9486 in the collection
TAKS beat down everyone's morale
Why won't the politicos listen to professionals?
by Michael Stevens
HEREFORD - In conjunction with the TAKS testing, the State of Texas needs a morale-improvement program for its 4.3 million students and 350,000 or so professional educators.
After due consideration and deliberation there can be only one title for the program -"The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves."
I am exceptionally saddened and disappointed. Wednesday marked the beginning of "TAKS Season."
I have observed visibly shaken children and adults enter into the annual testing season with what can only be described as raw fear. Eight- and 10-year-old children are taking a test that will inexorably impact their future.
The testing started at 8:30 a.m. Some of the students finished at 6:30 p.m. A child works as hard as possible to pass a test that truly measures nothing of consequence. Yet, if she or he fails, the test has to be taken again. If, after three attempts, a passing score has not been attained the child is supposed to repeat the grade. This is true even though we know that if a child is retained in a grade level there is little likelihood that she/he will complete high school. The child is labeled a "failure," a label that will last a lifetime.
What do we know about children, schools and/or school districts that do not meet the testing and accountability standards established by the state and federal government? First, and foremost, we know that virtually every child that fails the test comes from families that are not blessed economically. Every child can learn well what is being taught - time is the variable.
As I approach the final few months of my career in public education I can only look back and ask the question: How did we get here? What started out in the 1980s as a tool to measure student progress has evolved into an incredible monster that is causing far more harm than good. Through some misguided notion that tests actually are indicators of quality we now use testing to measure the quality of a student and a school. It's insane!
Our public education system should be allowed to educate children, not merely test them. We spend about 50 to 60 school days each year either testing or preparing to test our children. Could we not reallocate the billions of dollars spent each year spent on testing and allow our wonderful educators to make learning fun, exciting and relevant. Children might actually learn!
Testing schools into quality, much the same as beating people until morale improves, hasn't worked. The time has come to change. To the policymakers in this state - I implore you to sit with an elementary principal when the scores are received as she has to tell a child that he failed.
You cannot possibly imagine the anguish!
Michael Stevens is superintendent of the Hereford Independent School District. Stevens recently announced his intentions to leave his office this summer.
— Michael Stevens
Amarillo Globe News
2008-03-10
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/031008/opi_9794293.shtml
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