I attended a St. Louis Writer's Guild open mic reading last evening. A retired elementary school teacher read a personal essay that spoke to my heart. I don't know your position on teacher performance based on standardized test scores. I know mine.
Children are so much more than test scores. When public schools only teach to the test, everyone fails: teachers, students, administrators. In my opinion, the only deserved "F" should be given to the adults, many with a string of titles and letters such as Ph D. after their names. Some of these specialists have high degrees and no temperature! Yes, I am upset.
Paula told how teachers were instructed not to interfere at all with students during standardized test taking. They were not to offer an encouraging word or pat on the shoulder, no interaction whatsoever, not even to the little third grade boy who was balled in the fetal position under his desk suffering from test anxiety. When handed a twenty page booklet and told to read, he had a melt down. He stayed down, and I can assure you that his DOWN was lower than the floor. Paula said she did the right thing ... for her. She retired. I am not judging her.
My right thing would have been wrong according to the officials, but I have always listened to my heart first and my administrators second. Good judgment should supersede good grades. When we received a memo that teachers were to only side hug a child, I understood why the rule was designed. But when a preschooler came to me with arms outstretched in distress, do you think I turned him or her to the side? I embraced that baby. Maybe it's time to implement and embrace new changes.
Our American public education system is broken, for a variety of reasons. Some people think parents are to blame; others blame teachers and their unions, some societal norms.
I believe it is some head honcho who has come up with a new model or method to raise test scores, thus masquerading the "improvement" of teachers' performance. I taught in a public school for 17 years and can tell you some stories. I can tell you about the good teachers who had poorly performing students and the bad teachers who appeared to have outstanding students.
We squelch creativity when we teach children what to think and not how to think. In classrooms across America, at every educational level, students are being "taught", but what are they learning?
Your take?