Vermont kicks NCLB a**:

[LWolf]

with the Vermont Superintendents Association Postion Paper on NCLB.

I thought this was too powerful to languish in the H/E/S forum, so I'm posting it here. I've clipped one portion, but the whole 3 pages is well worth reading. As a teacher, I thank Vermont. I'd like to smack my own state of CA over the head with this. One thing I'm sure of: I won't be hearing anything like this from the lips of the testinator.

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=vermont+nclb&page=2&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Df06a0bcba9d04081%26clickedItemRank%3D15%26userQuery%3Dvermont%2Bnclb%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.aasa.org%252FNCLB%252FVT_supe_assoc.pdf%26invocationType%3Dnext%26fromPage%3DNSCPNextPrev%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aasa.org%2FNCLB%2FVT_supe_assoc.pdf

<snip>

Despite the noble purpose of the federal NCLB law, the Vermont Superintendents’ Association is concerned that critical shortcomings in the federal act will substantially harm, rather than advance,
the education of Vermont’s children.

• The Purpose of Education – Vermont’s Constitution requires our children be taught civic virtue. Thus, teaching and learning encompass more than what NCLB measures on limited paper and pencil tests in a few areas. To reach our broader goal, we must maintain a broader curriculum and ways of measuring school progress than NCLB envisions. To reach this end, we must strengthen and embrace (rather than diminish) our unique Vermont heritage of direct and continuous accountability through locally elected boards to assure a high quality and cost-effective education for all children.

• The Growth of the Whole Child - VSA is further concerned that NCLB does not acknowledge essential family, poverty and social issues. The schools are held solely responsible for the education of our most needy and neglected children. Furthermore, adequate programs to address these human needs such as effective pre-school
programs, nutrition, medical care, parental support, and expanded intellectual and social opportunities are not substantively addressed by the federal law. Many children from impoverished backgrounds arrive at the school-house door unprepared to prosper or to learn.

• Measuring Schools - Learning should be measured by looking at how much students grow in their knowledge, civic values and skills from the time they enter a school until the time that they leave the school. Instead, the Act requires that judgments be made by
comparing how much students know in one year with how much a different group of students know in other years. This is like evaluating an employee based on the work of the person who previously held the job. It makes even less sense in Vermont’s small schools and classes where the performance of a single student can dramatically affect
the entire school’s label.

• Adequate Yearly Progress - There is a compelling body of national evidence that the required growth rates are scientifically impossible to achieve – particularly without great investments in the social well-being of our children. The result will be the labeling on
virtually all schools in the state as “in need of improvement” even though Vermont’s educational achievement is among the best in the nation. Thus, the measure is not a valid indicator of our strengths or weaknesses.

[HEFFA]

1. My district's superintendent came to us from Vermont. I hope that he

brought these values with him.

Kudos to them for their courageous stand against this misdirected legislative program. I just hope that Rod Paige doesn't label them terrorists for their willingness to question this wrongheaded administration.

[LWolf]

2. It won't matter if he does.

After the fraudulent Texas "miracle," and the NEA terrorist "joke," Paige has no credibility left, if he ever had any. It's interesting that he was GWB's choice for Secretary of Education; a corrupt "educator" whose idea of education is pushing out a huge pool of future cheap labor, and the elite dumbass who wouldn't have graduated from high school under Paige's DOE. At least not without strings being pulled.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. kick

[LWolf]

4. and kick again!

:kick:

[callous taoboy]

5. Thanks, LWolf!

dupe

[callous taoboy]

6. Thanks, LWolf!

dupe

[callous taoboy]

7. Thanks, LWolf!

I am a teacher in the south and we are overwhelmed by how much NCLB is asking us to do and underwhelmed by the materials (not to mention training) given to us to do it. This position paper hits it squarely on the head in so many ways: NCLB not addressing some of the root causes of school failure (poverty, poor nutrition, etc.), unrealistic expectations and the ability of one child's score in a particular area keeping your school from advancing to the next label (this has happened at my school now for two years running- One or two children do not score well on the 4th grade writing test so our school stays at "recognized" status, even though scores in all other areas have been consistently above state average).

Remember that NCLB is brought to you by the same morons who lobbed bombs at Iraq, and then sat back and watched in horror as it went terribly awry. They've done the same with education. They had no idea what this mandate, one of the greatest unfunded mandates of all time, has done to public education.

I am seriously considering a move to Vermont. I'm not kidding.

[callous taoboy]

8. Whoa! Sorry - Triple kick!

[LWolf]

11. Here's the good news:

The tide is beginning to turn. I take this position paper as a sign that we are finally going to be able to halt the headlong rush into destruction we've been riding. The more often people hear it, the more different voices who are putting it out there, the better.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hang on.

