Seattle's PBS station recently conducted a random "man on the street" interview to see if adults could answer the following math question:
Alice, Bob, Farhana and Jamal went out for pizza. When the bill came, they decided to split the check. Alice figured out what she owed by multiplying the bill by 0.25. Bob figured his share by finding 30% of the total. Farhana figured out her amount by dividing the total by 3. To determine what he owed, Jamal found 12% of the total. Who paid the most money?
A. Alice
B. Bob
C. Farhana
D. Jamal
Got your answer?
The answer is, of course, Farhana (C), since she paid one third (or 33%) of the total bill.
The bad news about this exercise:
1. This is a sample question from last year's tenth grade WASL exam. Hardly rigorous.
2. Not one of the six or eight American adults who agreed to be on television answering the question got it right.
3. PBS was using the question to show how hard the WASL is for tenth graders.
4. The two interviewees who did get it right had heavy foreign accents. One was from Russia, the other from Kazakhstan.
5. Only 64.5% of the tenth graders who answered this question on the WASL last year got it right.
6. According to Achieve, Inc., our state's tenth grade WASL math test is the least rigorous among a seven-state comparison, and its content amounts to 6th or early 7th grade content on international exams.
7. Three of the four people in this story problem can't do math, but there's no hint that anything is wrong with them.
Clearly there is something wrong with our public school system.
Posted by Marsha Richards at April 18, 2005 03:14 PM | Email This .25
.30
.33
+ .22
________
1.00
Still, rather embarassing that noone could answer it...
Posted by: Aron Spencer on April 18, 2005 03:21 PM(/educrat.)
Posted by: South County on April 18, 2005 03:29 PMMy second grader was struggling with her math. I asked what 2 + 7 was. After a struggle, I asked what 7 + 2 was. Again a struggle.
I think we have the situation solved now two years later, but we still get blonde moments.
Posted by: swatter on April 18, 2005 03:29 PMJames
Posted by: James on April 18, 2005 03:33 PMWhile you are correct, that doesn't change the answer to the question, which was "who paid more?". Besides, dollars can't be divided beyond 0.01 anyway, unless of course you run a gas station, then for some unknown reason you are allowed another decimal place.
Posted by: Jason on April 18, 2005 03:44 PMWe need to turn this around completely. Every kid who sets foot in a classroom should feel an immense pressure to succeed more than any previous generation in human history, and more than any child in the world or in our nation. We should send them a message: You are human, which means you have an unlimited potential. Together we are going to unlock that potential. You will turn out to be the greatest generation the world has ever seen.
Instead, when a kid steps into a classroom, this is the message they get.
- You're not the brightest, strongest, fastest, or most gifted, so don't bother trying to be the best.
- You're going to struggle just to pass the simplest tests and examinations.
- You're poor / black / hispanic / fat / dumb / ugly, so don't expect to be anything more than average.
- The most important thing is how you feel, not what you are, nor what you can be, and certainly not what you do.
- If you fail at your education, you have plenty of people around you to blame. You can blame your parents, your teachers, your school, and the taxpayers.
Add on top of that the pressure kids feel to get a significant other by the time they graduate from elementary school, and the pressure to be "cool" or to fit in, and you can see why math isn't a priority for anyone.
Now that I've done my job complaining about what the problem is, I'll tell you what the solution is: to stop tolerating failure and mediocrity. We need to cut off the kids who can't pass the WASL, and tell them they are stupid in no uncertain terms. Then we tell them how to conquer their stupidity in simpler terms. Turn off the TV. Put away the XBOX. Pull out your math book and get to work. Show up to school on time. Do your homework.
We need to enforce the little rules. We need to hold students accountable for their failures. If Johnny can't pass the 10th grade WASL, Johnny will never see the light of day in an 11th grade class. We also need to hold others accountable. If a school is turning out kids that aren't passing the WASL, CLOSE DOWN THAT SCHOOL WITH PREJUDICE. Post a billboard on the school lawn with five foot tall red letters that say "FAILED". We need to do the same with teachers. The single most important attribute of a teacher is their ability to teach. If a teacher can get his class to pass the WASL, give them a raise based solely on that ability. If the teacher can't, fire them. The same goes for superintendents and school boards. We should ask them, "Under your term, what was the increase in the WASL pass rate?" That's about all that really matters at this point.
This is the way the business world works. Those who can, get raises. Those who can't, lose their jobs. And for every job there are simple criteria for determining if one is successful or not.
We can't expect to change the culture of mediocrity unless we start rewarding success and punishing failure.
Posted by: Jonathan Gardner on April 18, 2005 03:46 PMIf so, they must have used some sort of wacky liberal tax code to calculate their fair shares. Maybe the others reasoned that Farhana had an unfair advantage during the Reagan 80's.
Posted by: Mr. Grabbit on April 18, 2005 03:46 PM"We have .25 + .30 + .12 + 1/3 = 301/300, so the party overpaid by 1/3 of a percent."
The story problem neglects to mention that Alice, Bob, Farhana (Farhana?), and Jamal work for King County Elections.
Posted by: ScottM on April 18, 2005 03:50 PMThe west was not won with the rubbish that passes for education.
Posted by: Not a Yank on April 18, 2005 03:50 PMFurthermore, there's been very little discussion of how any assesment of student performance stacks up historically, but suffice it to say that it would be almost impossible for the High School seniors of today to complete an SAT test that High School seniors took in 1970.
Teacher's don't like WASLs either because they are under intense pressure to make sure that the students do well on the WASLs and thus they don't have the lattitude to really teach. Students's don't like the WASLs as they feel the heat to perform as well, and genuine learning is a hands on process that one cannot complete while under time pressure to conform to a state test.
Thus we are left with a broken school system, where those administrators and legislators who control it can nod their heads in agreement that the system is working well and that student's are passing the WASLs. Of course all the while missing the central point of schooling which is to turn out students who can think critically and solve a myriad of problems, and especially simple problems like the one presented here.
Personally, the only recourse I see given that we have a Democrat controlled legislature and powerful teachers unions that will not address these issues, is to take schooling matters into my own hands. Consistently, the kids I meet that are home schooled are smarter, better behaved, more balanced, more mature in their interaction with adults, and less likely to get into drugs and other peer influenced behavior that is whåt public schools have become about as opposed to real learning. And even private schools are falling victim to the politically correct dogmas of the left to some extent.
Teach them yourself! And band together with like minded parents to create small community based home schools, etc. It will require more effort, but the resulting pride and achievement will be worth your sweat. Relying on the state to teach your kids is a death sentence to your kids education, motivation and possibly to their very lives.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 18, 2005 03:54 PMIs that anywhere near Kazakhstan?
Of course your team wouldnt consist of teenagers with an abysmal absentee rate. Most of which would rather be elsewhere. You would have the ability to discipline and if necessary fire and replace the team members that werent pulling their weight. Presumably the team would be made up of adults that were getting paid to do their job. Most of which would need their paycheck.
People that try to equate teaching a classroom full of high school students to running a business are ignorant. Most adults can see the payoff an education brings. But if you have a kid that has been told an education is a waste of time by their parents, or that they turned out fine without an education, the kids are not going to be motivated to come to school, little alone study. If they dont show up in the classroom they wont learn. If they dont practice outside of school they wont learn, and you know what you cant fire them either. Remember no child will be left behind even if they really want to be.
There are a lot of conservatives that work in education. What amuses me is how uninformed most conservates outside of education are about what happens in the schools. I have this talk with my father who was a manager at UPS for 30 years about once a year. I always ask him what he would do with an employee that comes to work and tells him to leave him alone he doesnt want to do anything. His response is always the same. I would fire him. Then he would fail as an educator. Because the correct response is I would get him to learn. Obviously it is a lot easier to teach a kid that comes to school prepared and ready to go.
Of course there are bad teachers, just like their are bad politicians, doctors, lawyers, election workers etc. But the root of the problem is the value our society places on education. Income level is the best indicator of success in the classroom. It doesnt take a genius to figure out if you have a succesful role model as a parent your more likely to be succesful in the classroom. The reverse is true if your parent(s) are not successful. A succesful parent is more likely to advocate for education to his or her children.
Its easy to snipe and point the finger but its time to get off your asses and do something about it. Be a mentor or a tutor. Im licensed to practice law in washington. I quit being an attorney to teach. My message is the same to every student. Everyone has a sob story its the people that overcome theirs that are succesful. If you dont like the way the education system is in this country the do something about it. Quit whining like ignorant kids and find out what is wrong with it and fix it.
Posted by: Frank on April 18, 2005 04:13 PMWhat a sad state of affairs.
Posted by: Larry on April 18, 2005 04:14 PMCorrect spelling: Kazakhstan.
Posted by: Marsha Richards on April 18, 2005 04:15 PMI've found out what is wrong with education in this state already: WEA. How do you propose I go about fixing it?
I have my solutions already: charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. My kids will be able to answer this question in third grade - no thanks to the public school system.
Posted by: Larry on April 18, 2005 04:17 PMI tutored math & physics in college, once I convinced them that they could learn, success always followed. My biggest obstacle was attitude and believe me some of the attitudes, ranging from confrontational to defeatist (and then some) were quite an obstacle to overcome but had to be before any progress was possible.
By the way, you're missing a HUGE point:
You don't fire underperforming STUDENTS! You fire the underperforming TEACHERS! DUH! Or, at least, you should be able to fire time (see my point about WEA??)
Posted by: Larry on April 18, 2005 04:19 PMI guarantee you if I have a parent that would be willing to pay for or put in the time to home school their kid they would be succesful in almost any environment. Most conservatives are probably involved in their childs life and can't understand how kids can do so badly in school. Well its not the kids whose parents are involved that are doing poorly. Its the ones that are missing or in jail, or rarely around because they are working two dead end jobs because they dont have the skills to find better employment, whose kids are struggling.
I myself have my daughter in a christian school because of the values that our taught. But I know for a fact that if I had her in public school she would excel there also. You see I am willing to spend my evenings doing homework, reading with her (1st grader), teaching her to listen to and respect her teacher and to value education.
Posted by: Frank on April 18, 2005 04:28 PMIf you quit the law to teach, I hope it wasn't to teach spelling or grammar.
Posted by: Scott on April 18, 2005 04:30 PMIt would be more realistic to have four people order four separate meals, split the check based on the cost of what they ordered, and then ask how much of a tip each person should leave based on a 17% tip rate.
Posted by: Jason on April 18, 2005 04:39 PMFor Earth Day, the school plans to sell the following buttons to students and the community.
[Picture of a button that says "Save our Planet"]
[Picture of a button with a sketch of some trees and a lake that asks "Here today, gone tomorrow?"]
The school will have to pay $18 for 15 dozen buttons. How much will the school have to pay for 50 dozen buttons?
A. $90.00
B. $60.00
C. $45.00
D. $41.67
Ah, rigor and neutrality.
Posted by: Marsha Richards on April 18, 2005 04:40 PMI just asked my fifth grader this question. He got the correct answer with no hesitation.
Public School -- Medina Elementary in Bellevue School District.
Yeehah!
Posted by: the real scott on April 18, 2005 04:52 PM"I always ask him what he would do with an employee that comes to work and tells him to leave him alone he doesnt want to do anything. His response is always the same. I would fire him. Then he would fail as an educator. Because the correct response is I would get him to learn."
"Tell me how the the WEA is the problem?"
Frank, your logic is very poor because you do not list all the alternatives. You use a false dilemma, and maybe that is because you do not realize that other alternatives exist. "The correct response is I would get him to learn."
Well, what happens then? What if the educator cannot get the child to learn? Then the educator has failed. But can that educator be fired, or held accountable, or held to standards that exist in a competitive marketplace? Not to my knowledge - and that's due to the WEA.
Make the teachers accountable, and if your students aren't learning - you're FIRED. Make teachers just like any other profession.
Judging from your logical and grammatical skills, there may be other reasons you left the legal profession for easier work.
According to a publication written by OSPI called "Teaching and Learning Mathematics" 2000 they state the following:
Students exibit four basic "dysfunctional" (emphasis theirs) mathematically beliefs (Borasi, 1990; based on a review of Buerk, 1981, 1985; Oaks, 1987; Schoenfeld, 1985a):
1. The goal of mathematical activity is to provide the correct answer to given problems, which always are well defined and have predetermined, exact solutions.
2. The nature of mathematical activity is to recall and apply algorithmic procedures appropriate to the solution of the given problems.
3. The nature of mathematical knowledge is that everything (facts, concepts, and procedures) is either right or wrong with no allowance for a gray area.
4. The origin of mathematical knowledge is irrelevant-mathematics has always existed as a finished product which students need to absorb as transmitted by teachers.
In the late 90's, 200 prominent mathematicians, some nobel laureats, wrote a letter to the secretary of education warning of this math curriculum and asking for the secretary to not recommend these math programs. (Google letter to Riley) Washington state has been very silent about this and parents should wake up and see what is happening in our schools. It's not the money folks-It's the stupid ideas they're spending our money on.
Posted by: Shalimar on April 18, 2005 05:14 PMThe test is subjective. The answers are graded by minimum wage workers somewhere in the world.....
My son is in Honors with advanced math. He has passed the WASL - yet I do not consider it to be any reliable tool of measurment of his academic abilities! He just happened to luck out and have a good test corrector that day...
My younger children have already suffered through first, second and third grades - being taught how to take the WASL test - rather than learning basic math, spelling, etc... The elementary schools in our district have *spiraling* math. (the most barbaric form of confusion for a young mind!) Spiraling math never touches on a math concept long enough to cement it into the childs brain...The next concept is quickly implemented in some absurd attempt to relate it to the first concept...which fails miserably and causes complete confusion in the childs mind. Try introducing addition and subtraction for a few weeks - then changing to fractions - going on to multiplication then sneaking in some pre-algebra...all within a 2 month period in the third grade! We have had to fill in the blanks at home with older math text books! Most parents are not aware of this crazy - low budget math curriculum..They just believe their child is not brilliant. Teachers are aware of the damage the spiraling math causes and are apologetic - yet can do nothing about it. The spiraling math is just one of the short cuts that school districts adopt in order to spend more time teaching and preparing for this bogus WASL!
The WASL is truly dumbing down our children and our teachers.
