Thursday, January 28, 2016

420

Years ago I had a student in class who liked to quote himself. He'd say something like, "Well, if I could quote myself..." and then go on to quote himself in defense of his argument. His method was brilliantly absurd, comedic genius. It was impossible to argue with his airtight misguided logic.

In the spirit of that guy, I'd like to quote myself, 

"Over the last several years an increasingly vocal contingent of administrators, teachers, parents, and students have criticized our system of standardized testing. In the state of Ohio, this activism has forced the hand of politicians. Recently they decided to eliminate PARCC, and cut one of the testing windows. It is not enough. The assessments created by AIR are not any better. Three hours per test is still inappropriate. We are testing beyond the federal minimum of hours and content areas. While we squander instruction time for the sake of assessments, the tests will continue to measure what they measure best, which is the relative economic well being of the students taking them."

I spoke these words publicly to the school board in my district this past fall in the interest of maintaining a critical dialogue regarding education and assessment. Should I be punished for this critique of standardized tests, or the many others I have made? According to an interpretation of Substitute House Bill 420, I might be.

As many of you already know, the bill prohibits teachers from "suggesting" that students opt-out of state assessments. Does the above critique make that suggestion? Well, I don't know, but if someone had it in for me, it might. If I were found in violation of the law because of my interest in collaborative intellectual dialogue on the subject of testing, then I could be charged with a minor misdemeanor, have my teaching license revoked, and lose my teaching job.

And I thought quoting oneself was absurd.

This provision is clearly an attempt to muzzle educators, is likely a violation of our first amendment rights, and is completely, professionally unacceptable.

This is not a paranoid scene from a dystopian educational future. It is happening.

I have contacted ALL members of the House Education Committee, and I encourage you to do the same. Below, you'll find the letter I sent. Copy and paste, revise it to your liking, then send it.

Representative So and So,

I recently sent an endorsement of HB 420 to your email. Unfortunately, I do not find the substitute bill in the same spirit. To be fair, even the original was only minimally appealing in its very limited scope and short term focus on limiting the impact from opt outs on last year's tests. In Elyria, where I teach and send my child to school, the refusals were statistically from higher performing students, and the original bill did nothing to address the effect this has on overall scores.

As always, I feel the level of Ohio's testing, well beyond federal minimums, combined with unnecessary high stakes (3rd grade guarantee, graduation requirement, teacher evaluation, etc.) to be the real issue.

The substitute bill's inclusion of language forbidding the "suggestion of opt outs" by teachers and other employees makes this legislation unacceptable and likely unconstitutional. I have never been an outspoken advocate of refusing tests. However, I do believe it is a parent's right. As a parent and teacher, if I opt my son out of assessments, am I suggesting opt outs? Furthermore, if I engage in a public dialogue that is critical of the assessment system, as I have done, am I suggesting opt outs? The bill does nothing to clarify, and so leaves educators open to unwarranted attack. These are only two scenarios that illustrate the point.

The language in question removes the most informed stakeholders in educational policy, teachers, from the discussion. Education is a collaborative endeavor when it functions best. Collaboration has already been threatened through high stakes assessment, pitting public schools against charter schools and other public schools, an evaluation system that pits teacher against teacher, school versus school. A system that thrives on cooperation and collaboration suffers in this environment. The marked decline in Ohio's national education ranking is proof of that. Substitute HB 420's systematic muzzling of teachers will only make matters worse.

I have not even begun to reference the constitutionality of the measure, or the hostility evident in the subsequent punishments if one is found in violation of the statute. I know that much of this came out in testimony.

I am not normally an advocate of completely dismissing work or using cliches that involve babies and bathwater, but in this case I encourage you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. House Bill 420 is lost and unnecessary. Dismiss it, and move on. Much is wrong with Ohio's education system. 420 is not the answer to any of it.

As always, thanks for your time, consideration, and work for your constituents.
Matt Jablonski

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

I never would've guessed.



From the article...

