Points I would make concerning the Jon Stewart Show:
1. How do you measure learning gains without testing? Everyone wants to criticize standardize testing,
but what is the alternative? Before standardized testing in Florida, there was little or no accountability
for teachers. I've only been teaching in public schools for ten years, so I wasn't teaching in Florida
before they started their standardized testing program. But I have spoken to veteran principals who
told me that before testing there was no accountability at all for teachers. It didn't matter how far they
got into the book, it didn't matter if the kids learned or not. There was no quality control system in
place, and the teachers knew it. There was no urgency to make sure their kids were actually learning,
because there wasn't a system in place to measure the learning gains of their students.
2. Teachers make awfully easy targets, but there are actually four parties concerned when it comes to
the learning process: the student, the parents, the administrators, and the teachers. Do you think a
teacher is in position to criticize a parent at a conference? Can they point out the lack of support from
an administrator? And heaven help us if we blame the student who hasn't done homework in two
months. Teachers are just convenient targets for blame, and in our world of political correctness we
have to just bite our tongues.
3. I recently spoke to a former teacher. He said he didn't get out of teaching because of the kids. They
were actually a low third on his list. He said he got out of teaching because of 1) the parents and 2) the
lack of support he got from his administrators. He said he could have handled the kids, but the constant
criticism from the parents and the pressure from administrators to pass kids who did not deserve to
pass just wore him down.
4. I served in the military for thirty years before going into public education. If someone didn't like the
way something was being done, we said fine; give us a better idea, and we might just give that a try. But
just complaining all the time has no useful purpose. If someone comes up with a better way to measure
learning gains in math, science and reading, then please let us know what that idea is. But otherwise,
please step aside, stop criticizing, and let us do our jobs. The simple truth is: IF THE KIDS AREN'T
ACTUALLY LEARNING, THEN YOU AREN'T TEACHING!
5. In the segment, Ms. Ravitch said that standardized testing was wrong, but what else would she have
us do. She seems to be a professional critic; what was her suggested solution? Her point about "Who
likes testing?" was ridiculous. Of course the students would prefer not to be tested. In their ideal world,
they would never have to take another test in any subject. But again, the only way to measure whether
or not students are learning is to test them.
6. Ms. Ravitch seemed to focus on poverty being the reason for poor performance on standardized test.
And of course poverty plays a role in school performance for a variety of reasons. But the best way to
stop the cycle of poverty is through education. If your family has suffered through generations of
poverty, then the best way out of that world is by attaining a better education.
7. One thing I did agree with on the segment: everyone seems to want to BLAME THE TEACHERS. I've
taught at the middle school, high school, and college level. And the one thing every level has in
common? If a kid is failing, then someone is going to say that it has to be the teachers fault! The reality
is, however, at every level I've taught the kids giving "F" effort have earned "F" grades. I had a parent
conference last week. I showed the parent the student's grade printout (he was missing 9 out of 11
assignments). He got a 4% on the last chapter exam (he didn't do one single assignment in the chapter
before the test). And the parent tried to blame me because her son was failing! She wanted to know if
there was some way I could start teaching better! I pointed out to her that I was actually one of the best
math teachers in Florida, and her son failing had nothing to do with my "teaching style". He was failing
because of his complete lack of effort.