There appeared a story in the Boston Globe this past Sunday about the fact that 55% of minority teachers graduating college in Mass. and trying to pass their certification tests are FAILING!!!
The Reason?? Poor reading, writing, and language skills!!!
The governor, and the Mass. Teachers association's response? Get rid of the tests, or make them easier! The tests are set at a 9th- 10th grade level, and these people with 4 years of college and a degree can't pass them! How can they be expected to teach?
You wonder why there is an achievement gap between white students and minority students nationwide, it is because these functional idiots, are being put into classrooms to teach these minority students, because the Unions believe that an hispanic student will learn better from an hispanic teacher, and the same for black students. This obviously is bulls**t!
So these college graduates with degrees in education can not read, write or communicate well enough to pass a 9th grade test! One of the prospective teachers had SAT scores of 789 to get into college.
No that was not for ONE TEST, THAT WAS THE COMBINED SCORE!!! This person is not qulified to flip burgers at McDonalds, and she is now in a classroom.
This is the state of public education in America.
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
12 comments:
I, too, read that story, and couldn't believe it.
My question is, how did they pass the MTEL? In order to get a license to teach in MA you have to take the MTEL's, (or another states test that is of equal value) not passing means you're not licensed, so who hired an unlicensed teacher?
That is the point of the story, after 4 years of college, and a diploma, they couldn't pass the teat to allow them to teach in the public schools.
How do you go through 4 years of college and receive a diploma, and STILL can't read or write well enough to pass a test that is on a 10th grade level?
Thats ok, half the kids in the middle school still can't tell time on an analog clock!
Most can not point to the general placement of Atkinson on a blank map of the US.
While I have to agree, there are teachers out there who aren't highly qualified, the problem starts in the home. A middle school student can't tell time on a analog clock, that's not the teachers fault, blame the parents. Parents these days are just not spending the time with the kids teaching them the basics; tying their shoes, telling time, the alphabet, their numbers and basic addition. They want the teachers to do it all and if the child has a problem it's the schools (or teachers) fault not the child's. We were brought up to own up to our responsibilities; as parents to teach our children and as children to learn to do what was expected without whining about it. Yes I'm guilty of putting a TV in my child's room and buying video game systems but I'm also guilty of not letting those things be used until all school work (and household chores) were done. At the end of the day I could honestly say I did my best to make sure my child did their best, after all isn't that OUR job as parents.
Why is it always the parent that get all the blame?
The article is about graduates of schools of education that were awarded diplomas, yet can not read, write, or communicate well enough to pass thier certification test.
My wife is a middle school math teacher. She was at a training seminar where she was the only non-white in the room. One of the guilty white liberal union members blame the lower minority pass rate on the test using a line of the NAACP play book. In fact, the same line Jessie Jackson used to blame the SAT test. "The test is racially biased against minorities to keep them out of teaching jobs." This was said by a white woman whose red diaper must have been showing.
Language, Math and Science tests can not be racially or culturally biased. But they do discriminate. Tests discriminate against the stupid.
For the record, my wife is Hispanic. She has degrees in biology, chemistry, laboratory science, a masters in education and graduate work in mathematics.
I am a white male, and I only have three degrees. Engineering, a masters in management and a first degree (black belt that is).
The lower test results by minorities is a result of affirmative actions lower standard and the perpetuated racism of low expectations that results from that. At what point are minorities supposed to be held to the same standard as the rest of us?
Of course the response of liberals will be "lower the passing score."
what else should we expect?
I think the analog clock test for IQ is dated. I 'read' meters all day 99% of society could not interpret without some sort of indoctrination. If there are no analog clocks except in math books, why teach analog clocks at all? Cut the school and parents a little slack on this.
BUT, we pay people to teach map reading skills. If the kids don't develop them, the fault lies with the teachers. Same for other academic skills. No doubt parents who teach their kids deliver better students to the school system, but graduates of the school system lacking basic academic skills are a failure of the system -- not the parents.
If you want to know why the system is so poor, go to danvilledelivery.com and watch the 8/16 school board meeting. Watch it a couple times. Listen to the 'management team' pat itself on the back for failures. Listen to them blame negativity and the community for their problems.
Listen to the teachers. If they were being honest (sounds like they are reading scripts), they are telling us they have been unmotivated and are only *now* -- as a result of kindergarten training -- learning the basics of educating children.
Listen to their words. Children learn what they live and teachers who cannot speak our language properly or craft a sentence are not going to help students do the same. Instead, children will emulate their poor grammar.
The problem in the article is extreme, but all school systems suffer from a lack of competent teachers and ineffective managers.
It's time to raise the bar.
And the Timberlane school system continues to grow in costs...they think that more money will solve the problem. The problem is lack of discipline, not accepting responsiblity (teachers, students, and parents), and poor and failing standards placed by all of the above. We should be increasing our standards, and give students the opportunity to move to other schools if the school is not up to the standard that they need and deserve. This state needs to bring competition into the process, and drive out those that are not competent. Teachers unions are one of the greatest threats to students excelling and competency. Some how the unions have to be reduced to a level that doesn't control the process of educational effectiveness. The question is how, the problem is all across the country. Perhaps bringing competition into the process, will do that. We also need more regional tech schools. Not everyone needs or want to go to college. More relationships with businesses and tech schools are needed, so that when one graduates from high school, they have a skill along with a diploma. We are failing all of the students that don't want to go, can't afford to, or don't have the education to go to college. My feeling is have them learn basics in 9th and 10th grade, and they must test out of this level before they can co-op and go to tech school. Then they would have something other than a piece of paper that is virtually worthless.
One of the biggest problems I see is this: we have become a liberal society...we must make all the children feel good about themselves...as a result no fails. It doesn't matter if they can't read or write...the schoold system passes them along to the next grade level even though they are not ready...now ask yourself why? When I went to school, if your grades were not where they were suppose to be, you were not promoted to the next grade...wake up look around...our kids will be running our country some day...scary isn't it.
They already are running our country. These kids are casting ballots. You can see the results in local and national elections. TRSD has bussed kids to polls to impact elections.
But your assertion that promoting self esteem over competence is for the children is incorrect. The teachers are not making the kids and parents feel good about the kids, they are making the kids and parents feel good about the teachers. It's self promotion. Instead of being measured on their ability to deliver competent kids, they ask that we measure them on their ability to make the kids feel good about themselves.
Take this home. You can be a friend to your kids. You can let them stay up late, not worry about their grades, and even buy cars and beer for them. If you do this, you will be loved by your kids and your kids will be envied by their friends.
In 20 years when your kid and his wife are packing sacks at Market Basket, leaving their kids at your house, and sharing a well worn car, they may not remember you as well.
If you are tough on your kids, they will resent you. In 20 years they may appreciate you. More important, they will have a model for making their own kids successful.
When I was a kid, the teachers were BRUTAL. They had high standards and higher expectations. We really hated them. As I sit here advantaging my kids with their (the teachers') lessons, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for them.
I don't think anyone will ever respect or admire an employee of TRSD. When our kids, armed with their expensive educations, settle into their low skill/low pay occupations and low income/low taxes housing, they will remember the field trips and paper castles and posters as the best times of their lives. Too bad. Those who succeed despite TRSD will move on to better school districts -- because that's where the good jobs are. In the end, we will be left with a tax base that cannot pay the teachers what they 'deserve.' Then even the teachers will condemn the incompetence of the TRSD that promoted self esteem over competence.
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