As our school district goes through the latest round of administrative restructuring, it is becoming more and more clear that we are being guided by the principles of the corporate education reform movement. My school, with all my wonderful, bright, caring and diverse students, has recently been officially labeled an "intensive intervention" school. This is because our students are supposedly not making enough progress on their standardized tests. When we look at the data about who is testing poorly, we see that they are generally all English Language Learners and students of color who all happen to be living in poverty. Coincidence? I think not.
I can send you copies of examples of this standardized test to prove my assertion that the tests are written with a Eurocentric, monolingual focus, that presumes access to a wealth of literature and information outside of the classroom, but suffice to say that there are reading comprehension questions on it that require extensive background knowledge about things like blacksmiths, classic literature, advanced mythology, and "bake pasta," whatever that is.
As a result of our scores, teachers are now required to teach an extra class at the end of the day that is either an intervention for struggling learners, an extension for advanced learners (i.e. the white kids), or something in-between that they need to create on their own for the kids in "the middle." They are being told that the materials for the interventions are "on order," so the teachers are frantically spending their planning time (or being put in a position to ask their student teachers to waste their apprenticeship time) making copies of curriculum books and teacher guides so that they are ready to teach these classes starting next week. They have been given no standards or goals for the students to reach to exit out of such classes, and the children's parents have not been notified, nor has permission been sought or given. I could tell you all about how absurd this curriculum is, but will spare you the pathetic details. The teachers are also not trained in how to use this curriculum, and had to take "crash courses" in it yesterday afternoon.
The "extension" course for the "advanced" kids is already packaged up, sparkling new, and ready to go! Each teacher has his/her own kit full of brand new books and teaching materials. They don't really have to prepare much because, by nature, the "advanced" kids love school, feel positive about being there, and are excited about learning. Wouldn't you if you were always getting positive reinforcement? There is absolutely no equity in this situation.
I'm watching school closings from around the country, and can't help but make the connection that I, too, will be shut down, and my students will have their civil rights taken away from them. I don't know what to do, except continue to teach and write about what is happening. Maybe someone, somewhere will care, and I will be inspired by a new generation of civil rights leaders.
Here's the latest on what happened in Philadelphia. Give us a couple years, when our "interventions" don't lead to student progress on standardized tests, and I will be sending you the same kind of video with my face on it.
http://www.mediamobilizing.org/ourschools
Sincerely,
Scholastic Chaos
*umoja*unidad*unity*we are one*
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