People need to really research the origin of this test and understand it before they support it. These same standardized tests are popping up all over the country and in Canada. They were adopted during the Clinton era........
70% of the kids in Washington state who have taken this test have failed it!
Correcting your spelling and grammar is a burden you will have to carry alone. I think sloppy writing is a symptom of sloppy thinking. I also think writing is a craft, and like any craft the work of an artisan is appreciated more than the clumsy work of a novice. People pay attention to quality and if you want people to pay attention to what you say, you should take the time to write well.
Scott
Posted by: Scott on April 18, 2005 05:21 PMI second Scott's comments. Sloppy writing means sloppy thinking, just like sloppy logic means sloppy thinking.
Asserting that Scott must agree with your arguments because he only critiqued your grammar is a mental machination of mythic proportions.
You want to know why the educational system is a joke? Have you looked in a mirror lately?
Posted by: Larry on April 18, 2005 05:26 PMI went to a small school, Tahoma, in Maple Valley in the late 60's. We had virtually zip for budget and a joke for an athletic department. Yet, the kids that went there scored highly on average on the national tests being issued at the time and the moral was great at every athletic competition.
The differences between then and now?
1. The teachers actually cared about the students. Regardless of "school policy" they would not let a kid fail and would actively seek to help that kid, one way or another. A sense of pride, if you will. I know. A couple of teachers "straightened" me out and I am forever greatful for it.
2. The legal system. Teachers were allowed to deal with kids as individuals. Some kids needed a stern lecture, others needed a swat. Still others needed a day or two off from school to reflect. Rarely was a teacher challenged in their judgement.
3. The kids knew from day one who was in charge, and it was NOT them. I never called anyone anything other than Mr., Mrs., Sir, or Ma'am, until I was at least 18. That was called RESPECT for your elders.
Now, if that is not specific enough for you, I can add detail.
Just my humble opinion....
Posted by: Elmo on April 18, 2005 06:19 PMIf the students cannot pass a WASL test they need to be kept in school until they can.
The Dumocrats want them to be able to take the test about ten times and if they can't pass to be given a pass after an oral interview. They depend on Dummed Down Voters for their election.
Posted by: Norm on April 18, 2005 06:59 PMI think what you meant to write is that the problem with education is the teachers and the WEA makes it difficult to get rid of them. How many teachers have you actually observed teaching? How many teachers do you actually know? Some evidence to back up your accusations would be helpful. I bet I know more teachers that deserved to be fired then you do. But yet I don’t cite that as the major problem of schools.
When confronted with evidence from an expert you refuse to acknowledge it. It shows me that you have your conclusions about education and refuse to acknowledge or accept any conflicting evidence. I thought that was a trait I would find more on a liberal blog. That to me shows poor critical thinking skills. Did you happen to attend a public school system?
Do you think that when schools hire teachers they look for the most competent? If that is the case then wouldn’t all the competent teachers be hired first? So if there are incompetent teachers teaching doesn’t that means there is no more competent teachers to hire? Is that logic to hard for you to follow? Maybe you should focus your efforts on attracting competent teachers to education. Every year many teachers leave the profession. At some point I too will go back to practicing law.
Shannon
Students make choices everyday. Many of them make good choices, while others do not. If a student chooses to disrupt his classmates he or she has to live with the consequences of his choice. That is what I tell a student that is disrupting my class. The consequences could range from reminding them not to be disruptive, to detention, to a call to their parent, or a trip to the hallway or principals office. Normally this is only an issue the first few weeks of a new semester. Once you set the standard the kids meet it as long as it is consistently enforced.
Elmo
I think you will still find many teachers that care about their students today. I do agree that there was more respect for the profession than there is today. How much respect do you think kids have for their teachers when they have parents like Larry that is telling them teachers are incompetent nitwits.
I try to focus my attention on the positive. There are a lot of students that come to school and perform well. Unfortunately there is a growing minority that do not come to learn or do not show up regularly. Many of them have poor attitudes about learning because of the way they were raised. Most of the students that have poor attendance do not have someone that makes sure they attend school. Many teachers have difficulty motivating them. This isn’t a new issue for teachers though. Most of the in-service training I have received as a teacher has dealt with the issue of motivating unmotivated and disruptive students.
Why? Compared to what?
What's the failure rate of graduates of the private school system? Alot of religious schools and homeschoolers teach even less math than the public schools.
On the other hand, UW now requires 4 years of math to enter as a transfer student.
The PBS segment doesn't support your conclusion.
Consider refreshing your statistics. If you are going to attack the public school system's ability to teach math, you need to show that their math skills are lower than the religious, private and home schoolers.
Posted by: Erik on April 18, 2005 07:37 PMThe problem is, first and foremost, parents who aren't engaged. Or worst, fight the teachers and administrators who really know what to do. Then the lawsuits silences the teachers / administrators. Then the WEA reinforces mediocrity by treating everyone the same and defending every teacher no matter how horrible their behavior is.
Anyone blaming the system for their kid failing the WASL should look in the mirror.
After that soul searching, they should lobby hard for a right to work initiative that will allow half the teachers to quit funding the WEA.
Posted by: Mike on April 18, 2005 08:43 PMHmmm...Let's think/feel this through the *WASL* way...
My first thought was..what's up with Jamal? He thinks he's getting off by paying only .12%? Did he only have a coke?
But then - of course I would *feel* (by the Liberals WASL standards) that poor Jamal was probably underpriviledged and shouldn't be faulted for his inability to figure out his fair share...Then of course there is Farhana - probably new to this country and hasn't a clue..so we should just forgive her...That leaves good old Bob and Alice....picking up the bulk of the tab - as usual....as expected by the liberal socialists who write these ridiculous questions.....
The very structure of this particular question is racist! It implies that minorities are stupid and the Bob's and Alice's of the world must compensate for them...
Alice, Bob, Farhana and Jamal went out for pizza. When the bill came, they decided to split the check. Alice figured out what she owed by multiplying the bill by 0.25. Bob figured his share by finding 30% of the total. Farhana figured out her amount by dividing the total by 3. To determine what he owed, Jamal found 12% of the total. Who is the Republican?
A. Alice
B. Bob
C. Farhana
D. Jamal
A: Alice, the only one who knows enough math to realize her fair share is 1/4 which equals .25!
Look back at my post. I didn't make an assertion that home schoolers or those in religious schools have better or worse math test scores.
However, if someone is going to slam one or another, there has to be a point of reference. I haven't seen anything that one is better than another.
I have found that math scores correlate most highly with parents who are skilled and take some time with their children. Don't expect the private, public or religious schools to bail parents out.
Then again, the home schooler parents have their own problems of not being trained well enough and (anecdotally) seem to perform the worst of all.
Posted by: Erik on April 18, 2005 09:49 PM
I agree. I think the big difference is the parents these days not primarily the teachers.
Parents plug their kids into TVs and video games and them shove them off and try to contract out all of the learning to the schools. Parents are constantly working or gone or a parent is completely absent.
Kids that want to learn are going to learn alot in college and at school. Those that want to goof off are going to do so and no teaching system is going to change that.
Sorry parents. No one is going to take your screw off kids and turn them into a Rhode Scholars. Your kid is going to be able to learn at school if they have a good attitude before going in and you have already taught them some basic math and reading.
The WASL is too subjective, and the company that scores it, NCS Pearson, is unreliable. I don't like my tax dollar being spent on WASL ($74.00 per test compared to ITBS test which is $2.99).
There is no way I would let my children take a WASL test because it does not benefit them in any way. Results don't come back until the next school year, too late to be of any benefit to teachers or parents. I opt them out.
-Jaslyn
Posted by: Jaslynn on April 18, 2005 10:17 PMThe WEA/NEA can be thanked for our slipping academic standards. Why is the US toward the bottom of the rankings for developed countries of the world in Math and Science ? A number of European and Asian countries score significantly higher. It has been that way for some time, in fact the USA's rankings for this age group has sunk lower over the last 10 years. Suggestion; Focus on improvement, not promoting a social engineering/indoctrination agenda as the NEA has commissioned their teachers to do (not all of them do so, but a large enough number that impedes learning). The NEA doesn't get it and they don't want to get it - they just don't care !
Posted by: KS on April 18, 2005 10:24 PMThen again, the home schooler parents have their own problems of not being trained well enough and (anecdotally) seem to perform the worst of all.
Erik....
You have no children do you? I can tell by your posts - you have an inappropriate animosity towards home schooling and parents in general...
It is no secret that homeschooled kids actually have *higher* test scores and achieve higher grades....So your comment implying ignorance of parent home schoolers is absurd and without fact. I do not home school my kids...I feel as though I do....I may in the future...
Right now the burden of homework is incredible - beginning in the second grade. As a parent - I often wonder why I pay so much in taxes for education when I am having to spend hours with my kids filling in the blanks that the school system leaves out! Where do I get my paycheck? Instead of spending *quality* family time with my children every night - I am pulling out the old text books (remember those? They actually taught math, spelling and science without the liberal spin..) - trying to give my kids an academic foundation to grow on - because they are not getting it in school! They are getting politics, socialism, sex ed....and the WASL!
I don't blame the teachers for this...They are the first to agree with me. They are given a curriculum at the beginning of each school year and God forbid if they criticize it! I had a math teacher tell me he spent his own money on books that would help fill in the gaps that the spiraling math creates - only to have the school district come to his room and yank them out...Why would they do this?
It's not the kids, it's not the parents, it's not even the teachers....it's the system...and it's broken!
As long as the state continues to go bargain hunting for it's Kmart special-curriculums - and continue it's socialist experimentation on our kids...topping it off with the sure-to-fail subjective WASL test...our children will continue to be robbed of a good education. Our kids will be supersizing your fries forever......Is this what our state wants? A bunch of low wage service employees? They wont be able to count your change - but they will know how you FEEL?
I've had kids in the public school system for 25 years...I have 10 more years to go! I started early and ended late.... I KNOW the public school system. It never ceases to amaze me...
Posted by: Deborah on April 18, 2005 11:28 PMYou are missing the point. Your job as a teacher is to teach. If a kid comes unprepared, unmotivated, and unwilling to learn, you kick him out of your class and back on the streets until he gets motivated.
As a COMMUNITY we have the responsibility for inspiring our kids to want to learn. That's why wherever the kids turn, we try to have adults sending the same message: learn or you will end up in the gutter with a needle in your arm. (Yes, we know it isn't exactly true.)
As PARENTS (or all to often, parent), we also have a responsibility that we can't shirk. We must inspire our kids to get out of the house and get ready for real life. That may involve a swift kick in the pants or cutting the power cord to the TV and XBOX.
And churches, community programs, sports coaches, etc, etc, all have the same kind of responsibilities. In fact there are programs out there that some communities have funded which the sole purpose is to inspire dropouts to get back in school and succeed.
Frank, I'm glad that you're passionate about your job. So am I. But my boss frequently reminds me of where my paycheck comes from. He demands results. I demand the same from you because in a way I am ultimately your boss. Teach the kids. That's all I want.
I understand the problems of being a teacher, and I'm working my butt off to remove as many of them as I can.
Everybody else, let's not play the blame game. Everyone in this entire state shares a part of it, and it's high time we identified our share and shouldered our burden. As voters, we have elected legislators that enact unfunded mandates and shackle our teachers with stupid regulations. As community members, we don't spend nearly enough time physically in the classrooms supporting our teachers, and we aren't doing our part to put education as a priority. As parents, we are failing in encouraging our kids to succeed despite the setbacks. As teachers, we aren't teaching nearly to our capability. Do you get the point? Let's not blame one another and let's get to work.
Posted by: Jonathan Gardner on April 18, 2005 11:30 PMNah. Just pro personal responsibility and aware that student's success is more related to parents than any other factor.
Posted by: Erik on April 19, 2005 01:34 AMWhy wasn't Hwang invited to lunch? How does he feel about being left out? What should we do with Alice, Bob, Farhana, and Jamal for leaving Hwang out of their group? What should we do to make sure Hwang is included in the future?
They also left out important information which is required to figure who pays what part of the check. Without knowing the income levels of the four in the party it is impossible to determine equitable distribution of payment base on ability to pay.
Those are the important questions. Until the racist and capitalistic components are removed from this question how can when possibly expect our children to cope with fractions, percentages, and the complexities of math.
Get real people.
Posted by: JCM on April 19, 2005 06:57 AMThe TAKS test contains questions like this one and more at higher math
levels. The problem with public education is multifaceted and very complex.
As simply as I can put it, as our society/culture goes, so does public
school. By the way, there was no "good ol days" of public school. Before our
time in school, schools were segregated by ability and by color, and students
were not required to achieve anything beyond an 8th grade education. Even
when we were in school, students were not required to take my class - it was
an elective for college-bound students who might be interested in a science-
based major in college.
Pay close attention to what your kids are learning - it's way above what we
were expected to do at their age, but, some things are left out that should be
there...
Three of the last seven spelling bee champions have been homeschooled, and they generally make up in excess of 10% of the finalists at the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee. Not a bad showing, considering that only about 3% of the children in this country are home-schooled.
This is only anecdotal as well, and spelling does not constitute an entire education, but behind every statistic is a series of anecdotes. Care to share your anecdotal evidence that home-schooled students "seem to perform the worst of all"?
What is important is that there are very few real teachers left in public education system, what there are are a bunch of thought manipulators.
It is in the left's ( and there is no more leftist organization than the education unions) interest to reinforce the mantra that ‘it isn’t so important to get the correct answer,’ or ‘there isn’t necessarily any one correct answer, .... ... .. .
Posted by: JDH on April 19, 2005 07:59 AMIf you think that private schools are no better than public schools, then why compare them to that. Compare to excellence rather than average. There are plenty of examples where kids can do better.
12 graders need to pass the 10th grade WASL
Japan
Germany
Most of the rest of Europe
Good public school (as they don't pick their students, but do well anyway)
and most importantly, compared to 10-15 years ago when far less money was spent per child.
I learned more algebra in one semester of GEOMETRY at my private school than I did during 2 years of algebra in a public high school.
Posted by: Andrew on April 19, 2005 08:50 AMMathematicallycorrect.com is a wonderful site. I think my favorite articles on it are called "Cognitive Child Abuse" and another called "Conceptual Understanding vs. Basic Skills: a Bogus Dichotomy". (I just love a math professor who can use the word 'bogus' in a title.)
This is a battle between math teachers (NCTM- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and math professors. The math teachers came up with curriculum guidelines that the math professors criticised vigorously. The arrogance of the math teachers in ignoring feedback from their colleagues in the mathematics department is shameful. Unfortunately Washington sided with the teachers.
My son's math textbook is much more interested in cute story problem ideas than in making sure it has defined all the terms it is using. It is designed to hide the math, make it difficult to find what you are supposed to be learning. It leaves the kids always feeling they are winging every assignment. We should not be making it so difficult to find the important idea of the day.
I cannot emphasise enough how bad the math curriculums are in most districts. It is difficult to correct for the confusing and timewasting teaching the textbooks are designed around, giving short shrift to the truly important concepts (like fractions and ratios, varriables, graphing equations) and expand endlessly on the least important aspects of the topic at hand. Good teachers are hindered by these materials, good students waste precious homework time on them, districts waste years worth of textbook money, and no resources are left to correct the deficiencies.
You can take care of your child through tutoring, homeschooling, or private school. You can try to get your district to change by being a loudmouth yourself, or organizing with other parents. Or you can try to change the state for everyone. California had a lot of sucess with this approach, even getting suplementary funding for all disticts to allow them to change textbooks without much added cost. Their state scores (which are admittedly low) have been rising dramatically since they changed ideology. Early adopter districts have seen especially amazing improvements, even among disadvantaged kids.
I hate the direction our state has taken. It is anti-intellectual and an ideological indoctrination (all answers are good, things aren't exact, focusing on correct computation is biased in favor of white males....).
Shalimar, how do we really change this?
I am willing to take this to the next level in our state. I have already spoken with senators and house members, school board members and educators. I have a list of people willing to jump on board. I need help from someone who can help me put up a site. I have all the content, just need a source to put it up on. I will also hold meetings around the state to educate parents on this math. We can change it! Anyone interested in helping or joining me and someone that will help me put up a site please contact me at shalimar@shalimar.net
Posted by: shalimar on April 19, 2005 10:28 AMTake back the school boards. Then improve curriculum and textbooks.
Break the unions. Make teachers accountable.
Break the gov't monopoly. Vouchers. Make schools compete for students.
Break the education monopoly. Let those who do, teach. Do you want some who has studied economics teach, or a business man who makes economics work teach?
The left has bent the educational complex to their aims for 40 years. It will take work and time.
Posted by: JCM on April 19, 2005 10:31 AMGo to mathforum.com to read discussions of math education. There was also a good article a couple of years back in Discover magazine,in which a panel of mathematicians,engineers, and scientists weighed in on current trends in education.
Posted by: PeggyU. on April 19, 2005 11:05 AMCompared to union officials, anysort.
Posted by: Fred on April 19, 2005 11:12 AMhttp://mathematicallycorrect.com/frankallen.htm
By the way, parents who homeschool aren't generally ignorant rubes. Sometimes they are parents who recognize the futility of trying to solve problems (in a time frame relevant to their children) by working with the school system. They opt, instead, to take the path of least resistance and teach their children themselves. I know of several families (whose children are not disruptive or ill-behaved, not a drain on resources)for whom the system simply doesn't work. In fact, I was advised by a friend (a public school teacher who is retiring), to teach my kids at home. And from what I have been able to ascertain, ours is actually one of the better school districts in this state.
As Deborah said, there are many teachers who are great people. I'm glad my kids had the opportunity to be taught by some of them. I don't envy them their jobs, however. The WASL (which prompted this thread) is a burden to everyone, and I don't think it is at all beneficial. Honestly, I think it would be better if schools could administer their own competency tests before students receive their diplomas. Maybe you could have varying "grades" or "classes" of diplomas. For example, there are different types of driving licenses which indicate different levels of knowledge.
Perhaps students could even be allowed to graduate early, putting less of a strain on an overburdened system. Also, those schools with stiffer academic requirements would come to be recognized as desirous.
Those standardized tests which have been around for a long time (ITBS and SAT for example) could continue to be used because they are less costly to administer than the WASL (Well, actually, I don't know about the cost of the SAT these days!). Just a few thoughts...
Posted by: Peggy U. on April 19, 2005 12:33 PMI am speaking in generalities about the educational complex, there are many fine, dedicated teachers, the ones I know end up being driven out of education.
In general entrants into colleges of education are from the lowest percentile of SAT scores and college GPA. Once in a college of education they are indoctrinated into revisionist history, relative math, situational ethics, self esteem training, noncompetitive academics and sports, moral relativism and the rest of the leftist claptrap.
Yes, I rather have one of engineers in my company teach my kids math. The use it they know it and believe that there is a right answer to a math problem. If one of the them makes a mistake the malfunction could pose a serious problem. Rather than a modern teacher who to preserve little Timmy's self esteem will grade Timmy on effort rather than mastery of the problem.
There is a lot of common sense in the saying:
Those who can, do. Those who can't teach.
By the way, Peggy, one of the advantages of homeschooling over even private education is that you can slow down or speed up the curriculum for your child depending on his needs. For those of us who were often bored in class as the teacher explained something for the umpteenth time, that's kind of nice.
- The education system is not free day care.
- The education system is not there to make up for poor parenting.
- The education system is not a games and recreation system.
- Children who are not able to learn, or are not interested in learning should be removed from the system.
- Teachers who are not effective should find employment in another profession
- A basic education should be defined uniformly across the country, with standard measurements and measurement procedures used to track the level of success of each institution, teacher, and student.
A public education system is a wonderful thing, when done right. When abused, it degrades to what it has become today. It needs to be cleaned up.
Posted by: PW on April 19, 2005 01:58 PMJCM, have you read Thomas Sowell's book on Education? It's called Inside American Education.
Posted by: Shannon K on April 19, 2005 02:06 PMAnd I didn't really address the WASL, but I have looked over the test questions and the way they want you to answer them, and I think it is a lousy test. Then to find out how expensive it is, well it just ticks me off. I think using a standardized test that is nationally normed is cost-effective and best for comparing how Washington kids are doing.
It looks to me like the WASL is just an expensive test designed to hide the true facts of how poorly we teach math. And now that so many kids still can't pass it, there is pressure to make it easier. I think it is very telling that the educational establishment isn't spending as much time talking about helping all kids do better as they are trying to get rid of any measuring stick.
Posted by: California Dreamer on April 19, 2005 03:06 PM"Tax payer supported education is meant to lift families out of the generational cycle of poverty. It used to be that only the children of wealthy families could get an education."
I am unaware of any evidence to support that assertion. People who are determined to get an education will get one - on their own through reading if necessary. Abraham Lincoln and Patrick Henry come to mind, but there are many others who were not wealthy, but who *chose* to be educated.
There are very few legitimate functions of government, and education is not among them. One of the biggest problems with a public education system is that it is used to promote political agendas. People who can't think for themselves are easier to rule. Notice how the government just keeps getting bigger. How often do we hear, "There ought to be a law"? Kids are being taught in public school that government is almost always the answer. This is not an accident.
PW also says, "A basic education should be defined uniformly across the country." By whom? Who sets the standards? If that isn't taking the responsibility for children out of the hands of their parents, and putting it in the hands of the government, I don't know what is. Most parents are capable of making responsible choices about their children's education, and it is their choice to make. Every dictator in history has had an iron grip on education.
I aced math, algebra, trig, precalculus, general and organic chemistry, anatomy & physiology, biochemistrym and two hellish years of nursing curriculum. I graduated summa cum laude in my class. And by the way: I also homeschool my kids, who have to take achievement tests in order to advance.
Unlike the publically-educated Washington state kids, if my kids don't pass, they don't move up. When your public-school kid fails, he/she/other gets patted on the back, a couple of self-esteem counseling sessions, and a battery of excuses courtesy of a state government that not only embraces mediocrity, but enforces it.
And lest we forget- the WEA gets all those accolades because "every child passed". But they give themselves too much credit- as do you- because the struggling kids did not pass on their own merits or as the result of great teaching; they are passed and moved up because failing students would make the teachers and their corrupt socialist union look bad.
The truth of this was clearly demonstrated a year or so ago when Roosevelt High School's counselors doctored up the records of their failing students in order to jack up their own ratings. Doesn't anyone else remember that? (And there it is, Eric- the cited fact that you've been waiting for. No charge for that.)
Eric, your arrogant and dismissive argument regarding homeschooled kids and the educational qualifications of their parents versus publically-educated kids is spurious. Furthermore, you proved your own hypocrisy by spouting unsubstantiated generalizations about the parents of said homeschooled children.
So I would suggest you follow your own advice before popping off again, Socrates.
Posted by: ERNurse on April 19, 2005 04:19 PMI wasn't going to say anything, but since you brought up spelling...it's "publicly", not "publically".
The Spelling Nazi, a product of public schools
Posted by: Steven on April 19, 2005 05:48 PMSowell is on my read list, right now I am in Shcharansky's "The Case for Democracy." A definite must read. Next up is Levin's "Men in Black."
Posted by: JCM on April 19, 2005 08:50 PMOh, by the way, did I mention that we HOMESCHOOL? Enough said. (Go Saxon Math!)
Posted by: Kari on April 19, 2005 08:58 PMHere is the solution. It is a two parter.
1) Get your kids out of government schools. (Notice that Frank sends his kid to a Christian school. Frank, do you tell parents of your students to also send their kids to private school?)
2) Throw your television(s) out into the street, preferably from a second story window.
Our boy attended government schools from kindergarten through second grade. He now attends a Christian school. At the end of second grade he was a struggling reader and although one of the top performing students in math in his classroom he had only memorized the addition facts through the sevens. (He was the sixth best performer in math memorization among 24 students in his second grade class.)
He is presently in fifth grade. He now does algebra, although on occasion he still hesitates with basic addition - a legacy of his government school attendance. He reads and comprehends at the twelfth grade level. He has recently read, The Lord of the Rings series, and is now starting on White Fang by Jack London. I estimate that he has read over 200 books.
I'm not bragging here. I am trying to warn and encourage you parents out there. Home school or send your children to private school. You are doing them an awful turn by leaving them in government schools. Government schools are much worse than you think. The offenses being foisted on your kids there by the socialists are growing in scope and depravity and range from the teaching of deviant lifestyles to the psychological manipulation of children through one on one sessions with school counselors. Many students undergo these sessions for testing purposes, normal students: jocks, academically successful, activity oriented - the effort by the schools to run these students through these sessions which are played down for what they are has a two-fold purpose, one - make work for the army of sociologists and psychologists now working in the schools, and two - manipulate the students to reveal their home routines as well as their innermost thoughts so that the government may gather data and make individual interventions in addition to providing justification through aggregate data for large scale programs to impose more home control.
The academic standards in the government schools are laughable and the daily expectations and work within the classroom are incredible low and slow. The behavior is in rabid decline. Sexual innuendos by the students are pervasive and the dress of students is suggestive and distractive.
Suburban schools are now inundated with gang activity and meth is making another resurgence in Washington State. Rural schools are increasingly seeing more gangs too. Meth was established in rural areas prior to gaining a foothold in suburban schools. The harshest gangs have yet to settle into most of the suburbs: MS-13, the Somoan gang (sorry, I can't recall the name), the Gangster Disciples (black gang) , the Chinese tong gangs (which have ties to Red China via the adult Tongs), and the roughest elements of the Crips and Bloods are still not in some of the suburbs. However, their location in nearby urban districts offers occasion for negative interaction with surburban rivals. I saw an urban gang prowling to challenge surburban rivals just this past winter in a major suburban shopping mall. The suburban gangs, Crips, Bloods, Cowboys, present targets for the urban gangs. Also the increasing frequency of minorities to affiliate together into NWO bands (nonwhites only) is crossing gang boundaries and is increasingly being used as an intimidation tactic in suburban districts that are undergoing demographic changes. Look for NWO spray painted near your homes. Also the five star symbol (often very roughly painted) means that your local Crips and Bloods are of the more serious variety. And if you see a line with three points above it you have a rough and tumble hispanic gang in your area - the Latin Kings, which in this part of the county are often Crip affiliated - I have spotted the Latin Kings tags in several Puget Sound suburbs.) MS-13 is another growing problem and a deadly menace. (MS -13 stands for mara-salvatrucha 13 - the 13 being the street in LA where the gang was first based. It originated with immigrants from El Salvador, but has spread into the Mexican ethnic community as well incorporated other Spanish speaking migrants.) MS-13 which has over 30,000 members in LA alone, is now in Tacoma at Lincoln High School and likely is also in Seattle. It is one of the most deadly gangs in the nation, next to possibly the Chicago based muslim Al-Rukins, who keep a low profile, and the organized crime syndicates and their motorcyle gang transportation networks, alla Hells Angels, Mongrols, etc.
Most suburban middle schools also have multiple drug dealers within the student body. And in any typical classroom on any given day in a government school four letter words will be used with impunity. This has even reached the elementary grades.
I could go on regarding the mess in the government schools, but I will instead refer you to the book "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America," one of several excellant eye-opening books on the government school system. World Net Daily offers this book and many other worthwhile reads on the collapse of academic and behavior standards in the government school system.
I have seen the government schools from the inside. I have done a lot of reading in addition to my personal knowledge. Do not be misled by your relationships with your local school personal or your own government school experience of your youth. Get your kids out of government schools. Do it now!
And regarding step two: the firing your television:
There are a number of kids at my son's school that show little academic distinction between themselves and government school kids, although their conduct is better. Invariably when I inquire they offer the information that they watch a lot of television.
Would you allow an open sewer to run through your house? No? Then why do you have television?
Posted by: Jericho on April 20, 2005 12:35 AM-Jaslyn
Posted by: Jaslyn on April 20, 2005 12:44 AMCarkhuff has been onboard with OSPI ever since Bergeson was elected into office. He, along with Bergeson and Shirley McCune, are the force behind the WASL. If you truly want to know what is happening to education in this state you need to understand the three of them.