The Ohio Department of Education agrees that the trend is clear. Chris Woolard, the department's head of accountability, said showing that pattern is a goal of the report cards.

"These are aspirational measures that are pointing out a problem," Woolard said. "Not all kids are leaving high school ready for college or work."

By showing districts how many kids are not meeting the state's goals, they now know what they have to work on, Woolard said.

To be fair, the statistics suggest that the problem is poverty, what needs to be worked on is a remedy for poverty. Are Mr. Woolard and the ODE suggesting that continued excessive assessment is necessary in order to point out who is poor? The IRS already does that. Or, worse yet, is he suggesting that my new role as a public school teacher is to somehow remediate the effects of poverty on a child's life? Is that what I know I have to work on?

I consider myself a fairly successful teacher, but I question the expectation here.

What we've illustrated once again with a hefty round of high stakes assessments: Poor kids score poorly, affluent kids score far better.

Again, we should consider the implications when it comes to all high stakes use of this data...
     the 3rd grade reading guarantee
     High School graduation tests
     ACT/SAT scores
     School Ratings
     District Ratings
     Teacher Ratings

Let's remember we're measuring poverty. Since we've already done that, let's abandon a few of these meaningless assessments and their high stakes punishments.

Friday, January 15, 2016

And so, the release of more meaningless data OR three more reasons I'm happy to be an Elyria teacher.

So, the ODE released the K-3 Literacy Rating as well as graduation rates, corresponding scores and some other data. By all counts, there are serious issues with the numbers. In some cases they don't even make mathematical sense. Districts all over the state have been hazing the Department of Education over their release of the information before it clarified the numerous formal appeals and corrections.

The ODE's response is predictably absurd, according to an article in the Elyria Chronicle Telegram,

“According to law, we are required to release the report card,” said Toby Lichtle, assistant director in the ODE’s Office of Communications and Outreach.

Why yes, Toby, the law does require that. Do you know what else the law requires, Toby? The law requires that the state provide equal educational opportunities for its children. It requires the effective and accurate rating of charter schools and sponsors using ALL relevant scores. It also requires an investigation where a public official may have defrauded the public. The law requires that schools be governed by locally elected boards of education. As a matter of fact, the Ohio constitution also requires an equitable funding system for public schools. In short, Toby, the ODE and the Ohio legislature haven't seemed very interested in adhering to the finer points of the law.

Clearly the report cards are far more important than these other issues in that they can be used in the ongoing process of discrediting, defunding, and destroying public education.

Fortunately, many of us in the public schools aren't simply going to accept questionable ratings from an invalid assessment system that diminishes the work we put in on a daily basis. My boss, Elyria Superintendent Tom Jama weighed in on these things this week in articles in the Chronicle and the Lorain Morning Journal. I'll call these quotes three more reasons that I'm happy to be an Elyria teacher, and public school teacher in general.


"These results are just not an accurate assessment of what is being done,” he said. “We are never going to run away from areas of concern. But I know what our teachers and staff are doing each and every day from central office on down to improve the life of our kids. This information is nothing more than one snapshot that is not giving the whole story.”


“The report card isn’t a true and accurate reflection of the district’s performance,” said Dr. Tom Jama, superintendent of Elyria City Schools. “You can’t use a test that has been decided not to be used again, and use the results of the test to label a district. 

“We don’t want to be labeled on a test that included opt outs, negativity. Students who took the tests didn’t take them seriously.”


“As the superintendent, I couldn’t be more proud of the teachers, principals and central office team for what they do each day for kids in this district,” he said. “To have one test or one piece define who we are is absolutely ridiculous. I’m just proud of the entire district. And there’s no doubt in my mind that, that is taking place in all the schools in the county.”


Right on.



Quotes and other info here was taken from the following articles...

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2016/01/14/county-superintendents-wary-of-state-evaluations/

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2016/01/15/districts-question-ratings/

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20160114/superintendents-ask-state-not-to-release-test-results