I really enjoyed reading the Governor’s comments last Sunday. He and I have a similar philosophy on education. Here are a few of my own thoughts on what the Governor said.
Nebraska State Accountability Tests
Governor, “We need multiple years and multiple scores before we’ll be able to figure this all out.”
Cerny- I agree. Schools are still trying to figure out exactly what is on the tests. For example, last spring when the junior high students were taking the practice science assessments, Mr. Slaughter and I were looking at the questions and making notes to see if we had taught what they were testing. It will take time for schools to make curriculum and instructional adjustments necessary to improve test scores. But once schools know what is expected, I am confident that the results will improve.
Governor, “If you give these kids four years of a good teacher, we can overcome this (low scores). So what are we doing to get good teachers in the classroom?”
Cerny- I somewhat agree. Obviously every student deserves a good teacher. But I hope readers are not interpreting his comments to mean there are a lot of “not good” teachers in the schools. I have two opinions on what “we” need to do. First, teaching is much more a science than an art; good teachers are made, not born. Therefore, teachers require professional development and it is the responsibility of the administrators to provide the structure and support teachers need to improve their teaching skills.
Second, even good employees can become complacent in their jobs. Motivating staff is the most difficult task administrators face.
Ranking schools based on test scores
Governor, “Academics have to be on the same level (as athletics).”
Cerny- I somewhat agree. We need to recognize schools that are doing a great job educating students. The problem is that the media gives all of the recognition to the good athletic teams, but in academics the attention is given to low performing schools. Schools should be ranked based on individual student growth, not on overall student performance. It is more difficult to get a below average student to achieve at an average level than it is to get an above average student to perform at an above average level.
Out of time today, I will try to finish my analysis tomorrow.
