For some time now,
school districts have been holding educators responsible for their students’ standardized
test scores, regardless of their grade-level capacity. In other words, if
a student enters first grade unable to read or solve math problems on a first
grade level, then they are by now, behind two years.
Pre-kinder, kindergarten
classes and Head Start benefit children develop mentally, emotionally, and
physically. Not every child has equal access to favorable parenting,
nutrition, lap reading, etc., which assists in their all over development.
Moreover, not every
child who enters school speaks English. Each youngster should be tested
appropriately to determine their correct placement; however, this is not actually
the case. For example, a youngster new to the U.S. is placed in a class
fitting their age, rather than their appropriate developmental situation with
regard to language acquisition, mental, emotional, tactile skills, etc.
This positions such children in a state of automatic disadvantage.
Make no mistake,
regardless of every child's learning capacity, level of maturity and
development, every teacher is held directly responsible for him/her to year’s
end, passing every test on grade level.
During my 42 + years
of educational administration and instruction, I have had less than a handful
of children ever begin the year on grade level. This is true for nearly
every educator in America. Yet, we are expected to work miracles with
every child, and make sure that they pass all tests, including state and
national mandated exams. Additionally, many school districts and campus
principals are holding teacher's hostage by threatening non-renewal of their
contracts, should their students fail to meet the 'passing quota.'
Last year, the
majority of my fourth graders entered reading at or below second grade level.
Fortunately, they improved dramatically, and did very well on unit tests
which did not exemplify in any way that which they were required to take at
year's end.
As all excellent
educators, I taught every child according to his/her specific needs,
one-on-one, in small differentiated group settings, maintained daily
logs as to their work and improvement, conferred with willing parents (always
too small in number), met with the grade level team members, and district
coaches, and took dozens of added hours of professional development courses, etc.
When it came to
referring students for special services testing, even after a two-year process
of working with specific children, my appeals fell on deaf ears and blind eyes.
Consequently, forcing these children to take the same tests as the other
students constituted cruel and unusual punishment perpetrated by the campus
administrators.
Although most of my
students soared throughout the year and passed with flying colors with
commended performance over the years, it was always a result of being forced to
'teach to the test,' during the second semester -- not by choice, but via
administrative bullying.
I am civil rights
advocate for all. I believe in and practiced minds-on, hands-on,
inquiry/discovery/project-based learning, specific to the needs of each child.
When forbidden to continue teaching my students in said manner, I, as every
other educator, was forced to resort to teaching test strategies in order to
pass, rather than synthesize and remember that which they were taught.
Educators from across
the country have filed law suits against their campus and school district administrators
because of these bullying tactics, that not only execute great harm upon the
teachers, but likewise their students.
Recently a dear friend
approached me about requesting that I address this issue in one of my blogs.
One of her closest friends, whose students performed very well, decided
that he must take a stand against the regime responsible for canning multiple
teachers, because their students' scores did not match that which the district
required. He then assisted those teachers in filing a class action
lawsuit against Houston ISD. He is not alone in this process.
I retired from
teaching earlier than planned for a few related reasons. First, my campus
principal was making it next to impossible to transfer from the school.
Secondly, due to working six days a week from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and
Sundays from 8:00 AM-11:00 PM, not being permitted to utilize the restroom
facilities when needed or risk the chance of being written up, I lacked
sufficient water intake, resulting in severe internal bleeding, losing seven
units of blood, causing acute anemia, resulting in a near-death episode.
Many campus administrators hold the same rigid bathroom break
restrictions, resulting in bladder, kidney, and esophageal trauma to thousands
of educators.
Such working
conditions equate to those of the early Industrial Age, and must not be
permitted. Furthermore, the persistent victimization upon teachers by
campus and district administrators, who hold their contracts hostage to the
testing results of their developmentally, culturally diverse class populations,
constitutes abuse toward the teachers and their students.
Unions in states like
TX, and WI, have little leverage in their state capitols, which are filled with
legislators who know nothing about childhood or brain development, or pedagogy.
Likewise, it appears that many district and campus administrators either
forgot the import and impact of such knowledge, or they never acquired it
during college.
Across this nation,
millions like me are fighting to restore our civil rights as guaranteed under
the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Who would have thought that in
the 21st Century, we would find ourselves struggling to recapture the right to
vote, and our basic civil liberties?
Republican and Tea
Party legislators are responsible for these horrific changes and cuts to our
state and national educational system. They don't believe in public
schools, or the Departments of Education, Health Human Services and Housing.
Take note -- a nation is only as strong as its educational system, for
"Knowledge is Power.'
There is an ever
abiding purpose behind the gutting of educational programs and funding.
You see, when the wealthiest few suppress the people of a nation, they
become prisoners to ignorance, and poverty. It is therefore incumbent
upon every educator and union representative to stand up, speak out, and do
what is necessary to bring about change. Change can occur through
protest, law suits, and most importantly via our votes.
A true educator does
not see their position as a job, but rather is a vocation -- a calling much
like that of ministry. As a profession, teaching is honored the world
over, with the exception of the United States. It wasn't always this way.
When I attended elementary school, teachers were held in high regard,
respected, admired, and treated with dignity.
Today we find ourselves
at a crossroads, whether to remain educators, because we love and believe in
our youth, and are called to serve, or find work elsewhere just to survive.
Civil Rights advocacy
penetrates a broad, and seemingly inexhaustible spectrum of our society.
Our Founding Fathers paved the path of freedom, equality and justice for
all, but it is our responsibility to nurture and demand those civil rights
through our participation as the electorate. We expect our students to
respond rather than sit silently along the sidelines waiting for something good
to occur. Just how much do you value our Constitution and Bill of Rights?
How much effort are you willing to give to restore, and protect our civil
rights? Are you willing to include
teachers among those who deserve equality and justice under the law?
