Banned Books Week. What're you reading?

At the risk of promoting "anti-authoritarianism" and "rebellion against parents" I read some excerpts from Where the Sidewalk Ends to my 10th grade American History students today in honor of the beginning of Banned Books Week.

A few more of my favorite frequently challenged or banned books...

Brave New World

A Light In the Attic

Slaughterhouse Five

Of Mice and Men

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Fahrenheit 451

The Grapes of Wrath

The Bluest Eye

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Howl and Other Poems

Testing times too long? What do I know?

Well, here they are. Testing times grade to grade in Ohio.

Less? In most cases.

Still problematic? Definitely. We have only to look to the increase in testing for 3rd graders because someone in the Ohio Department of Education believes that 3 hours of testing for an 8 year old is appropriate. At least they're allowed to split it into two 1.5 hour sessions. 

Hey Legislators. Find an 8 year old. Make him sit still for an hour and a half. 

In my personal experience, it has been difficult to get some 15 year olds to maintain focus on graduation tests for that length of time. 

Then again, what do I know? I'm just a teacher, not a legislator.

The Day I Looked Like a Maniac at a Panel Discussion on Meaningful Assessment.

I'd like to thank our Superintendent, Tom Jama, for inviting me to participate in a panel discussion on the film, "Most Likely to Succeed." My initial outrage regarding a film that highlights a charter school funded by a millionaire philanthropist and is not held to any curricular standards or high stakes tests gave way to the realization that we are facilitating meaningful instruction and creative assessment in Elyria (and many other public systems) as well.

The idea in its essence is something that most educators know, that students learn through making meaningful connections between new content and their existing knowledge. Furthermore, if they are given the opportunity to make decisions within and about their learning process, then it becomes more meaningful. Project based learning can facilitate these ideas when it can be introduced to students.

I mentioned my son's elementary school teacher Ms. Amos, who is one of the best educators I've had the pleasure to meet. She engaged students where they were, facilitated group conversations, learned about their interests and background, and wasn't afraid to diverge from the content to pursue meaningful instruction and assessment based on student interest.

Built into all of these experiences is a reflective process. Students are encouraged to consider their role in their education, to reflect upon their performance or process, and how to move forward. If truly internalized by students, this becomes habit and can serve them in future educational settings and elsewhere in everyday life. Essentially the individual comes to understand their own strengths and shortcomings becoming self-aware and able to adapt, learn, and succeed in a variety of situations.

Our content is king in our world of standardized tests, but what is best about the above tactics is that they help to convey the hidden curriculum or soft skills like empathy, compassion, teamwork, compromise, skepticism, confidence, and perhaps a hint of anti-authoritarianism to name a few.

Of course, our ability as educators to facilitate experiences rich with meaning is limited by the political environment. The overuse and over reliance on standardized tests minimizes quality instruction time. Linking said tests to high stakes scenarios like retention and promotion, as well as teacher evaluation further complicates the situation. If we want a meaningful shift in instruction and assessment in our classrooms, we would be well served to remedy these terribly problematic political issues.

While seated on this panel with two superintendents, and a provost from the local college, moderated by another superintendent, I looked around and got a sinking feeling that I was out of my element like Donny in The Big Lebowski. I like to think that I held my own. If not, then I certainly looked like a raving maniac while trying.

You're out of your element, Donny.

The Revision of Our State Assessment of Poverty.

The state of Ohio has continued to release more information regarding this year's revised standardized tests. Each communication arrives in my in-box and I become sick with excitement. I am the proverbial kid on Christmas Day, running from room to room in order to share the news with my colleagues.

"Look, look! The tests will be given over 10 to 15 days instead of four months!"

"Did you hear? Students may have an option of taking an assessment in two, hour and a half sessions, or all at once for three hours!"

"Gee, the state really listened to our concerns."

"They've just released 15 sample questions! Check it out!"

And so on, and so forth. I've tried to move into this process with optimism, but what I keep coming back to is the futility of the process.

