SOAP BOX (MASQUERADING AS HIGHLIGHTS)
Everyone likes to solve problems and offer and implement solutions. It’s natural; we all want to help.
But solutions aren’t really solutions unless they are driven by an acute, accurate, and bias-free assessment of the root cause of the problem in the first place. Far too often we see “solutions” slung into a situation and creating new issues because they don’t actually address the underlying problems. It’s as if a doctor prescribes medicine to treat depression to someone with kidney stones because both carry symptoms of fatigue.
And too often we see this in education.
More PD. More testing. More training. More data-tracking. That’s what we get offered as solutions for all the challenges we see each day. A student acting out violently due to severe mental heath issues? Give the teacher more training on non-verbal re-direction, and offend a once-inspired educator and burn them sooner. Students not doing homework because are apathetic to education? Teach teachers how to transfer a sentence from a loose leaf to a graphic organizer. Students coming to school late due to family issues and potential abuse? More attendance tracking and staff meetings to share and discuss data, and adding to the workload and stress of teachers.
The answer to these issues? Let’s start with correct placements for students with mental-health issues, firmer disclipine AND targeted guidance for disinterested students, and close-monitoring with family counseling for students who are in difficult family situations.
But they won’t ever be brought to the table unless we get the right assessment of the situation first.
Sure all the tests we’re wrapping up will show how effective student learning has been, but it’ll never be more than a slice our work. Tests will never show how Ms. Ramos had her 2nd grade students build self-powered cars, a project I remember doing myself in 9th grade. Scores will never show Mr. Dewhirst and Mr. Summo buying truck loads of flowers to plant with children, and then Ms. O’Donnell burning under the sun every year to do amazing chalk drawings on Earth Day. And Ms. Budarf’s dance extravaganza? The 4th grade Science test could never capture her success.
These are the things we do to help kids care about life, and in return they will want to care about others, themselves, and doing well in school and beyond. And the test for that? Life.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
TESTING: We’re wrapping up the state exam–the math exam will be administered this Tuesday through Thursday–and the activities calendar is filled to the brim. The 4th grade Science exam, now with greater significance than ever, will be on May 26th and June 5th. And then there are ongoing NYSESLAT, NYSAA, and Science Regents for some 8th grade students. Please mind these dates and be aware of the activities your students will engage in. The school Shrek play, for example, will be on May 18, 20, and 24th, and 4th grade teachers should definitely go easy on the 25th to help them perform at their best on the 26th.
OPTING OUT: A reminder that there is no official opt-out policy. Students who do not take the test will be scored as a refusal.
SBO: Voting will take place during the lunch periods tomorrow.
PREFERENCE SHEETS: Please complete by tomorrow. All reduced-tracing load positions will be open to applications Friday pending SBO.
NEW NYCDOE DISCIPLINE CODE:
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Suzie Cook
mrkobot.com 