"Teacher of the Year" quits over Common Core tests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With standards being constantly tested, the teachers have to skip so many steps. Did you never cram for a test? Same thing.

Constant testing? Doesn't NCLB testing only come around once a year?

Yes, the testing in MD was the MSA testing which was once a year. But, they started adding benchmarks and more benchmarks and instead of starting in 3rd grade, they started adding testing beginning in pre-k. Now, from January until the end of May is one long stretch of testing. Kids who don't make benchmarks are retested every 2 weeks. That means, every 2 weeks, students are given busy work so the teachers can sit one on one with each student who didn't make the benchmark (many of them in my Title 1 school) and test them again. We have data meetings every 2 weeks to discuss various sources of data from benchmarks to reading level assessments to math unit tests to.......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With standards being constantly tested, the teachers have to skip so many steps. Did you never cram for a test? Same thing.

Constant testing? Doesn't NCLB testing only come around once a year?

Yes, the testing in MD was the MSA testing which was once a year. But, they started adding benchmarks and more benchmarks and instead of starting in 3rd grade, they started adding testing beginning in pre-k. Now, from January until the end of May is one long stretch of testing. Kids who don't make benchmarks are retested every 2 weeks. That means, every 2 weeks, students are given busy work so the teachers can sit one on one with each student who didn't make the benchmark (many of them in my Title 1 school) and test them again. We have data meetings every 2 weeks to discuss various sources of data from benchmarks to reading level assessments to math unit tests to.......

Who is "they" - are the benchmarks, data meetings and one-on-ones actually mandated by NCLB or are schools taking it upon themselves to do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They took a problem (achievement gap) and tried to fix it by addressing all the schools. They fixed nothing.

And, for some reason, they can't admit that a mistake was made. Things would be so much better if people could admit mistakes and move on. Too many egos involved here.

And it's easier to blame the teachers than admit to mistakes.

The flip side of that is the anti-testing folks who want to just sweep the achievement gap under the rug and pretend it doesn't even exist - they aren't willing to admit problems exist, and worse yet aren't willing to do anything about the problems.

[Anonymous]

Study shows that the opposition to Common Core is fueled by misinformation: http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2015/commoncore/

[Anonymous]

The flip side of that is the anti-testing folks who want to just sweep the achievement gap under the rug and pretend it doesn't even exist - they aren't willing to admit problems exist, and worse yet aren't willing to do anything about the problems.

The anti-testing people acknowledge that the achievement gap exists, but they don't agree that solving the gap will come through testing. They are willing to support solutions, but it is unclear that testing is doing anything to solve the problem. The testing has done very little to solve this "gap" problem so far (and it has been about 13 years now of testing). Other solutions would be supported if there was evidence that they would be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With standards being constantly tested, the teachers have to skip so many steps. Did you never cram for a test? Same thing.

Constant testing? Doesn't NCLB testing only come around once a year?

Yes, the testing in MD was the MSA testing which was once a year. But, they started adding benchmarks and more benchmarks and instead of starting in 3rd grade, they started adding testing beginning in pre-k. Now, from January until the end of May is one long stretch of testing. Kids who don't make benchmarks are retested every 2 weeks. That means, every 2 weeks, students are given busy work so the teachers can sit one on one with each student who didn't make the benchmark (many of them in my Title 1 school) and test them again. We have data meetings every 2 weeks to discuss various sources of data from benchmarks to reading level assessments to math unit tests to.......

Who is "they" - are the benchmarks, data meetings and one-on-ones actually mandated by NCLB or are schools taking it upon themselves to do this?

Our district mandates the benchmarks and our admin (and probably their bosses) require the data meetings. Ask any public school teacher (esp those in Title 1 schools) about the craziness surrounding data.

[Anonymous]

And, as many have stated on this thread, standardized testing is separate from CC. A person can be anti-testing, yet be pro CC. Also a person could be pro-testing, but anti CC. They are two separate issues.

I think that a lot of people are not anti standards, but want time to work with the standards and change parts that don't make sense. Many people want to see a reduction in testing or a less "high stakes" nature to it because the pressure of "high stakes" is what has corrupted ("warped" if you like that word better) the instructional process.

