Another editorial…..

Wow it seems our newspaper and area is a little opinionated? Hopefully I won’t have to take cover at the grocery store soon, well at least they are not publishing pictures with my editorial yet.

PSSA test scores

In response to the editorial posted by the Courier Times stating “ Seems to us that kids that don’t pass the PSSA haven’t learned the least they need to know to function effectively in the real world”, I feel this is a misguided statement. As a teacher I have administered many a PSSA in my day. This statement is almost saying that if you pass your driver’s test you are automatically a good driver. If you drive in the neighborhood, you know this is not true. The PSSA like any standardized test is just a measurement that spits out a number. In fact the state of Pennsylvania probably paid someone good money at Princeton Review to design the test according to some standard that they deem proficient.

What concerns me is the thinking that these tests deem real life survival skills. In fact I have never seen balancing a checkbook as one of the questions on a PSSA or how to deal with a disgruntled employee if you are a manager at WaWa. Not many adults are saying “ I wish I would have paid attention to the PSSA prep work, maybe I could figure out how to get a raise” I completely agree with Barry Desko the director of secondary education when he said that the PSSA “ are broad brush strokes of understanding”. In my opinion the PSSA is a very cropped snapshot, its not teaching our kids to live in the real world, it’s just a test to give us a number which is even more alarmingly they we are all reduced down to a number.

It is never the standardized prep portion of my class in which the students remember. It is teaching them how to function in the real world, the teaching of how the world works that the kids remember long before they seal the sticker on the PSSA test booklet. Unfortunately you can’t measure those lessons with a number scale, but they do exist there.

Just for the reader’s information, I am not a Neshaminy school district teacher. I sort of wish I was since I live in the district and wouldn’t have to drive so far to work. I would like to challenge all of those readers who already commented that the teachers should get less pay because the school did not reach AYP. The challenge is to do your homework and figure out how these tests are graded and to be involved in your kids’ life. To meet AYP (average yearly progress), attendance is figured in. Its not the teacher’s responsibility to make sure you kid makes it to school. It is not the teacher’s sole responsibility to teach your student. Even though we are with your student sometimes more waking hours than you are, we do not have jurisdiction over what they say and do and how much effort they put into their work. Instead of pointing the blame which it seems there are many people who want to do this, why don’t we work together for educational reform? This should make us angry at the system and work together to do what is best for the kids which is really what education should be about.

Day 1: Kayaking Hilton Head

I need to talk about Hunting Island in another post. If you asked Max about our vacation he would have told you that we were off looking for alligators. This thought scared him a bunch. We kept reinforcing with him that he would have to be quiet if we did find some. I think he was wishing so hard for us not to find alligators that they were staying away from us.

The first day we decided to travel and hour from our campsite to kayak on hilton head island. I first got in a kayak here and did some amazing kayaking. It was here that I witnessed dolphins doing the stranding behavior in which they will practically beach themselves to get food. I wanted James and Max to see that or at least see dolphins in close proximity. By kayaking hilton head we knew that we would not see alligators here. We were kayaking in the salt marsh and alligators have a very low tolerance for salt.

Here are some pictures. No dolphin pictures sorry, but we did see some. About five or so. Max’s face lit up in the kayak when the dolphin was close to their kayak. He said he wish he could reach out and touch one. The bird life is so amazing here.

No More Teachers… No More Books

At least for now…. the classroom is taking a break and I am taking a break from the classroom. At least the one in which there are four walls and a door.

It is important to never stop learning. Learn as much as you can, go on as many adventures as you can.   Make everyday and everything a learning opportunity for you. I think that is what being rich is.

Tonight Max is officially a first grader. Stay tuned for some pictures.