me wrong – I know pre and post assessments are critical and that various data points (when properly analyzed) can be a powerful tool for guiding future instruction and personalizing learning;”
Actually, Tony knows that’s balderdash. Everybody knows. Canned “pre and post assessments” aren’t critical to any education goal. “Data points” are the last thing that’s ever personalized any child’s instruction. “Properly analyzed” means what, do you suppose?
It’s just a mumbo-jumbo religious doctrine. There’s no basis for it in fact or reason, but for some reason nobody dares to utter simple, everyday truth under its domination. It’s an Orwellian nightmare.
What a sad and scary situation for a generation of American children to be in. Look, if something is bogus we have the authority to say so out loud. Go ahead, and watch everybody’s eyes dart to the door. Then, say it again.
Are you afraid some petty little priest of Moloch is going to check off that you haven’t embraced the District Improvement Goals?
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Chmtchr,
Unfortunately not everyone (actually quite few in my mind and experience) realize that educational standards, standardized testing and “data driven dialogue” are balderdash. And Sinanis’s grovelling at the altar of such nonsense through multiple references to the “importance” of such practices just about made me puke. Thanks for bringing this up as I was going to highlight all those references and comment pretty much the same as you did.
Duane
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“With all due deference to the state commissioner, . . .”
When does someone deserve “deference”? From Mirriam-Webster.com definition of deference: “respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another’s wishes.” Is he my superior? NO! Is he an elder? NO! Is he Tony Sinanis’s superior? Perhaps peripherally but Mr. Sinanis’s direct superior would be the superintendent of the school district in which he teaches. Unless, Diane, you are using the second meaning then no he doesn’t deserve deference. I couldn’t quite tell but I had the feeling that Mr. Sinanis was indeed writing in the second definition’s meaning. If not, shame on him for bowing down and being docile and submissive.
In a society in which all are supposedly equal when might the concept of “deference” be considered appropriate? Only after one has earned it. And as state commissioner of education J. King has clearly not earned it through his implementation of policies and practices that are harmful to the children/students of the state and that are insulting and harmful to the teachers and their livelihoods.
Again from MW: “Synonyms: acquiescence, biddability, compliancy, compliance, docility, obedience, submissiveness.” Is this what we want in our supposed education leaders? Is this how building and/or district level administrators should act toward the regal commissioner? Put me on the side of (again from MW) “Antonyms: defiance, disobedience, intractability, recalcitrance” when supposed “leaders” refuse to listen to their “underlings” and continue with harmful decrees putting into place policies and practices that are so illogical, irrational and harmful that are educational standards and standardized testing regimes.
No, J. King does not deserve deference. He needs to be confronted, defied and called out for the harm he has caused.
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Well written letter, but again he makes the assumption that the rheeformers care. Until we truly realize that they don’t, we’re going to keep pursuing useless solutions like appealing to their decency (which they don’t have). There has to be an “or else” attached to get the rheeformers’ attention. In this case, opting out would be an obvious “or else”. That and refusing to vote for anyone involved in this mass pillage.
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King, the Ed leader for the state of NY, doesn’t even send his kids to public schools. Find out if the Montessori school his kids attend are subject to this nonsense. No way! If he is not subjecting his children, then all children in NY should have the same option. Ask him publicly why his children are not in a NY public school. Sorry for typos no power iPhone.
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I am also uncomfortable with the near- groveling and deference in the letter. One can be respectful without it, and you never see true deference really flowing the other way (“I love teachers…”).
Also, I prefer to think of the upper echelons as supervisors, never “superiors.” Maybe it is the language teacher in me, but at the risk of pedantry I cannot ignore semantic nuances.
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Well said, sir!
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Thank you for your feedback on my letter to Dr. King. I appreciate your extreme stance and I think I understand your approach to solving problems, even if it doesn’t align with mind. Although we may be approaching things from a different perspective and may be using different techniques, I do hope we are all fighting for one thing – what is best for our children. As an educator who has dedicated the last 16 years of his life (classroom teacher and instructional leader) to advocating for children and serving the community, my only goal is to bring about a change that will affect our kids and community in a positive way and I believe that can be accomplished in a collaborative way.
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Dr. King is a spoiled , inexperienced, arrogant, ignorant ,and vindictive pretender .
He is in over his head, and he is so obtuse that he thinks he deserves the job and title he has.
A real leader would be concerned about the teachers and students in the schools under his care. Instead he is witholding millions of dollars from the Buffalo public schools because the teachers have not let him walk all over their faces on the evaluation process.
Everyone knows that is is not fair, ( or morally right), to fail teachers on the test scores of absent students. It is unfair to count the scores of students who do not speak English, and students in need of Special Ed. services.
He is a charter school RHeeformer who is currying favor with Duncan and Cuomo at the expense of the children in public schools. He should be ashamed of what he is doing, but that would require a character trait that he does not have. Unfortunately, he is not alone in that category.
He is certainly not deserving of deference from any other adult….especially Diane and you “fellow commenters” on this blog site.
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Although I appreciate what you’re saying here, I don’t think we will bring about change by attacking Dr. King on a personal level. In my mind, it is imperative that we focus on the issues (doing what is best for our kids) and not on the people involved.
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Tony,
Why don’t we cut through all of this throne licking. I am a long time educator and this ‘man’ we have upstate is a thirty year, wet behind the ears, charter school proponent. When his lauded upstate ran into issues with weather the days were given back and with Hurricane Sandy, he decided not to understand anyone’s plight. Check his background, where did he teach? He was in a private school for about two hours before the other nightmare of a ‘leader’ Cuomo who spent the better part of his tenure screaming at LIPA and blaming teachers. People should wake up and tell these two idiots that this is not working and people are suffering as a result.
The problem is that we have given him a chance and he has done nothing and cares even less. Tony, I understand that you have your own way of looking at things, but being aggressive or being passive, this man is destroying our schools and affecting millions in the process. He does not care what you think or how you are being torn. He is a small-minded academic who certainly was placed in this position without vetting and thought.
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