[email protected]

Did anyone else enjoys this? <g>

LAWRENCE, Mass. (Aug. 3) - This city's superintendent of schools, who
recently put two dozen teachers on unpaid leave for failing a basic English
proficiency test, has himself flunked a required literacy test three times.

Wilfredo T. Laboy called his failing scores ``frustrating'' and
``emotional.'' He blamed his performance on a lack of preparation and concentration, as
well as the fact that that Spanish is his first language.

``It bothers me because I'm trying to understand the congruence of what I do
here every day and this stupid test,'' Laboy told The Eagle-Tribune of
Lawrence in a story published Sunday.

``What brought me down was the rules of grammar and punctuation,'' Laboy
said. ``English being a second language for me, I didn't do well in writing. If
you're not an English teacher, you don't look at the rules on a regular basis.''

State Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll said he is aware of Laboy's
troubles with the test, but would not say how many chances Laboy would be given
to pass or what the consequences of another failure could be.

He said Laboy was doing an excellent job leading the district, and is getting
more time to prepare for the test. But he added, ``He's going to have to
pass. ... The situation will only get serious if he goes much longer without
passing.''

Since 1998, all Massachusetts educators - from teachers to superintendents -
have had to pass the Communications and Literacy Skills Test, which measures
basic reading and writing skills, including vocabulary, punctuation, grammar,
spelling and capitalization.

Laboy, who receives a 3 percent pay hike this month that will raise his
salary to $156,560, recently put 24 teachers on unpaid administrative leave because
they failed a basic English test

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/4/03 7:43:43 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
kbcdlovejo@... writes:

> Did anyone else enjoys this? <g>
>
> LAWRENCE, Mass. (Aug. 3) - This city's superintendent of schools, who
> recently put two dozen teachers on unpaid leave for failing a basic English
> proficiency test, has himself flunked a required literacy test three times.
>

Oh yes, I read this first thing this morning and laughed hysterically
paragraph to paragraph. It was quite uplifting in a perverse sort of way. But I think
it says volumes for not only testing, but for personal expectations.

Rhonda


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

I wish what it meant was that they would see that grammatical skill doesn't
make one a good PE teacher, or math teacher, or coach, or art teacher, or music
teacher, or history teacher, or science teacher and...


it might not even make one a good English teacher.

It's possible for a person to answer questions and ace a test without having
a clue how to put that information to practical use.

I'm afraid instead of looking at a new way to heal their wounds, they will
hire tutors to teach to the test, so that an expensive bandaid is put over a
misguided belief.

There are people who write excellently well (technically speaking) and have
not one blessed thing to say.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/4/2003 11:52:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
> I wish what it meant was that they would see that grammatical skill doesn't
>
> make one a good PE teacher, or math teacher, or coach, or art teacher, or
> music
> teacher, or history teacher, or science teacher and...
> it might not even make one a good English teacher.

No, what is MEANS is that testing is stupid! <g>

And he who lives by the test may DIE by the test!

I'm wondering whether this will actually *go* anywhere. Will they quit
testing the superintendents? the teachers? the children? Where will it actually
lead?

Dead end. Into a dead end. Because they can't see the inanity and insanity of
testing.

~Kelly


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/4/03 10:05:08 AM, kbcdlovejo@... writes:

<< I'm wondering whether this will actually *go* anywhere. Will they quit
testing the superintendents? the teachers? the children? Where will it
actually
lead? >>

It will lead to them complaining about their own educations, and asking for
more money to make sure the current batch turns out better.

The whole system has become a gigantic money syphon, and there's no breaking
the suction.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/4/2003 12:34:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
> It will lead to them complaining about their own educations, and asking for
>
> more money to make sure the current batch turns out better.

That's really funny. This morning there was an AOL news piece about whether
teachers earn too much money (considering the short days and only 180
days/year).

Then there was a "sound off" bit for folks to write in with their opinions on
the subject.

One guy complained that here he was with a master's degree, teaching school,
and only earning in the low 30's. *I'm* thinking that he might should have
spent a little more time researching his chosen field and its earning potential.


ONE post (out of the 130 I read) said how wonderful the children are. The
rest slammed the kids and/or the parents. "If you walked a mile in MY shoes",
"Spend a week in MY classroom",....

They all seemed to think that they deserved more because of what they have to
put up with---as if THEY have no choice. Yet the ones that TRULY have no
choice should sit down and behave and BE TAUGHT!

~Kelly


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

coyote's corner

excellent point!! The kids here, in my neighborhood are already dreading the return to school.
Meanwhile, Brianna & I are going to an herb festival in Kentucky!!
Janis
----- Original Message -----








>>>>>They all seemed to think that they deserved more because of what they have to
put up with---as if THEY have no choice. Yet the ones that TRULY have no
choice should sit down and behave and BE TAUGHT! <<<<<<<

~Kelly


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT




To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bill and Diane

Where in Kentuxcky? When?

:-) Diane


>excellent point!! The kids here, in my neighborhood are already dreading the return to school.
>Meanwhile, Brianna & I are going to an herb festival in Kentucky!!
>Janis
>