We, the concerned parents and citizens all over Maine, must come together and talk to our newly elected State officials and let them know where we stand.
We don't want our students and schools to be guinea pigs -- the test case for the RISC model is the multiple Alaska schools that dumped it.
While we find Standards acceptable, we believe Maine taxpayers should have a voice in the Standards and that should be able to set higher standards when appropriate. We don't want to participate in a further "dumbing down" of education that seems the goal of 'lowest common denominator' standards touted in the CCSS and National movement. (Didn't anyone notice that Massachusetts had to LOWER their excellent standards to join the National movement?)
We believe traditional grading and its' inherent competition is essential to the education process. Where better to learn how to compete than within the safe, nurturing school environment. We are not properly preparing our students for life after public school -- or even college -- if we fail to teach them healthy competition or to provide real feedback on their efforts with a 15 scale grading system vise a 4 scale system of standards.
We don't want high-priced administrators siphoning off huge salaries and educator retirement pay simultaneously or setting up self-serving, lucrative consulting positions based on their experience implementing educational models, like RISC, that are not beneficial to our students.
We want community input into curriculum -- get rid of the paradigms that don't work like EDM and Whole Language. Mastering mathematical algorithms does more to build self-esteem in a student than handing them a calculator and telling them which buttons to press. (There is a place for technology, but you can't validate/audit work if you don't understand the logic. One must wonder if Kindergarten is really the place for calculators.)
Readers - please post your concerns in the comment section (you can do this and remain 'anonymous') to help us ensure we capture the biggest issues appropriately. Together we can effect a better outcome for our student! Let us TAKE BACK OUR SCHOOLS!!!
Exactly! How is it that school administrators feel that they can take communities anywhere they wish? If the community doesn't support "new math", "whole language", or anything that comes down the road, SCHOOLS SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT! The school IS the community. Teachers, superintendents, school board members, WORK FOR THE CITIZENS of those communities. If they don't like what a community wants, understands, is willing to accept, they know where the door is! There are many more educators not working in their field, who would jump at the chance for your job!
ReplyDeleteAdministrators, school board members, if you are not doing what the majority of your community wishes....
How can this be said clearly?... YOU'RE FIRED!
Teachers, if you don't agree with what your board tells you to do, don’t have a good feeling about what your administrators are directing you to do, IN SPITE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, have the character to stand up and say NO, I disagree. You can do that (or at least should be able to) and still keep your job! If you can't, this has gone way too far!
A large number of those administrators, curriculum coordinators, and other school leaders, don’t live in the towns they work for.
The law says that you must educate your children!
Democracy says our elected officials represent us!
DO IT! How do you know what your community wants? ASK THEM! Be public and upfront about it, will this slow down this steam roller?... yes, probably, but YOU WILL BE REPRESENTING your community!