[callous taoboy]

12. Yeah, but

I have colleagues who are swimming in this mess called NCLB, who are daily muttering about finding new careers, and who will vote for bush.
I am losing faith that people are able to put all of the information together and make logical choices.

BTW, I did forward the Vermont piece to a colleague who had returned a Kerry bumper sticker that I had asked her to consider displaying.

EEsshhh.
CT

[LWolf]

13. I live in a hardcore republican region.

I wore this shirt to the first staff meeting of the year, and got overwhelming approval from my colleagues:

http://www.cafepress.com/nostamj.9330007
(The new and improved alphabet)

I'm sure we have a few teachers who may be clinging to their republican roots, but most of us can connect the dots between NCLB and GWB!

Today my principal came in to talk to me while I was getting the room ready. He's visiting all of us who have come in early, on our vacation time, to prepare the room. Our district doesn't provide any actual prep time; the time we spend before school starts is all staff development and meetings, with prep left for our personal time. He wanted to let us know to leave plenty of wall space open. It seems that, on Thursday's meeting, he'll be passing on our newest district mandate. They are scheduling not only what we will teach out of our texts and when, but how. Right down to what our walls are supposed to look like. They are scripting us this year. That's supposed to document for the state and the feds that we are teaching the standards according to the approved method.

My principal is a nice man, but he's a republican. When NCLB first came onboard, he listened to me vent, and kept saying, "But we need testing, standardization of instructional methodology, sanctions, etc. No more. Today he came in to apologize. He'll be doing random room checks a few times a week to make sure that we are complying, according to his instructions from on high. At this point, not just for the standardization of our walls, but for many of the things we've been forced to do these last few years, he has had it with NCLB. And he loved my shirt.

[callous taoboy]

14. That is heartening news.

Frontline had a great program, "Testing Our Schools." The co-author of the Iowa Basic said that standardized tests were never intended to be used in the manner they now are. I remember one teacher commenting that the net result of NCLB is teachers feeling like they are being pulled in way too many directions.

BTW, I'm getting one of those shirts. Perfect for school.

[LWolf]

15. That's from DUer nostamj's cafepress store:

http://www.cafepress.com/nostamj

It gets a lot of questions; a great conversation opener. Like yesterday, paying for my groceries at Trader Joe's. The cashier says, "Why did you get rid of the W?"

You don't get a more open invitation than that!

[coreystone]

9. Looks nice on paper, but, we have Douglas(R).. being challenged ....

by Mayor Clavelle of Burlington. He replaced Rep. Bernie Sanders. There is already a battle on prescription drugs between the two. I would go on about that, but.....

The "Vermont Superintendent's Association" will be primarily stymied by the depleted FUNDS from the Federal Government, as most state programs have been so completely slashed by this Presidential and Congressional Administration.

The commitment of the VSA is honorable, but, the reality is that it requires funding.

My father taught in Vermont for years (College, elementary, and secondary), my mother taught 8th grade English in a nearby district in NY state (better Pay), my brother teaches for the American School System in Madrid, my sister has taught in the British Embassy School in Bonn, and, all I have is a minor in EL ED, and short of fifteen hours of a "student teaching" experience to be certified in EL ED with M.ED.

As much as agree with you that it is an honorable plan, as with all honorable social plans, they NEED funding. The political and economic conditions of this state and country do not foster a plan such as this.....AT THIS TIME!

LET'S KEEP WORKING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION....

WE HAVE A DREAM



:dem:

How sad for California. That state used to have one of the most sophisticated educational systems in our country. I heard you on Guy this past weekend. I can tell you are very dedicated....keep fighting the good fight!

:toast:

[LWolf]

10. We sure do need the funding.

The buck keeps getting passed down until it hits the classroom...me. Then, when there isn't enough money and they've overloaded the classroom, given me enough "extra duties" (contract: "extra duties as necessary") to keep me at school 12 hours a day, shrugged and said, "just make it happen" when I ask for support or supplies or even reasonable scheduling to help get the job done....if my class' scores don't make the goal, the buck stops with me. We can't do the job without funding.

I'm hesitant, though, to focus political efforts on the funding first. If we keep hammering on NCLB as an "underfunded mandate," it legitimizes it in some fashion. It sets us up, because we've already said that the problem is the funding, not the damaging requirements of the legislation.

I'd like to see the problems with the legislation addressed before, or along with, funding; not after!

If we don't have the resources for public ed to give students what they truly need to succeed, we ought to stop the "accountability" measures until we do. Meanwhile, we might be able to come up with a more sensible plan for accountability as well as the funding to support success.

One way or another, it's good to finally hear this sort of thing enter the public conversation. That's part of the good fight! :thumbsup:

:hi: