St. Mary's Schools Seek Waiver for 5 Snow Days

[Terminator]

Exactly! Throwing more money at the education system will not make kids want to do the work. Kids these days are not being held accountable by their parents for their school career.

Parents keep bailing them out... oh little Suzie, you keep procrastinating and your science project is a piece of crap. Now I have to do it for you. Oh little Freddie, your grammar sucks and you can't write worth ####. Now I have to re-write your essay so your average doesn't tank. Oh little Ethel, you forgot your homework assignment again?!?!?! Now I have to run to the school and get it from your locker and I'll be up all night helping you get it done.

This starts in elementary school and then has to continue thru middle and high because the kids didn't learn responsibility and the consequences of crappy work when they were younger.

Today's front page Enterprise:
Many not ready for college math

 

[glitch]

And it is thinking like this that puts our children behind intellectually on the world stage!

BEST MEAN SCORES: MATHS
Hong Kong-China: 550
Finland: 544
South Korea: 542
Netherlands: 538
Liechtenstein: 536

BEST MEAN SCORES: READING
Finland: 543
South Korea: 534
Canada: 528
Australia: 525
Liechtenstein: 525

BEST MEAN SCORES: SCIENCE
Finland: 548
Japan: 548
Hong Kong-China: 539
South Korea: 538
Liechtenstein: 525
Australia: 525
Macao-China: 525

** Results from the PISA study of 40 countries

What all these studies fail to mention is that other countries only test their smart kids. They stick all the 'dumb' ones in vocational programs that they don't test. The United States is the ONLY, let me say it again ONLY, country in the world that provides an equal education to each and every child, regardless of their level of intelligence. We are also the ONLY nation that tests 100% of the children in our schools with standardized tests. How can the results ever match up if they're only testing their college-bound students and we're testing everyone?

 

[glitch]

And if the teachers have to pay back their hours then every dayum federal, state and county employee who got paid to stay home had better pay theirs back too!

Thank you! Love how everyone always whines about teachers but never mentions everyone else that got paid leave during the storms.

 

[glitch]

I've heard this before, but I honestly don't understand the argument. Could you give an example of something that would be "teaching to the test" and something that would not be teaching to the test, but that you wanted to teach?

A perfect example of this trend is the elimination of the tech. ed. program in the middle schools. It was a part of the curriculum before standardized test scores started slipping and now it's gone. What did they do with the time? Increased instruction in reading, writing, and math. Next will be foreign language programs at the middle school level. Again the instruction time will go to reading, writing, and math. Why these areas? You might think it's because they have been deemed to be more valuable to the student when they exit school and enter the workforce/go to college but you'd be wrong. It's because these are the content areas assessed by the MSAs. What happened to science? Not assessed. Social Studies? Not assessed. Not assessed means we'll give the content area lip-service but who really cares if the kids learn the content? Nobody is assessing their knowledge so there's no reason to increase instructional time in these content areas.

 

[ylexot]

A perfect example of this trend is the elimination of the tech. ed. program in the middle schools. It was a part of the curriculum before standardized test scores started slipping and now it's gone. What did they do with the time? Increased instruction in reading, writing, and math. Next will be foreign language programs at the middle school level. Again the instruction time will go to reading, writing, and math. Why these areas? You might think it's because they have been deemed to be more valuable to the student when they exit school and enter the workforce/go to college but you'd be wrong. It's because these are the content areas assessed by the MSAs. What happened to science? Not assessed. Social Studies? Not assessed. Not assessed means we'll give the content area lip-service but who really cares if the kids learn the content? Nobody is assessing their knowledge so there's no reason to increase instructional time in these content areas.

Obviously, the standardized testing must have gotten much more difficult over time.

 

[glitch]

Obviously, the standardized testing must have gotten much more difficult over time.

Honestly, I don't believe the testing has gotten more difficult. It's just the way NCLB was written. Each year the bar for AYP goes up a certain number of percentage points. So, even if a school made AYP the year before they need to consistently improve their scores to continue to meet AYP. I can't wait to see what happens in 2014 when schools are expected to have 100% of their students scoring in the proficient range from both math and reading. Definitely going to be interesting.

 

[BOP]

And if the teachers have to pay back their hours then every dayum federal, state and county employee who got paid to stay home had better pay theirs back too!

I stayed home for a week, and took personal leave to do so. Take that, little miss smarty pants!

 

[kwillia]

I stayed home for a week, and took personal leave to do so. Take that, little miss smarty pants!

Then you were not included in my list were you, BeeBOPaloulaa?

 

[Teacher_Lady]

Honestly, I don't believe the testing has gotten more difficult. It's just the way NCLB was written. Each year the bar for AYP goes up a certain number of percentage points. So, even if a school made AYP the year before they need to consistently improve their scores to continue to meet AYP. I can't wait to see what happens in 2014 when schools are expected to have 100% of their students scoring in the proficient range from both math and reading. Definitely going to be interesting.

Another wonderful part of making AYP is making a certain percentage of daily attendance. Even if the kids pass the test, if they don't meet that attendance percentage, the school does not make AYP. The school does not necessarily lose funding, but they have a certain time period to get the scores and attendance up or the state will come in and take over the school. Think about that before yanking your kid out for a week or two for those "educational" trips to the beach or the slopes.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Think about that before yanking your kid out for a week or two for those "educational" trips to the beach or the slopes.

I thought about it for .0045683837 seconds. School or no school during spring break, my daughter will be joining me in Mexico.

 

[awpitt]

Another wonderful part of making AYP is making a certain percentage of daily attendance. Even if the kids pass the test, if they don't meet that attendance percentage, the school does not make AYP. The school does not necessarily lose funding, but they have a certain time period to get the scores and attendance up or the state will come in and take over the school. Think about that before yanking your kid out for a week or two for those "educational" trips to the beach or the slopes.

She's not yanking her kid out of school. She planned a vacation (Like I did) a year ago based on the school calendar. If days are added back during that week, those will be excused absences.

 

[Teacher_Lady]

She's not yanking her kid out of school. She planned a vacation (Like I did) a year ago based on the school calendar. If days are added back during that week, those will be excused absences.

I'm not talking about her. Planned vacations during designated breaks are not an issue. Going on vacation during important weeks of testing, not just MSA testing, is an issue when teachers have to get grades from midterms and final exams entered in time for report cards and graduation. You may want to refer to the student handbook for St. Mary's to look at the list of lawful absences, particularly if your kid is in high school. Hopefully if we have to make up days during spring break, they will count as excused.

 

[awpitt]

I'm not talking about her.

Your "Yanking the kids out school...." comment was in direct response to her (Chasey).

Going on vacation during important weeks of testing, not just MSA testing......

Who's taking vacation during testing weeks? This discussion has focused on the possibilty of make up days occuring during spring break and the imapct on those with planned vactions during spring break, not testing weeks.

You may want to refer to the student handbook for St. Mary's to look at the list of lawful absences, particularly if your kid is in high school. Hopefully if we have to make up days during spring break, they will count as excused.

No hoping here. I'd already gotten waivers in case they were needed. No need to refer to the handbook.