By Greg Sampson
Jacksonville
Public Education Fund 1 X 1 Conference
Analysis and
Opinion
First, let’s
deal with the elephant in the room. When it comes to the curriculum guides,
especially the elementary ELA curriculum guides, the superintendent expressed
in this forum what he previously said in others. So kwitcherbitchin’ teachers,
he has committed to what he is doing and will not change course. (This is my
analysis, not my opinion about the issue.)
You are in a
Catch 22, elementary teachers. If you follow the curriculum and are successful
as defined by test results, he will release you from the curriculum and you can
do what you want. But then, if his curriculum made you successful (as defined
by test scores), why would you change? As for those of you who are not
successful, it is because you are not following the curriculum. Just do it!
Recess,
anyone?
To place the
emphasis on what needs it, I will put it in all caps. Mia Jones, District 14,
Florida House of Representatives, warned us: PUBLIC EDUCATION IS REALLY UNDER
ASSAULT.
From a woman
who is serving on the legislative committees and has a first look at the new
mischief Tallahassee plans: PUBLIC EDUCATION IS REALLY UNDER ASSAULT.
From there,
I dismiss the pep rally feel JPEF tried to give the conference. We should not
get caught up in such nonsense. There are real achievements to celebrate, but
there are real battles to fight.
Take the
celebration of the graduation rate. What nobody mentioned was the quotes from
politicians leaking into the press that they think we are faking the graduation
rate and they will do something about it.
Yes, you
read that right. And you have concluded correctly. For those people, they know
what they want to believe and will not let the facts get in their way. They
have the power and will change the facts to fit their belief. Or pocketbook,
depending how deep they are in with the hedge funds and charter school
lobbyists.
But I
digress.
It was a
celebration of achievement. That is expected and should not detract from the
opportunity to talk with people I would not otherwise have a chance to meet.
Other than
the graduation rates, there was little hard data to support the applause taking
place. Sorry, but discipline data is subject to great manipulation and cannot
be trusted. I offered my observation that black boys are judged more critically
than others when it comes to behavior in the schools, but I don’t think anyone
listened. Indeed, I found many persons not knowledgeable about various measures
such as ATOSS, which at my table was put forth as an alternative school like a
charter. I had to explain it was a place where students suspended could go
until their suspension was over.
The biggest
criticism I can offer is that JPEF, the conference, Dr. Vitti (and by
implication, the District) buys into the idea that the TEST SCORE defines all:
good schools, great teachers, and the like. Everything in the end came down to
how students scored on the test.
Once you
realize that premise is false, the entire house of cards collapses. Goodbye,
TNTP, you think a great teacher is someone who produces the highest test
scores. Stupid. Your entire existence is based on that flaw.
Goodbye,
TFA. Well, your people can’t even produce exceptional test scores because,
well, first year teachers wherever they come from, are learning on the job and
will take 3 to 5 years to gain effectiveness. But wait, your people leave after
two years, and now you have the chutzpah to pay them to be coaches to your
neophytes stepping into a classroom for the first time. Don’t believe me? Talk
to TNTP (ha, ha!)
Everything
is premised on the test. We have a job to do: to educate parents and our
community about how bad the test is, how badly it is written, how it does not
match the content we are told to teach, and how it is blighting their
children’s futures and their souls.
Take away
the test and the rest is meaningless as far as what took place at the
conference. The focus went away from the stated theme: equity in education for
all students.
Having said
that, I was glad I went and will go again. We teachers are unhappy about how we
are cut out of the discussion, how we are not listened to, and are
marginalized. Opportunities like this should not be passed by.
Imagine if,
when Dr. Vitti asked for teachers in the room to stand up, instead of 20 there
were 200. 200 teachers in place, not pushing an agenda, but interacting with
the community and telling their stories, explaining why the tests are
destroying education and children, and driving the conversation where it needs
to go.
JPEF is not
the enemy. It pushes initiatives that we disagree with but it also supports
policies that we want. We need to take advantage of these opportunities.
The Discipline Disparity Between Black and White Boys
ReplyDeletePlease display this as a new post.
Hey Greg Sampson your observation of the discipline disparity in our schools is not just in your imagination. I can recall a few years ago that a white student threatened to do bodily harm to me as he was cursing me out. I, in turn, wrote one referral that disappeared, then I wrote another referral that also disappeared. When I finally found the right person who could check into the status of the third referral, it only stated the kid cursed me out! Needless to say I did not get a copy of the disposition of the referral and the kid mysteriously disappeared from my class without being charged for threatening me. Also, I noticed that one of my current student’s, who is also white, was suspended out of school and you would be hard press to see the disposition of the referral in the system, although I can now see it for every black child that I know that has a referral. As for the young black boy, yes he is sometimes rude, lacks home training, and is extremely angry. However, if one of them gets into to trouble, you can guarantee that the infraction will be documented and he will be sent to the baby prison known as ATOSS. Let’s not forget they will supposedly be placed in a class where they are supposedly taught the same curriculum, and don’t know a damn thing when they report back to their home school. ATOSS is just as big of a joke as the charter schools where teacher and learning are void.
While I could go on and on giving examples of disparate treatment, I have one final point to make. It has always been our black kids getting the short end of the stick from ATOSS, the charters, permanent substitute teachers for Geometry classes, and the no teaching, pay my loan off, Teach for America folks, and I am sick of it. Yes, I know, some of the black boys are doing it to themselves because of the lack of a parent’s presence and self-control. However, the saddest part about this whole thing is that everybody is getting rich off of the color of those black boys skin while they are slowly being ushered to a life of unemployment, crime and a prison cell where even more folks will get rich off of them.