Finally, if the "achievement gap" is truly the focus, there should be evidence that the testing is narrowing the gap. Various reasons for the testing have been given and various reasons for CC standards have been given on this thread. It's not entirely clear how having common standards will close the achievement gap in various states.

[Anonymous]

Our district mandates the benchmarks and our admin (and probably their bosses) require the data meetings. Ask any public school teacher (esp those in Title 1 schools) about the craziness surrounding data.

+1000

[Anonymous]

The benchmark testing and constant, mostly useless meetings to discuss the data are mandated by the school district. These meetings and constant testing are driving me crazy as a teacher.

We have data OUT THE WAHOO about how kids are or aren't meeting the standards. What we don't have are meetings about how to change teaching or better yet, change the curriculum (the materials we are using to teach the students). What we also don't have are offers to hire more teachers to help teach these kids who are behind. We don't have offers of money to pay teachers more to stay after school and teach kids individually. We don't have money to offer targeted summer school or weekend classes. And we don't have offers to group students by ability level in classes for instruction (it's ok to take "small groups" by ability level but you still have to run a 4 ring circus to do this.)

And we don't have license to teach a below grade child, at a below grade level. We are still supposed to be exposing the child who is in 4th grade but reading at a K/pre primer level, to fourth grade reading concepts and skills, while simultaneously (magically, by osmosis?) teaching him how to decode words.

There's really nothing wring with the Common Core standards. But it is going to cost schools more to actually teach kids to meet these standards. And they will really need to give up their fancy-schmancy curricula, and let teachers actually teach (which includes direct instruction, and drill and practice in the younger grades) If they want to see kids learn to master the foundational skills.

[Anonymous]

The flip side of that is the anti-testing folks who want to just sweep the achievement gap under the rug and pretend it doesn't even exist -

And, neither testing nor standards will solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The benchmark testing and constant, mostly useless meetings to discuss the data are mandated by the school district. These meetings and constant testing are driving me crazy as a teacher.

We have data OUT THE WAHOO about how kids are or aren't meeting the standards. What we don't have are meetings about how to change teaching or better yet, change the curriculum (the materials we are using to teach the students). What we also don't have are offers to hire more teachers to help teach these kids who are behind. We don't have offers of money to pay teachers more to stay after school and teach kids individually. We don't have money to offer targeted summer school or weekend classes. And we don't have offers to group students by ability level in classes for instruction (it's ok to take "small groups" by ability level but you still have to run a 4 ring circus to do this.)

And we don't have license to teach a below grade child, at a below grade level. We are still supposed to be exposing the child who is in 4th grade but reading at a K/pre primer level, to fourth grade reading concepts and skills, while simultaneously (magically, by osmosis?) teaching him how to decode words.

There's really nothing wring with the Common Core standards. But it is going to cost schools more to actually teach kids to meet these standards. And they will really need to give up their fancy-schmancy curricula, and let teachers actually teach (which includes direct instruction, and drill and practice in the younger grades) If they want to see kids learn to master the foundational skills.

you make a lot of sense. With bigger classes, direct instruction has to be the most effective way of delivery of new material. Why cannot so many people see this?

[Anonymous]

And we don't have license to teach a below grade child, at a below grade level. We are still supposed to be exposing the child who is in 4th grade but reading at a K/pre primer level, to fourth grade reading concepts and skills, while simultaneously (magically, by osmosis?) teaching him how to decode words.

This! This will never close the achievement gap.

[Anonymous]

The benchmark testing and constant, mostly useless meetings to discuss the data are mandated by the school district. These meetings and constant testing are driving me crazy as a teacher.

We have data OUT THE WAHOO about how kids are or aren't meeting the standards. What we don't have are meetings about how to change teaching or better yet, change the curriculum (the materials we are using to teach the students). What we also don't have are offers to hire more teachers to help teach these kids who are behind. We don't have offers of money to pay teachers more to stay after school and teach kids individually. We don't have money to offer targeted summer school or weekend classes. And we don't have offers to group students by ability level in classes for instruction (it's ok to take "small groups" by ability level but you still have to run a 4 ring circus to do this.)

