Comments on: Ending The Madness In Our Schools http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/ A School Library Journal Blog Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:26:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: c.ortiz http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-426 c.ortiz Mon, 18 May 2009 07:56:34 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-426 I am a high school librarian. I hear teachers saying they can no longer take the time to be creative with lessons because they have to rigidly follow a curriculum and, of course, teach to all the tests. I hear students saying there is no fun in school anymore. I was just thinking on my way into work this morning, a day when we have an altered schedule due to testing, "what happened to department chairs making sure the teachers are on target (not in lock step) with the curriculum and then trusting teachers to asses (via test, quiz, project, report, etc...) whether or not students were ready to proceed to the next level? I am a high school librarian. I hear teachers saying they can no longer take the time to be creative with lessons because they have to rigidly follow a curriculum and, of course, teach to all the tests. I hear students saying there is no fun in school anymore. I was just thinking on my way into work this morning, a day when we have an altered schedule due to testing, “what happened to department chairs making sure the teachers are on target (not in lock step) with the curriculum and then trusting teachers to asses (via test, quiz, project, report, etc…) whether or not students were ready to proceed to the next level?

]]> By: Linda Zajac http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-427 Linda Zajac Fri, 15 May 2009 07:45:35 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-427 I haven't heard one person say what a great piece of legislation that is. I spoke to a state rep about it once. She said it was enacted to get after badly performing mid-west schools and now other schools are getting trapped in it's tentacles. The reason I approached her was that the high school in town was in jeopardy of losing funding because of the "participation ratio." If you don't have the ample percentages taking the test (guess some kids just bolt), then they put you on the warning list. How stupid. There was a whole group in town that got after the schools. I didn't participate in that group because I have always felt it's not the school, IT'S THE LEGISLATION. And yes, I totally agree that it is taking the joy out of teaching. Here in my town, they now give "off year tests" to make sure they stay on target. The poor kids. I haven’t heard one person say what a great piece of legislation that is. I spoke to a state rep about it once. She said it was enacted to get after badly performing mid-west schools and now other schools are getting trapped in it’s tentacles. The reason I approached her was that the high school in town was in jeopardy of losing funding because of the “participation ratio.” If you don’t have the ample percentages taking the test (guess some kids just bolt), then they put you on the warning list. How stupid. There was a whole group in town that got after the schools. I didn’t participate in that group because I have always felt it’s not the school, IT’S THE LEGISLATION. And yes, I totally agree that it is taking the joy out of teaching. Here in my town, they now give “off year tests” to make sure they stay on target. The poor kids.

]]> By: melanie hope greenberg http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-428 melanie hope greenberg Fri, 15 May 2009 07:00:42 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-428 I am the illustrator hand picked by Marian Wright Edelman for the Children's Defense Fund's popular "Everyone Belongs" poster (now out of print). I took seriously the "Leave No Child Behind" logo. Then the Bush Administration took over the logo and twisted it around calling it Leave No Child Behind. I visit elementary schools as a picture book author and illustrator and talk to the teachers. They feel this program has not helped at all. Kids are in fear mode all the time. I've noticed that joy is usually the glue to make a lesson stick. So I come to a school to bring joy, not shove a lesson down a child's throat. We are testing these children to obey so when they leave school traumatized and not well educated they will step in line to become worker drones without opinions and conformist to the max. Appalling. Looking forward to hearing about individuals over the conformist- for the group mentality that pervades our society right now. I am also a child of the 60's and have illustrated for the AFL-CIO, UNICEF, CDF and more and people have no idea what I talk about when I bring it up. Also, the newbie editors have no sense of history about their field and just dump or have selected alzheimer's for many long time great authors I've worked with for some ghoul or vampire. I am the illustrator hand picked by Marian Wright Edelman for the Children’s Defense Fund’s popular “Everyone Belongs” poster (now out of print). I took seriously the “Leave No Child Behind” logo. Then the Bush Administration took over the logo and twisted it around calling it Leave No Child Behind. I visit elementary schools as a picture book author and illustrator and talk to the teachers. They feel this program has not helped at all. Kids are in fear mode all the time. I’ve noticed that joy is usually the glue to make a lesson stick. So I come to a school to bring joy, not shove a lesson down a child’s throat. We are testing these children to obey so when they leave school traumatized and not well educated they will step in line to become worker drones without opinions and conformist to the max. Appalling. Looking forward to hearing about individuals over the conformist- for the group mentality that pervades our society right now. I am also a child of the 60′s and have illustrated for the AFL-CIO, UNICEF, CDF and more and people have no idea what I talk about when I bring it up. Also, the newbie editors have no sense of history about their field and just dump or have selected alzheimer’s for many long time great authors I’ve worked with for some ghoul or vampire.

]]> By: marc http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-429 marc Fri, 15 May 2009 06:23:54 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-429 Sorry, Mr. Woods. I will be posting about just this issue -- seeing for oneself and not going along with the crowd, and how to encourage this behavior in students -- next week. Sorry, Mr. Woods. I will be posting about just this issue — seeing for oneself and not going along with the crowd, and how to encourage this behavior in students — next week.

]]> By: Linda Zajac http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-430 Linda Zajac Fri, 15 May 2009 05:50:14 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-430 Ohhhh, I now understand why you put that comment there. It's Mr. not Ms. Oops. Getting back on topic, I just now read your blog entry. It seems to me the problem was created when someone didn't look at what was the right thing to do, the library simply went along with the masses. If a group of students spearheads an idea, that doesn't mean their thinking is correct. This situation is in line with the recent study I read about, I believe it was in a CNN report (climate change?). Anyhow, it stated that studies have shown it's easier to convince people when many other people are already convinced. Yes, but we all still need a mind of our own! Ohhhh, I now understand why you put that comment there. It’s Mr. not Ms. Oops.

Getting back on topic, I just now read your blog entry. It seems to me the problem was created when someone didn’t look at what was the right thing to do, the library simply went along with the masses. If a group of students spearheads an idea, that doesn’t mean their thinking is correct. This situation is in line with the recent study I read about, I believe it was in a CNN report (climate change?). Anyhow, it stated that studies have shown it’s easier to convince people when many other people are already convinced. Yes, but we all still need a mind of our own!

]]> By: Dana Woods http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Dana Woods Thu, 14 May 2009 20:35:14 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-431 Just for the record I am Mr. Dana Woods. Just for the record I am Mr. Dana Woods.

]]> By: Linda Zajac http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-432 Linda Zajac Thu, 14 May 2009 06:48:26 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/05/14/ending-the-madness-in-our-schools/#comment-432 I have a friend who works in special ed. She described giving a test to one of her students. "He looked left, he looked right, he looked up, he looked down. He looked everywhere except at the test." What's the point? That's very sad when you hear that weak students now know it. On the other end of the spectrum, I've read NCLB has led to cuts in gifted education. I'm surprised this administration has not addressed it yet, but they are probably overwhelmed sifting through the dump truck that emptied its contents on the White House lawn. I have a friend who works in special ed. She described giving a test to one of her students. “He looked left, he looked right, he looked up, he looked down. He looked everywhere except at the test.” What’s the point? That’s very sad when you hear that weak students now know it. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve read NCLB has led to cuts in gifted education. I’m surprised this administration has not addressed it yet, but they are probably overwhelmed sifting through the dump truck that emptied its contents on the White House lawn.

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