From a reader:
Ed White's media center is a very dark and unloved place and has been for some time and certainly could have used the renovation dollars. But, at least the media center at Ed White was not renovated and tax payers money wasted. One would think that any challenged school that had been recently sliding on the D or C scale should have their media center opened. Nevertheless, I am dismayed at the lack of support for the local libraries, the lack of book stores, and now the cuts to the Duval district media centers.
I refuse to believe that this is happening because the students and community are not using the facilities or are not checking out books. The need for libraries is greater now then it has ever been as witnessed by many teachers that have to work with students who do not read on grade level. As long as we continue to throw money down the testing hole and continue to make Pearson, and other companies like it richer, educators and the community at large can forget about the right thing being done for our children. It stopped being about our kids long time ago. It stopped being about the teacher in the class room too (you can't have student without the teacher).
It's all about what the testing companies can do to strip the education system of as many dollars as possible. Can we get the real numbers spent on testing, including industry certification exams, for each of the last ten years? Taxpayers will really be surprised! Big business is laughing all the way to the bank under the guise of reforming education.
Ed White's media center is a very dark and unloved place and has been for some time and certainly could have used the renovation dollars. But, at least the media center at Ed White was not renovated and tax payers money wasted. One would think that any challenged school that had been recently sliding on the D or C scale should have their media center opened. Nevertheless, I am dismayed at the lack of support for the local libraries, the lack of book stores, and now the cuts to the Duval district media centers.
I refuse to believe that this is happening because the students and community are not using the facilities or are not checking out books. The need for libraries is greater now then it has ever been as witnessed by many teachers that have to work with students who do not read on grade level. As long as we continue to throw money down the testing hole and continue to make Pearson, and other companies like it richer, educators and the community at large can forget about the right thing being done for our children. It stopped being about our kids long time ago. It stopped being about the teacher in the class room too (you can't have student without the teacher).
It's all about what the testing companies can do to strip the education system of as many dollars as possible. Can we get the real numbers spent on testing, including industry certification exams, for each of the last ten years? Taxpayers will really be surprised! Big business is laughing all the way to the bank under the guise of reforming education.
Count the number of tests that are being given. Vitti sent out that email last spring about cutting the number of tests. I believe we are testing even more this year, but we're giving different tests.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are definitely giving more tests. In fact, the IOWA is given to every student at every grade level despite passing the FCAT or being College-Ready. So far, we are also scheduled by our Testing Coordinator to give the Pre-Cast on top of the CGA (2 "70" min tests), yet they are supposedly identical. The coordinator is praising this effort, claiming we will be data-rich when this is all over; however, we are 4 weeks in with little to no data. This does nothing for me as a teacher. I cannot wait 3-6 weeks to get data. On top of that, the average reading class is still in the 40's, and many are in the 50's and 60's. We are told we are getting new teachers; however, when this will happen has not been confirmed. In my 8 years in Duval, I have NEVER experienced this focus on testing (ultimately time-consuming and overwhelming for students/teachers) and saving money (with class sizes at such a high average). Keep in mind that we are 4 weeks in now with these class sizes and testing in these huge classes. Beyond that, although we have tests, we have no curriculum for Reading classes (that is currently being used as there is a lack of access). ELA classrooms don't have enough books. Let's just say, there are plenty of issues to go around.
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