Will loss of school days (snow days) impact DSTP results?

No doubt school closing due to snow disrupts educating our children. The DSTP test is around to corner in March and every instructional day counts.

Unless Delaware DOE manipulates testing results I have a hunch the DSTP score will show some poor results but no necessary do to the impact of snow days.

It took 11 years for the Delaware state legislators to come out of their self induced comma of denial and replace DSTP with DCAS a growth model based student assessment test. Though the DSTP was on it’s way out prior to Jack Markell getting elected governor he takes credit for slaying the DSTP beast.

The big question of the day is, can parents and educators convince children that even though DSTP is flawed to the extend the governor of Delaware calls it a bad test they must do their best? I don’t think students can comprehend how the DSTP is more important to the adults running Delaware’s public education than it is for students. Kids are going to look at the test as stupid and meaningless now that the government declared it a bad test.

The bottom line , a politically inspired DSTP  fulled by the business roundtable failed children and if children don’t take the last year for this social whipping post serious the egg on the system’s face is a natural consequence. 

When snow is gone tears will follow

It’s pretty much a no brainer tomorrow and Thursday schools will be closed (unless weather reports are way off).

Most school districts have 4 built-in snow days and after that snow days must be made up at the end of the school year.

I wonder if our new education change agent Jack Markell will wave his magic wand and poof a few snow days won’t have to be made up? May will complain if days are added at the end of the school year students will suffer in the June heat. There is a movement that calls for extended / year-round school. So wouldn’t making up a few snow days just be practice?

Prehaps we could forego next Monday’s Presidents Day holiday and perhaps trim two-day off of Spring Break.  

National Core Standards spells DSTP on Steroids

School Boards Raise Questions about National Standards @ Children and Educators First.

“Local-level Board Members need to be asking questions now, like where will the funding come from to provide textbooks, technology, and supplies that support the standards?  The easy answer is Race to the Top b/c Delaware is well-positioned to win that grant.  But, I won’t count my chickens before the eggs hatch and I can’t count on Race to the Top.”

Check out the complete article at Children and Educators First one of Delaware newest blogger and Christina School District Board member Elizabeth Scheinberg.

My spin on the proposed national core standards aka nationalized curriculum with a nationalized standardized test coming down the pipeline is DSTP on Steroids.

I can agree with some of the proponents of core standards because it is a bit insane that 50 states have their own version of a standardized test and do make note, when someone says New Jersey for an example is outperforming Delaware on the standards keep in mind, the standards vary across state lines. We’re talking apples and oranges. When we compare students and states to Naep, the National Assessment of Educational Progress  is the only nationally representative assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects, we are comparing apples to apples. Then there is the  Stanford Achievement Test Series, “usually referred to simply as the “SAT 9” or “SAT 10” (where the number reflects the series being used), is one of the leading standardized achievement tests utilized by school districts in the United States for assessing children from kindergarten through high school; it is used to measure academic knowledge of elementary and secondary school students. The test is available in 13 levels that roughly correspond to the year in school. Each level of the test is broken into subtests or strands covering various subjects such as reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving, and science”. We’ve had standardized test going back to the IOWA test , going back to 1935. Standardize test are not the rule but rather a “tool” to help adjust instructional needs.

Data from pretty much any and all forms of standardized test reveals the same thing, “the achievement gap”. Also, let’s not forget the little important tests called end of chapter test, classroom quizzes, midterms, finals and the dam pop-quiz test. Are we sending our children to school to learn or just be tested?

YES, have one agreeable test but leave it at that and don’t screw with district and state level curriculums and standards. The federal government is way out of line by running an agenda of taking over control of local public schools. Delaware has learned from DSTP and is moving to a growth model assessment test and needs to focus on Delaware needs.

As far as school boards playing catchup with this insane agenda, it’s their own fault. I am not going to get in all the RTTT bullshit because that train left the station. However, the MOU is nothing more than a death warrant for local school boards. Yes, Delaware school boards were boxed in the corner by Delaware DOE, “if you don’t sign you’ll be funding new regulations out of local tax dollars”. What the majority of school board members did after being rolled under the bus was “nothing.” A few brave local school board member like Elizabeth and John over at Christina stepped in the spotlight and showed their  individuality. They got whiff of something is not right and they question it. 

The new educational reform train has left the station and when it starts falling of the tracks parents and local legislators will start complaining. I’ll give it about five years max before parents wakeup and realized it’s all DSTP on Steroids.

