Grad exams stir debate Options

[Lancaster Online]

[thoughts from th...]

Anyone else find it amusing that the schools most concerned with the Keystone exams are those that don't have the best academic reputations?

Hollister (Elanco superintendent) is a joke saying that he values soft skills over the traditional content. That certainly is not true in my kids' elementary where they weren't aren't even allowed to have things like spirit day or Red Ribbon week because it is not educational and, therefore, not valued.

[galvodog6]

i'll have to send my kids to your district... i've got a 13 year old who doesnt even know the 50 states or multiply or divide...the school's reply is: no child left behind; they must graduate no matter what...seem like PA has misinterpreted that policy incorrectly and i've taken it on my own to tutor my child

[Clevy5781]

This exam will shoot graduation rates downward and expose schools more. No wonder the school administration members don't welcome it. Though this is a thorough exam in comparison to the PSSA's.

[Right of Smart]

Post your thoughts and comments about this article.

What debate?
The liberal run school districts don't want anything to do with accountability.
The liberal run School teachers union want nothing to do with accountability.
Pass dumb students on until they graduate.
End of debate.

As long as McDonalds keeps putting the pictures of their products on the cash registers instead of numbers we are good.

Are poor blacks and hispanics getting tired of this yet?
They must not be they keep electing the same party to office.

Democratic party slogan.
Keep them dumb
Keep them on welfare
Keep them having abortions (They like your votes but they don't want to many of you around)

[markymark]

I hope they after-school remediation/tutoring programs that help the students catch up if the're behind. As for 'Right of Smart' comment if the blacks or hispanics had abortions, they wouldn't be on welfare to support there child(ren).

[Right of Smart]

I hope they after-school remediation/tutoring programs that help the students catch up if the're behind. As for 'Right of Smart' comment if the blacks or hispanics had abortions, they wouldn't be on welfare to support there child(ren).

???

[Fizz]

What debate?
The liberal run school districts don't want anything to do with accountability.
The liberal run School teachers union want nothing to do with accountability.
Pass dumb students on until they graduate.
End of debate.

As long as McDonalds keeps putting the pictures of their products on the cash registers instead of numbers we are good.

Are poor blacks and hispanics getting tired of this yet?
They must not be they keep electing the same party to office.

Democratic party slogan.
Keep them dumb
Keep them on welfare
Keep them having abortions (They like your votes but they don't want to many of you around)

So, we'll just ignore the fact that a "liberal" governor is in favor of this?

This has nothing to do with "accountability". It has everything to do with politicians trying to look like they're doing something. It has everything to do with the test-makers making money. Tell me something. How do standardized tests teach critical thinking skills? "Standardized" is exactly what teaching will become. It will soon be mandated that all teachers teach the same thing on the same day. To compensate for this, teachers will be given scripts. Gone will be the experiments that make learning interesting. Gone will be the poems and literature that aren't sanctioned by the state. Gone will be the history that the state doesn't deem test-worthy. Learning will be done entirely by rote, never taking into account that all teachers teach differently and all students learn differently. What we will have is a stifling environment that allows no differences at all. It will all be standardized.

Explain to me how this will create future leaders. Explain to me how true learning can prosper in this environment.

[Right of Smart]

So, we'll just ignore the fact that a "liberal" governor is in favor of this?

This has nothing to do with "accountability". It has everything to do with politicians trying to look like they're doing something. It has everything to do with the test-makers making money. Tell me something. How do standardized tests teach critical thinking skills?

Look at McCaskey, Please show me some critical thinking.



"Standardized" is exactly what teaching will become. It will soon be mandated that all teachers teach the same thing on the same day. To compensate for this, teachers will be given scripts. Gone will be the experiments that make learning interesting. Gone will be the poems and literature that aren't sanctioned by the state.

Do you mean the Barrack Hussein Obama Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm song/poem?


Gone will be the history that the state doesn't deem test-worthy. Learning will be done entirely by rote, never taking into account that all teachers teach differently and all students learn differently. What we will have is a stifling environment that allows no differences at all. It will all be standardized.