And we don't have license to teach a below grade child, at a below grade level. We are still supposed to be exposing the child who is in 4th grade but reading at a K/pre primer level, to fourth grade reading concepts and skills, while simultaneously (magically, by osmosis?) teaching him how to decode words.

There's really nothing wring with the Common Core standards. But it is going to cost schools more to actually teach kids to meet these standards. And they will really need to give up their fancy-schmancy curricula, and let teachers actually teach (which includes direct instruction, and drill and practice in the younger grades) If they want to see kids learn to master the foundational skills.

I don't know who you are, but they need to have you on Capitol Hill to testify about the effects of the rigid top down management we have been suffering with (that helps virtually no student). You nailed it. Some people will say that this is all a problem with the local administration, but the people in the trenches have watched all of the history unfold. Some of the people who say that teachers are whining would do well to listen and not close their eyes and dismiss these comments. Lots of local money was put toward the federal mandates. Meanwhile there has been no money for the "real teaching". I have been in teaching long enough to remember the days when there was summer school for kids who were behind. FCPS took that out about 7 years ago. It was such a shock---we had a whole lot of kids enrolled and summer school was a very vibrant program for those kids. I also remember the money that was paid to teachers to stay after school to help students. That is no longer there. I remember when they actually trusted teachers to buy materials that would work for them and their own teaching styles. That has been gone for a LONG time. Oversight sucks money. There are more and more people being paid to sit in offices and fewer and fewer on the front lines (as evidenced by the higher and higher class sizes). TOTALLY ridiculous. Stop buying mandated technology, tests, "staff development" and just hire more teachers!! The real teaching and learning occurs in the classroom, not in publishing houses or offices. Give the front line what they need to succeed instead of taking it all away and then punishing them for not doing what needs to be done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The benchmark testing and constant, mostly useless meetings to discuss the data are mandated by the school district. These meetings and constant testing are driving me crazy as a teacher.

We have data OUT THE WAHOO about how kids are or aren't meeting the standards. What we don't have are meetings about how to change teaching or better yet, change the curriculum (the materials we are using to teach the students). What we also don't have are offers to hire more teachers to help teach these kids who are behind. We don't have offers of money to pay teachers more to stay after school and teach kids individually. We don't have money to offer targeted summer school or weekend classes. And we don't have offers to group students by ability level in classes for instruction (it's ok to take "small groups" by ability level but you still have to run a 4 ring circus to do this.)

And we don't have license to teach a below grade child, at a below grade level. We are still supposed to be exposing the child who is in 4th grade but reading at a K/pre primer level, to fourth grade reading concepts and skills, while simultaneously (magically, by osmosis?) teaching him how to decode words.

There's really nothing wring with the Common Core standards. But it is going to cost schools more to actually teach kids to meet these standards. And they will really need to give up their fancy-schmancy curricula, and let teachers actually teach (which includes direct instruction, and drill and practice in the younger grades) If they want to see kids learn to master the foundational skills.

Another great post by an actual teacher in the trenches. Thank you.

Common Core's demands that everyone be taught at grade level whether they are actually there are not are going to be a disaster for 70 percent of kids in this country. They will get behind in Kindergarten and never be allowed to catch up.

[Anonymous]

There is another thread where people are giving advice about how to keep and improve a kindergarten student's second language skills during the summer. Advice given includes special camps and summer schools.

It makes me very happy that this student's parents can afford those extras. It also makes me realize that we are never going to even come close in closing the achievement gap. You can have as many standards as you want and as many tests as you want, but if a kid does not have parents with resources like this, they will fall behind.

And, the public schools are not putting money into summer programs anymore because they don't have it. If the feds want some help with solutions, maybe this is one place to start. Fund summer school for these kids. Also, expect reasonable amounts of improvement for individual students and stop focusing on "group gaps". Lower SES will always do less well because of the above type of activities. The government can never replace the home influence unless they set up residential schools or mandatory adoptions.