One reason why this new ambiguous  will fail is no sustainable funding. RTTT is nothing more than seed money to get the flawed wheels turning. 41 states filed application for RTTT and perhaps as few as 15 state will win the “competition.” Should helping our poorest students should be a “competition”? The Feds can simply warn states and school districts that they can lose the “supplemental” funding such as Title 1 and the Feds need to follow through. Title 1 went for ”supplemental” to supplant funding. Why in the hell should school districts and Delaware DOE be skimming ( all legal) adminstration fees for federally funded programs? 18% of federal funding ends up paying for adminstration fees. Some monies are used for technology  to support these federally funded programs. Kind of odd, schools that don’t receive Title 1 funding have all the technology needs met. It’s time to put “supplemental” funding in “teachers” and parprofessionals.

 We don’t need core standards for students, we need core standards for administrators and Delaware DOE to stop the dam political ass-kissing. We need full financial transparency such as in the expenditure of RTTT monies and I mean every penny! 

The school board members will cry to the public and parents their hands are tied and for us to go bitch to our legislators. However,  ask them to provide digital recordings of board meetings placed on their webpage. Federal stimulus money can be for used of providing digital recording technology for the school districts because, it all has to do with “accountability”. School board members are afraid that parents and community might hear the board’s  inability to address changes being shoved down their throats. If there is nothing to hide then why be so resistant to letting the sun shine it?

12 year old NYC student aressted for doodling on desk

 In a shocking and unusual incident, a 12-year-old school girl has been arrested for doodling on her desk with an erasable marker.

The New York City middle school student reportedly was put in metal handcuffs, not the plastic ties often used, and taken to a police station for her offence.

Alexa Gonzalez, a seventh grader at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, was hauled out of school in handcuffs, the Daily News reported on Friday.

Delaware charter school culture shock

Former Red Clay school board member Paul Fleming made a comment to the effect that charter schools that are not K-12 will end up dumping students back in the failing public schools. Fleming’s comment drew outrage from educators and parents for making such a comment by a public school board member. The meeting in question was when Odyssey applied for a charter modification.

My spin on it was, Fleming was trying to make a point that if students attends a charter school only designed for k-5 they may be forced back into the chaotic public school system which will be a bit of a culture shock for that child.

More charter schools are coming online including many with high school components. However, there may be a void for needed charter  middle schools for these students to feed into. But do keep in mind, there is no “preference” for students coming from lower grade level charter schools. So even if there we adequate charter middle schools these students would have to compete for admissions.

It’s obvious Delaware DOE, Jack Markell and our state legislators aren’t looking at the big picture in regards to charter school growth. I don’t think it should be left up to parents to address possible dilemmas. What  will be emotional and educational impact with students caught in this trap?

Sure, the current (fad) to reform public school will help produce quality traditional public schools that can provide a stable bridge for these charter school students. Let’s not forget the culture shock students will face when low performing charter schools are ordered closed.

Nothing in going to stop the expansion of charter schools in Delaware but don’t you think Delaware DOE and the Delaware State Board of Education apply common sense to the needs and growth of charter schools.

I am still a believer that traditional public schools should be the one and only “public” school. However, I respect all parents and students who make the charter school option. The sad part of educational reform is many elected officials support the so-called reforms only out of political self-preservation and political advancement. Everything in life comes full circle and so shall educational reform. Allowing charter schools to expand without rasing concerns of ensuring those who make this option have charter schools to transition from and to is irresponsible on our Governor’s and legislators part. Burning one ship before the other ship is out of drydock is a fools journey.  

The Big Delaware Dig

Now wasn’t that one shovel ready job?

I spend hours with my snow blower digging our street out. This is one side of our street which is a divided  one-way. Wasn’t sure if the Civil Assoication hired a snowplow because some tight ass homeowners wouldn’t pay their dues.

 

Here is the other side of our street. The snowplow did come last night.

 

My sidewalk

I wish I never had gutter-guards installed.

 

Gov. Sanford seeks charter school stimulus

Sanford seeks charter school stimulus

Sanford met with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to request $300 million in federal funds for use in converting failing public schools into charter schools.

The governor’s spokesman, Ben Fox, said Sanford was not asking for stimulus funds but rather for a federal grant from the Obama Administration’s $4 billion in “Race to the Top” education program.

Sanford Charter School for Cheaters. Perhaps the public schools in SC are failing because Sanford was out whoring around on the job rather than tending to education needs in his state.

Snow blower for sale $100,000.00

E-mail me if you want to buy my 5 hp Craftsman snow blower. $100,000.00 cash

LOL

News Journal crack pot of the week

Trillions in debt calls for drastic measures

5) Raise the retirement age for collecting full Social Security benefits to 72. Cut cost-of-living increases for beneficiaries to half the inflation rate for 10 years.

Asshole, why not just kill everyone at age 70? Obama needs to roll it back to age 65 for full benefits.

Secret Oval Office Camera “Ready for the Superbowl”