Explain to me how this will create future leaders. Explain to me how true learning can prosper in this environment.

The system is broken...

[4sure]

Anyone else find it amusing that the schools most concerned with the Keystone exams are those that don't have the best academic reputations?

Hollister (Elanco superintendent) is a joke saying that he values soft skills over the traditional content. That certainly is not true in my kids' elementary where they weren't aren't even allowed to have things like spirit day or Red Ribbon week because it is not educational and, therefore, not valued.

Be careful. If your school is anything like Manheim Central, your district IT department head will use school resources to find out who you are. Then he'll top it by actually calling you at work with the ridiculous assumption that you won't be upset over the fact that he thumb through a child's student record like I know happened to one individual there.

[legaleagle]

i'll have to send my kids to your district... i've got a 13 year old who doesnt even know the 50 states or multiply or divide...the school's reply is: no child left behind; they must graduate no matter what...seem like PA has misinterpreted that policy incorrectly and i've taken it on my own to tutor my child

OMG ! Parental responsibility ?!?!? Say it aint so. The horror the horror !

[coffeetable]

I believe if you're going to have exams, these Keystone Exams have the potential to be infinitely better than the PSSA exams.

As to some of the other remarks here, I have spent time teaching overseas. The public schools here are better. The teachers are more qualified, the curriculum is richer, and the facilities are adequate (notwithstanding Donegal ;0) ).

I've venture to say that we have the best schools in the world. What we don't have is the best respect for the value of an education. And that's a cultural issue. And this isn't a "conservative" trend or a "liberal" trend. It's an American trend.

So we need to stop griping about unions, about school boards, about parents, about students, about each other. I'd say for the most part, these groups are filled with dedicated folks trying to do the right thing. What we need to do is have a national focus on instilling pride in education. That's what I see lacking in this country that is ever-present in the countries I've had the privilege to observe.

[Wonder]

(markymark @ Nov 9 2009, 04:34 PM) [img]http://talkback.lancasteronline.com/style_images/1/post_snapback.gif[/img]I hope they after-school remediation/tutoring programs that help the students catch up if the're behind. As for 'Right of Smart' comment if the blacks or hispanics had abortions, they wouldn't be on welfare to support there child(ren).

(IMG:http://talkback.lancasteronline.com/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
(IMG:http://talkback.lancasteronline.com/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
(IMG:http://talkback.lancasteronline.com/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Fizz]

The system is broken...

So, no. You have nothing useful to say. Are you suggesting that Bush should not have been in the classroom reading "My Pet Goat" while New York City burned?

So, it's McCaskey's fault that 80% of the kids are at the poverty level? The system IS broken, but not the one you think. I'm not saying everyone deserves a handout...but they don't deserve the back of your hand, either.

Now how about addressing what I said rather than relying on ad hominem attacks. My gut tells me that you got nothin'. But I'm dying for you to prove me wrong.

[litlmo]

This is the gospel truth. My children went to Penn Manor, and were good students, except for one minor detail that still ticks me off. Not just my kids, but many that I have come across could not tell time with a regular clock. I am dead serious. Everything was becoming digital. When I contacted the school, i was told that they werent spending a great amount of time on this subject. My kids graduated from high school not being able to tell time on a regular clock. One is in college, one in navy, and one married, and manager of a dominoes. If you ask them the time, they look at their cells.
these kids were honor roll students who have taken algebra, trig, calculus etc. Help me out here, is this pure laziness, or were they not really taught. another thing I noticed is if you go to the mall or someone where you dealing with teens and money, these teens use cash registers, and still cant get your total correct, or your change. god forbid, if they have to figure in a discount, coupon or refund. I actually cringe when they break out the calculator, it usually takes 2 or 3 to figure it all out. LOL

P.S. I read somewhere that high school graduates could not pass the G.E.D test that's given for people who did not graduate... go figure

This post has been edited by litlmo: Nov 9 2009, 06:36 PM