Ohio is now admitting that the tests provide no data to inform instruction, but rather are being used to rate schools so that parents can be informed, and rate teachers to pinpoint the ineffective. The problem is that standardized tests were not designed for these purposes, and do nothing to accurately portray how much has been learned.

Furthermore, if the goal is to help struggling schools or to narrow the achievement gap, as was laid out to start this process, then a dozen years of assessments have failed to accomplish that goal. 

The schools that tend to score poorly are those whose populations have high rates of poverty. So, instead of providing social, academic, medical, or mental health services that might remediate the economic issues and actually create an environment more conducive to learning, we're going to double down on assessments, blame teachers, label impoverished schools as failures, then privatize.

Not long ago I spoke to a former teacher who said that she didn't believe that poverty was something that can impact academic success. My first thought was that she has never truly been hungry, experienced unemployment, transient or inadequate housing, a lack of heat or medical care...any of the above and tried to learn.

I would have assumed she'd at least have remembered Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 

That aside, perhaps the school rankings based on state assessments might have been made available, and with a rudimentary knowledge of wealthy vs not wealthy communities a person could see a fairly clear correlation between income levels and test scores.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that students from a low socioeconomic background can learn, and be successful in school. Students from low income families are now in the majority in U.S. public schools. I am a public school teacher in an urban district. I would be a walking contradiction if I believed otherwise.

However, the success of the low income student comes with an extraordinary effort that often involves not only the public schools, but a combined effort of public and private nonprofit agencies providing remediation services to satisfy the primary needs of the student. Only with a freedom from hunger, an assurance of housing, security, and a sense of stability can a student move forward with any sort of focus on academics.

No, I do not think that poverty prohibits learning, but I believe it is terribly foolish to think that it is a non-issue. Our policy makers would be well served to consider this argument.

Yeah, the tests are shorter this time around. Last year's Ohio assessments were like getting punched in the throat. Twice. This year we're only getting punched in the throat once. And guess what, they will still only measure your child's economic status, with little variation, and they will do absolutely nothing to better the education of Ohio's kids, rich or poor. Millions of dollars will be spent on our revised testing system, that could be used in far more effective ways.

In Conversation with our Legislators.

My wife and I had the pleasure of sitting down with our legislators after school on Friday in conversation on education. Senator Gayle Manning, Representative Nathan Manning, my wife and I had a lovely visit in the historic Washington Building at Elyria High School. We discussed many things, mostly education related, though my wife reminded me that at one point I seemed to suggest that my grandmother was capable of more yard work than I am when she was 100 years old. I will neither support nor refute that claim, except to admit that she is the hard working daughter of Polish immigrants, as well as a 1931 graduate of Elyria High.

I would love to say that we discussed all of Ohio's issues with public education, even better that we developed solutions. Simply based upon the scope of educational issues in our state, this is impossible. However, I believe that we found a lot of common ground and that the Mannings are supporters of public education. As we know, agreement in one place doesn't necessarily lead to legislative action or success in another. Democracy is a beautiful, but complex and often cumbersome process. Because of this I'll remain realistic regarding possible reform of the current system.

Anyway, as always, I believe that it is important to let our elected officials at all levels know how we might move forward and improve our communities, educational and otherwise. In the interest of promoting dialogue between educators and legislators, I have sent the following email to all of the teachers and administrators in my school.  Check it out...

Colleagues,

After our Professional Development on Friday, I had the opportunity to welcome Senator Gayle Manning and Representative Nathan Manning to Elyria High School in order to meet with my wife and I for a discussion of education. We had initially scheduled this meeting to discuss the Youngstown Amendment to HB 70 which takes effect October 15, and seems to be a piece of the end game of turning discredited public schools into charters through the appointment of a CEO. While this doesn't present us with immediate concern here in Elyria, Lorain would be the next district after Youngstown slated for take-over.