Posted by: Shalimar on April 20, 2005 09:23 AMMath quiz for Washington Voters:
Alice, Bob, Farhana and Jamal went out for pizza. When the bill came, they decided to split the check. Alice figured out what she owed by multiplying the bill by 0.25. Bob figured his share by finding 30% of the total. Farhana figured out her amount by dividing the total by 3. To determine what he owed, Jamal found 12% of the total. Who is the Republican?
A. Alice
B. Bob
C. Farhana
D. Jamal
A: Alice, the only one who knows enough math to realize her fair share is 1/4 which equals .25!
-------------------
Actually:
B. Bob is the real Republican. If he paid 30%, that would include a nice 20% tip on his 25%.
Another way of looking at it is to think of the bill at 120% with tip, divided by 4.
-----------------------------
As a Math teacher here's some insight:
Despite the worries that students not getting this correct means low math ability, the hard part about this question is a reading problem.
Those who try to answer the question too quickly will pick Alice because that would be logical, if you were trying to figure out how to divide the check equally.
Some others will see the percentages and decimals, missing Farhana's part of the bill as they scan the question quickly on a timed test. They will have chosen Bob.
Of course, 64% is actually preaty good. Since the tests are often meaningless to students, many students don't give a crap, especially on a long word problem like this.
Posted by: Ray J. Tuleya, Oregon on April 20, 2005 01:14 PMAlso, I don't think our discussions are aimless ramblings. My beef with the WASL is that it is seriously flawed, subjectively graded, expensive, and blatantly biased in favor of verbally expressive students. My experience with most boys - note, I did not say ALL boys - is that they get by with as little writing as they can. This test doesn't reward conciseness and brevity. It is an inappropriate tool for measuring the academic progress of our students.
Posted by: Peggy U. on April 20, 2005 05:20 PMIn response to President Bush's Federal "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB), it is proposed that students will have to pass a test to be promoted to the next grade level.
In the hope that this proposal will be uniformly adopted by all of the states, the new test will be called the Federal Arithmetic and Reading Test, or FART.
All students who cannot pass a FART in the second grade will be retested in Grades 3, 4, and 5 until they are capable of passing a FART score of 80%. If a student does not successfully FART by grade 5, that student shall be placed in a separate English program known as the Special Mastery Elective for Learning Literacy, or SMELL.
If, with this increased SMELL program, the student cannot pass the required FART test, he or she can still graduate to middle school by taking another one-semester course in Comprehensive Reading and Arithmetic Preparation, or CRAP.
If by age fourteen the student cannot FART, SMELL, or CRAP, he or she can earn promotion in an intensive one-week seminar known as the Preparatory Reading for Unprepared Nationally Exempted Students, or PRUNES. It is the opinion of the Department of Instruction for Public Schools (DIPS) that an intensive week of PRUNES will enable any student to FART, SMELL, or CRAP.
Posted by: Bob on April 20, 2005 06:37 PMNo Child Left Behind-Basketball Version
1. All teams must advance to the Sweet 16, and all will win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable.
2. All kids will be expected to have the same basketball skills at the same time and in the same conditions. No exceptions will be made for interest in basketball, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY BASKETBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL.
3. Talented players will be asked to practice on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in basketball, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like basketball.
4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th and 11th games.
5. This will create a New Age of sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimal goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child will be left behind.
There are very few legitimate functions of government, and education is not among them
Sorry, but much as I like to keep government in its place, it turns out that the Washington State Constitution very much disagrees with you.
"Most parents are capable of making responsible choices about their children's education"
Then let the parents pay for it. If I'm footing the bill, I'm not willing to leave the decisions up to the parents. My elected representatives should make the decisions. I should not have to pay for free day care and a dysfunctional public school system that has been loaded up with extra responsibilities beyond providing a basic education.
Posted by: PW on April 21, 2005 01:00 PMI will clearly describe to you what has gone on in my childrens' classrooms (my oldest is in fourth grade) as far as this is concerned.
In kingergarten, parents volunteered time and classroom supply money to make mock test booklets and answer sheets. They designed a "practice WASL". They locked the door and kids were told they could not ask the teacher for help.. It was all so these five-year olds could "get used" to testing! Later in the year fourth-graders came into the classroom to teach them a "WASL song". When WASL season rolled around the whole school (K thru 6) went to the pep assembly because they wanted the fourth and sixth graders (the grades taking the WASL that year)to know that the whole school was supporting them.
First grade was a similar to kindergarten. Useless WASL propoganda which wasn't accedemic it was more for them to gain a "positve" attitude towards WASL. Again, lots of time and money was spent on it.
Second grade: The teacher brags that she knows her students will do great on the WASL because she went to a "WASL training camp" over the summer (I wonder how much that costs?). I volunteered in the class one day, she had the kids practicing their written responses to WASL type questions. She corrected and guided them until every answer looked virtually the same! Remember, second grade isn't even a WASL year.
Third grade the WASL madness is about the same as second grade. I am informed that the school has chosen to take the third grade "pilot" WASL. This will take about a week of classroom time and no results will be given back to parents. Still all grades attend the WASL assembly.
Fourth grade the teacher annnounces that she is so happy that the school found the money to purchase WASL packets for each of the students! (This is one of the few schools that does not have a computer lab or a soccer or ball field of any type due to lack of funds) I am told these WASL packets costs $62.00 per student.
About two months before the WASL tests starts for my fourth grader, he informs me that he will miss music and PE because they are going to have WASL prep until testing time. I understand that this is common, pushing out any subject that isn't on the test.
Now for the sophmores in high school, I understand that the rest of the student body (ninth, eleventh and twelth graders) are asked to come to school two hours late while testing is going on. A total waste for them!
So when I say WASL has taken over that is what I mean!
Posted by: Jaslyn on April 21, 2005 03:30 PM"Most parents are capable of making responsible choices about their children's education"
To which PW replied:
**Then let the parents pay for it. If I'm footing the bill, I'm not willing to leave the decisions up to the parents. My elected representatives should make the decisions. I should not have to pay for free day care and a dysfunctional public school system that has been loaded up with extra responsibilities beyond providing a basic education.**
PW, WHAT are you smoking?? That was my whole point. Let the parents pay for it!! I don't want to pay for free day care or a dysfunctional public school system either. The public school system is turning out illiterates who can't think for themselves. The solution is a free market and competition in education, i.e. private schools. Would you *seriously* trust your elected representatives to make decisions about education, basic or otherwise? They don't have much of a track record so far.
Posted by: Maryallene on April 21, 2005 04:25 PMI am very much comforted by your sorrow that "the Washington State Constitution very much disagrees with [me]." However, my views remain the same: Education is not a proper function of government, and the results would improve astronomically if education were handled by the private sector.
Maryallene
Posted by: Maryallene on April 21, 2005 04:40 PMHurry!! Hurry!!
By Clydia Forehand
"Hurry up children don't lag behind!"
"Please face the front; please stay in line."
"We've all got to hurry. We must take a test."
"And hope we are better than even the best."
Way at the back, a young girls on her knees
Was not facing front; she was looking at leaves.
There on the ground, she held one to see
She looked at it closely: looked up at the trees.
"Miss Griffey! Miss Griffey, could you tell me how"
"This leaf is so different from that one. Right NOW!"
"Miss Griffey! Miss Griffey,I just want to know"
"Why do leaves fall? And "How do leaves grow?"
