SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL STUDENTS

School districts around the country are not living up to the standards set in No Child Left Behind mandates.   I am not criticizing the mandates, I am criticizing the manner the 'powers that be' are tying to fix.  The Superintendents and the Boards are trying give the districts a fix without addressing the student performance.  All the reports keep stating the future of the students is the focus.  This is bunk.  If a district needs improvement then firstly gain student improvement.  Focus on students doing better then the district will naturally become fixed.  Students must have one goal.  This goal is to the present in class, be attentive in class and pass the daily assignment with comprehension of the subject.  If this is met, the district will improve.  To hire new Superintendents, read my book for a practical view about Superintendent positions in a school or to elect new Board members will not fix a student performance.  It is a student up approach not a Superintendent down approach to gain a better school district.  Who will join me on this quest?  Where are all the voices and joint dialogues for this approach?  Please contribute to this blog so I can start to unite us.  Silence is deafening about under performing school districts which parallels under performing students.  Let's start today and come together. 

PLEASE VISIT BOOK ARTICLE

There was an article about my book in the Independence Examiner.  The article was written by Frank Haight.  Please visit the webpage listed and the website for the book.  I hope to have you as a reader of my book and a regular member and contributor of this blog.  Thanks for the support.  http://www.examiner.net/news/news_columnists/x919542292/Haight-Author-hopes-students-will-G-R-A-S-P-tips-for-success

EACH STUDENT IS AT WORK

I have students which do not want to complete assignments.  They put their head down, mess with their cell phone and continually ask to leave the classroom for the bathroom, locker or anywhere but where there is an assignment.  I tell them school is a student's work.  Students laugh at me and retort, 'School is not their work.'  I challenge each one.  I relate to them if I call their Mother right now on the telephone and report their child is refusing to do the assignment and does not turn in the assignment, the Mother will want to speak with their child.  I ask the student, what shall their Mother say to them if I put the two together on the telephone?  The Mother always says, 'Get your WORK done.'  She will say, 'Turn in your WORK.'  So now to each student I ask, "Where did your Mother send you each morning when you left to go to school?"  The student went to WORK. 

STANDARDIZED TESTING

There seem to be too much standardized testing of the student in the USA public school system.  I must say, there is too much standardized testing without any intervention improvement for each student as follow-up to the testing.  The tests seem to be conducted for the sake of data collection only.  There is no improved learning by a student from taking a standardized test.  There seldom exist an individual student improvement plan stemming from the student results on a standardized test.
I shall always remember the words a fellow educator said once concerning too much standardized testing, 'it is like trying to fatten the cow by weighing it every day.'