Senator Manning indicated that she and others were working on a legislative solution that would seemingly set Youngstown up as a pilot program to be studied. Unfortunately, this does little for Youngstown, but would seem to create a situation that buys Lorain more time. My wife and I indicated that we were aware that Senator Joe Schiavoni is also crafting legislation as a remedy, and Senator Manning indicated that she would initiate contact with her fellow Senator. For what it's worth, there are also a few lawsuits, and a request for an injunction to prevent the introduction of the plan.

We also spent some time discussing HB2, the bill that would begin to regulate the state's charter schools. The bill has passed the Senate and stalled in the House just before their recess. Both the Mannings are supportive of the current bill, but indicated that it would likely undergo further changes in the House before another vote. We indicated our overall support for the bill as "a beginning" in the overall regulation of Ohio's charters.

I would have been remiss had I not mentioned standardized testing. I reiterated my thanks for eliminating PARCC, while indicating that AIR has had its own issues with misleading and ambiguous questions. I thanked them for the move to a single testing window, while assuring them that we still assess far too much in Ohio K-12, that the 3rd grade guarantee is atrocious, our testing of Special Education students abominable, and the use of the VAM or any standardized testing in the evaluation of teachers was essentially meaningless.

By and large, the Mannings were receptive to our input. They were also very complimentary about what we do here in Elyria. I got the idea that they see us as an example of how public education can work in urban areas with diverse populations. We have done what is right for our students, and done well to promote our achievements. Be proud of your efforts.

Also, do not discount the power of your own voice. When a bill comes around regarding the Youngstown Amendment, or HB2 comes to a vote in the House, let your (and all) legislators know how you feel.

Thanks to Mr. Brown for letting us meet here at E-High. It gave me an opportunity to talk up our facility, programs, and students. If anyone has any questions about the meeting or otherwise, please let me know.

Yours in education.
Matt Jablonski
Social Studies Dept.

An Auspicious Beginning.

When I moved into my classroom on the third floor of the Washington Building a few years ago, a praying mantis watched me from outside on the window ledge. I saw it as a sign of good things to come.

It has been.

Entering the building this morning, a praying mantis was waiting for me on the door, another auspicious beginning.

Ready To Go.

It was a fairly short summer. Many districts have adjusted their calendars to afford, among other things, more time for instruction prior to standardized testing. It's a good thing, especially since we won't have a map of the new tests or sample questions until later in the fall. The degree to which this is problematic will vary from grade to grade and subject to subject, but it will be problematic, problematic for all of the reasons it has been in the past (too lengthy, cultural bias, no timely feedback, etcetera, etcetera), and problematic in new and exciting ways as well.

My apologies for using the word problematic four times in that run-on sentence. Have I illustrated that I believe there are problems with standardized tests? Good. I'm sure I'll have more on that as this school year progresses.

So, I went into my classroom this week to get some things ready. My first week and a half are planned, materials set. I had a look at class lists, and everything seems in order, five classes 26-28 kids each, sold out shows. I've been assigned a few hundred new friends on lists for cafeteria duty. I've put in some prep time this summer to adjust methods and materials. I'm ready to go.

I stood in the doorway of my classroom (see picture above), and all successes seemed possible. The thing is...every year I wonder whether I can do this again. Usually, I'm concerned that I won't remember how to teach, to interact, to build relationships, to put on the necessary show to hold the attention of 28 fifteen year olds at a time, and assure that they achieve the necessary level of mastery in American History according to Ohio's standards in relation to their own individual background knowledge, learning styles, strengths and weaknesses.

But now the issues have multiplied, with so many adults, in education, government and the community weighing in, and taking away, as well as adding to and coming down on what we do.

I ran into a few former students while I was in the building. They've become mentors to incoming freshmen, sharing information and support in a brilliant program designed to build connections. These kids are so enthusiastic, so terribly motivated, it is almost impossible not to be inspired to work for their benefit. Sure, they're not necessarily cheering on the end of summer, but they're ready to go. 

As always, the students have made all the difference.

It was a fairly short summer, but we're ready to go.