Drill, Baby, Drill ...

Maybe the teachers and citizens of Richmond need to start sending some very public letters to the School Board ... And if they fear for their jobs or the safety and well-being of their children, they can send them to me and I will post them on my blog and protect their identity. I will need to confirm who you are, but know that I will keep that private.

Below is an article from The New York Times that provides an example of a letter that a teacher wrote to Bill and Melinda Gates (see sidebar as well) asking them to use their (considerable) influence in the realm of public education. Our schools in Richmond need to make room at the table for the parents, students and teachers.  For far too long, the parents,  students and teachers in our schools have been marginalized and treated as if they are the problems, rather than integral parts of the solution.

Send your concerns, your suggestions and anything else you have to contribute to an honest and ongoing discussion of what needs to happen to make our schools successful for our entire community.  I look forward to hearing from you.

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  Mr. Gates: #EndHighStakesTesting – Teachers will win.

  Posted on July 8, 2013by Teachers'LettersToBillGates

  

  Dear Mr. Gates,

  I am entering my 20th year of public school teaching in middle school mathematics. I am recently National Board Certified. I have such an enthusiasm for teaching that two of my daughters also entered the profession. They are fine arts teachers and struggle daily with institutional demands that do not value their work as mine is valued. Why the difference?

  My “worth” can be measured by a high stakes test.

  I have always been a good teacher, and I have been told by students and parents that I am a great teacher. My students learn. I promise them I will not waste their time, and I expect them not to waste mine or anyone else’s.

  My daughters are great teachers. At age 25, my eldest took over the reins of the oldest band program in Fairfax County, Virginia. She replaced a 30 year veteran icon. Her students consistently earn superior ratings. They tell her in writing that their experience in Band has changed their life, that the leadership opportunities, the discipline and the very creation of music, both individually and in an ensemble, has enriched their lives beyond expectations.

  They come to school (and she works) 6 days a week for Band.

  My other daughter teaches elementary art. Surely you value the need for graphic and artistic expression in the 21st century. Her students learn to express themselves kinesthetically and visually through a variety of media. Her classroom is organized chaos with that hum of productivity that makes any observer jealous and desiring to jump in, too. But her students have seen their time allotted for art class shrink by a roughly a third just in the past 3 years. Why? To prepare for The Tests, of course.

  Drill, baby, drill.

  Some of my students are enthusiastic learners of mathematics. Some work 6 days to prepare for contests such as MathCounts. Many stay after school with me, and find confidence and beauty in mathematics. But for the past 5 years, my school has responded to TheTest by removing students from electives (that’s Band and Art, among others) so that they can get “remediated.”

  Of course you understand. They must improve The Test score.

  My students miss instruction for more than a full week so that Testing Gets Done. Can you imagine the boredom, the disengagement, the anger that results? And don’t think I’m just describing the “low kids,” who are frustrated and resentful that their very worth is being reduced to a Score. I’m describing kids like you, like my daughters, who love so much about this world, who follow their own curiosity wherever it may take them, who work and study because it is intrinsically rewarding. But we subject them to The Test, over and over. An absolutely mind numbing part of every child’s life.

  If you want a citizenry of functionaries who can’t think for themselves, who mindlessly follow directions (and if you have not sat through a Testing Session, you may have no idea what I’m referring to) and who are subject to remediation over arts, congratulations on your achievement.

  For my part, I reject this future and I reject your influence and power. I will work ceaselessly to bring the reality of high stakes testing to light. Teachers will win.

  Sincerely,

  Linda Allen
  Arlington, VA
  A Badass Teacher