Miss griffey was saddened; she wanted to teach.
She wanted to show them the veins in the leaf
The wonders of chlorophyl; osmosis,too.
Instead she said,"Please do as I ask you to."
The child put the leaf down and stood in the line.
They all had to hurry; it was almost time.
The schedules were set; the test was at nine.
"Hurry up children; don't lag behind."
They all took the test:they did pretty well.
Their scores became data; not stories to tell.
Somebody, someplace,entered those scores
And somebody, someplace compiled a report.
Miss Griffey's and all the other classes that year
Were ranked in an order that made it quite clear
Who were the winners and who was in trouble
And who'd better make better scores in the future.
Miss Griffey did well; the report in the paper
Make her and her class and her school look quite able
To teach things that mattered; to make sure kids learned
And like every story; this one's pages turned.
The child in the back,who had looked at the leaf;
Been told not to dawdle; been taught not to see.
Grew to adulthood, a product of schools
That taught how to test and to follow the rules.
Miss Griffey kept teaching; but teaching had changed
There were scripts now to follow. 'Please don't deviate"
Said the words in bold print at the top of each page
Take the lessons in order, teach the lessons the same.
Test scores were rising, and, each year; believe me
Everyone said how much the kids were achieving
"They're learning so much" People said to each other.
It's so good to know now that schools aren't in trouble.
And Sarah, that young girl, who'd once found the leaf,
Soon learned NOT to look; soon learned NOT to see.
Like everyone else, she walked in a line.
'Cause she had been taught she could not lag behind.
There are so many children, from so many places
To test for conformity really erases.
All that they are; all that they dream
All that they look for and all that they see.
Taught NOT to question; taught Not to ask.
Stay in your seat; stick to the task.
Each one so different; each boy and each girl.
They are lag behind children in a hurry up world.
It is not a trick question.
Here is another question for you. What incentive does a government have to teach about the principle of limited government?
Here is another question for you. It is fill in the blank. Without knowledge, the people .....
What?
The really smart kids are not taking the WASL this week, because they have wise parents who are not subjecting them to government indoctrination.
Posted by: Jericho on April 22, 2005 12:47 AMDoesn't anyone remember the fraud associated with last year's WASL?
Why do some keep thinking these government indoctrination centers will one day get it right?
Posted by: Jericho on April 22, 2005 12:49 AMIs it Sam Frisco? DC unUnited? LA disunified? NEW YORK CITY????
No.
It is Seattle.
And now for something completely predictable. Having driven the family from Seattle and having promoted and engaged in decades of policies that murder kids in the womb the Seattle School District is closing 10 schools. Yaaaaawwnnnn! Breaking News: Dying city closing 10 government schools. Not breaking and not news.
Here is something for Stephan to statisize: Given the decline of children in Seattle in what year will the SSD physical plant be a one room school house in the South end and two forty story bureaucrat towers downtown with views of the waterfront? That is if Seattle is not a sea of glass by the end of the year, a more likely statistical outcome given our national security leadership and unrepentant populace.
Posted by: Jericho on April 22, 2005 01:00 AMWhen I was told of the backgrounds of the creators and strongest proponents of the WASL, I started looking around for further information online. I figured that I should probably look for myself before I came to any conclusions. Wow! There really are wackos at the helm at OSPI!
I'm particularly agog at the beliefs of Shirley McCune and Robert Carkhuff. They obviously both believe they are charged with engineering a new society, and the foundation of their bizarre vision begins with their indoctrination of the next generation. Robert Carkhuff is a self-proclaimed "militant humanist". For further explanation, please visit: http://www.carkhuff.com/PossComm.html
If you follow the links to "Other Carkhuff Sites", you will become acquainted with his view for the evolution of a global society. McCune is just plain New Age wierd. Is she an Arcturian, or what? Apparently, she vibrates....I don't really want to know about it...
Do either McCune or Bergeson have children themselves? I'm thinking they don't, otherwise they'd concentrate on brainwashing their own offspring...
Posted by: Peggy U. on April 22, 2005 02:19 AMGlad to hear you checked out my claims. Bergeson, McCune and Carkhuff are running the show, and together the three created the WASL. Once you understand these three and their 30 year connection, you will understand the goal they have in mind to alter our society through our kids minds.
The WASL has NOTHING to do with testing our kids for their academic acheivements. It tests their thinking and determines if they have been "PROCESSED" successfully. Then, when kids get into 12th grade they are required to do a "culminating project" or in other words-service learning. Kids must select from one of three categories; Social Justice, Environment, Diversity. They spend the rest of the year volunteering in organizations involved in their selection and learning about the subject.
This required project is designed to turn our kids into social activists for far-left groups. (WTO-GLSEN-ETC) One of the designers and contributers to this curriculum is www.freechild.org. They have been hired and paid by OSPI to help design curriculum.
Once you start looking into education in this state, you become overwhelmed at the goals of the administration.
Posted by: Shalimar on April 22, 2005 08:37 AMI am unaware of the requirement that the projects fall into one of the three categories you mention. In fact, I am really very uneducated on the whole culminating project requirement. I will contact my son's academic advisor to find out more. I'll see if I can obtain a printed rubric for the project.
Posted by: Peggy U. on April 22, 2005 10:04 AMI think you and I are on the same page. I'm just an idealist who would like some parts of our government to actually work. I know they don't in reality. (P.S. I don't smoke :-)
All,
The incentives to do things right just aren't there. Having reliable measurement standards for academic achievement should be used as a way to manage the system. Teachers shouldn't be focused on the tests. Teachers shouldn't even know what's on the test. The tests should be a suprise, so that student achievement and school system performance are accurately measured. Teachers should just teach the normal subject matter. The measurrments should be used to make changes to improve system and eliminate systems that are without much hope of fixing.
I like the idea of the private sector education system. People vote with their dollars and the best schools win. Parents can choose which private sector school they want their child to attend.
Perhaps we should eliminate the public school system and replace it with a system that provides education dollars to families that can't afford to send their children to private school. The parents can then choose which school to send their child to and pay the tuition with the taxpayer provided funds. I would still want the government to make sure we are getting a good deal for our money. Students relying on taxpayer funding would have to pass standard tests on core subjects (english, math, government, history, etc.). Other than that, I would want no strings attached to the funding. Each school would have to meet the state requirements as a minimum. They would also have to compete to attract students to their program.
PW
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mothers_Against_WASL/
It is similar to this. People post everyday but I think it is more convenient because you can converse with one person or the whole group, and you don't have to scroll down the page for half a minute. Many members are mothers, fathers, homeschoolers and concerned citizens. Check it out!
Posted by: Jaslyn on April 22, 2005 01:50 PMMy oldest son is in high school and will miss the junk that's coming down the pipeline. He has to take the 10th grade WASL this year, but passing it is not being used as a graduation requirement until next year. After doing further reading, I gather that the senior project requirement applies to students graduating in 2008 on. So, he narrowly missed that bullet too. And, I honestly think he'll pass the WASL with high marks. He always has. But that isn't the point. It is still a lousy excuse for a test, and it is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars.
My daughter is a senior, and I feel that she has obtained a quality education - but she had to fight for it. Students who don't fuss get placed wherever administrators need to balance their workload, whether parents