| San Luis Obispo, Monterey County, CA | November 4, 2008 Election |
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The Disconnect - Expectations for Schools vs. Expectations for StudentsBy Barbara HarrisCandidate for Governing Board Member; Paso Robles Joint Unified School District |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
State and Federal laws expect schools to rate Advanced or Proficient, yet it's okay for students to graduate with a 1.0 grade point average. This is a problem.I was skeptical about public education when my daughter first started kindergarten. I'd heard many stories about how schools were failing children ... Johnny can't read but he still gets a diploma, etc. My mother always said, "You can't make changes unless you get involved." So I became an involved parent. I volunteered in the classroom - at first to watchdog what was going on. I was surprised at how much kindergarten had changed since I was in school. It wasn't graham crackers, milk, and naptime anymore! The curriculum included teaching them how to read, how to count to 100 and do simple math problems. I saw the limited amount of resources teachers had, and so I got involved in PTA to help them obtain needed resources. Through the intervening years, I continued to observe and note how teachers and staff applied their trade with limited funds and ever expanding regulations and mandates. It shouldn't be that hard to teach our kids, but the rules and laws put in place by people in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento (who have no to limited exposure to kids) have made the education of our children extremely difficult. There is a serious disconnect between the expectations for our children vs. the expectation of schools as a whole. Under NCLB, schools must meet certain criteria such that they are rated as Advanced or Proficient (grade A and B). However, schools that are rated Basic (grade C-average), Below Basic and Far Below Basic (grade D and F) are considered as failing. I see a point where D and F grades should be considered failing. But when did "average" become so distasteful? When did the Bell Curve go out of existence? Well, that is how schools as a whole are rated. Now for kids, the expectation for graduation is that they have as a minimum a g.p.a. of at least 1.0. ... Since schools rely on how well kids do, then how will they meet A or B proficiency when kids can be okay with a D? ... And consider that by 2014, 100% of all schools must meet the A or B grade. This is where the public has a problem with schools. How do schools get those fine A and B grades? They come from a test given in May (call the STAR test). One test can make or break a school. One child having a bad day during the STAR can make or break a school. And the question comes up ... are we teaching to the test? ... and it sure looks like it. This is wrong and I want to see it changed. That's one of the reasons I am running for school board. Not all of the changes can be made at the local level. We need to advocate to the state and federal governments that their regulations are the reason for failing schools and failing children. I haven't seen much advocacy from Paso Robles ... so, this is one of the things I plan to do. |
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ca/slo Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 23, 2008 07:26
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