...and counting

The “Final Forty” have arrived, the final 40 days for my service to secondary education in the state of California. Sort of. I will continue to teach at the community college for at least one year while I transition from an overly full-time employee to a retiree.

There are 40 desks in my classroom, so here’s the image: each day, I will remove 1 desk; when the room is empty, I hand in my keys and drive home.

Prior to emptying the room, there are 2 quick units of instruction to finish up, as well as the state-mandated testing to slug through. We’re going to finish the STAR in 4 days, but it’s going to be an ugly 4 days! My suggestion, that we have 4 minimum days devoted solely to testing, received a laugh, so we’re going to try to fit all of our classes in and among the testing period—and survive to teach another day.

Mandated testing is only of value as it applies to the individual—but it doesn’t apply to the individual. There are never 2 consecutive days when the same student population is on campus, much less 2 consecutive years to validate the progress or lack thereof vis a vis a testing program.

If single students’ test scores were compared annually, that data may have some validity, but that doesn’t happen: we look at school trends. If that’s the way we’re going to view the data, why not just randomly pick 10% of the student population and give them the tests to see how the school is doing? Less hassle; less cost; the same or similar results: data for public consumption.

The good news is that the exit exam has finally arrived: statewide, 91.4% of the high school seniors are passing it, and at my site, that number is 98% 2 years running. Now, this is not jump up and down and yell huzzah: it’s an 8th grade test! Anyone who can NOT pass it should be ashamed to protest their failure to perform!

And thus begins Day 40.