Thank Goodness! All 3 schools in Steiner are Exemplary again, and River Place Elem. too! (middle school, universities)

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

(and yes I pay jaw-dropping property tax and private school tuition, one is my responsibility as a citizen, the other my responsibility as a parent)

Well said, and I totally agree! Rep point for you!

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by Biscuits

God help us.

I doubt God will have much to say, but your annual tax $ will be helping a bit I am sure

[schoenfraun]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Also please note that Campbell and Pillow Elementary are both Exemplary schools despite their economically disadvantaged, mainly minority students. Allison and Dawson both reached Recognized status even though they are Title I schools with very challenging populations.

What are "very challenging populations" here? It sounds very class- and race-based. Are poor folks or "minorities" challenging for you to deal with, or is it challenging to be one of them? What do you mean?

I am a child-free taxpayer, and I also grit my teeth when I write the property tax check, but I agree with centralaustinite here (and others who have already posted to this effect) that this is what we do to prepare future generations for societal benefit, not just the benefit of the individual or family. I want my neighbors to be well-educated, the employees of the future, as centralaustinite suggests. I'll be depending upon them when I'm all alone in my child-free old age!

But I must admit I often feel a bit like Biscuits, too.

And I don't think our schools are teaching children to be independent thinkers, or to ask questions; I do believe they are instructing them on how to take these tests, to reason well enough to choose the right box to check. I used to teach elementary and middle school in Louisiana, and I used to teach undergraduates at the largest state university up in Illinois, and I have to express my absolute dismay at the lack of preparedness of students in public schools today, regardless of their ratings. Students that came from the highest-rated suburban high schools in Chicagoland told me that they were able to graduate high school having never written a term paper, or any paper WITH AN ARGUMENT OR A POINT TO MAKE, that was longer than five pages. The thought of writing a cohesive, thoughtful paper of ten to fifteen pages scared the life out of them, and only two or three in a class of 65 undergraduates could do it. That's very, very scary.

[centralaustinite]

I mean challenging to teach! And yes, if you did not know, the ratings on the TAKS test require each school to met certain passing rates for each group, the state education defines the groups as white, African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged, every sub-group must achieve the passing rate benchmark, so it is possible that a school could have Anglo kids that pass every segment of the test at 99% but have two subgroups such as hispanic and economically disadvantaged fail one section (the sections are reading, math, writing, and science) and then the entire school is rated unacceptable. Yes, this happens.

Allison and Dawson both have the majority of their students fit into the economically disadvantaged sub-group as well as ethnic subgroups (Dawson is nearly all hispanic, Allison is mainly AA and hispanic). The point I was trying to make is that these kids are the ones who were historically left behind by the school districts but these two schools and several others in AISD are reaching exemplary and recognized levels on the TAKS without the cultural capital and parental resources found in Steiner and Westlake (and even there, reaching exemplary level on the TAKS takes focused effort.

And, like you I worry about the effects of teaching to the test and the impact on critical thinking, etc. I don't know what all the answers are but I am very happy to cheer on schools like Campbell, Allison, Dawson, Pillow, that are succeeding despite what looks like on paper as kids who are tough to teach.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by schoenfraun

What are "very challenging populations" here? It sounds very class- and race-based. Are poor folks or "minorities" challenging for you to deal with, or is it challenging to be one of them? What do you mean?

I am a child-free taxpayer, and I also grit my teeth when I write the property tax check, but I agree with centralaustinite here (and others who have already posted to this effect) that this is what we do to prepare future generations for societal benefit, not just the benefit of the individual or family. I want my neighbors to be well-educated, the employees of the future, as centralaustinite suggests. I'll be depending upon them when I'm all alone in my child-free old age!

But I must admit I often feel a bit like Biscuits, too.

And I don't think our schools are teaching children to be independent thinkers, or to ask questions; I do believe they are instructing them on how to take these tests, to reason well enough to choose the right box to check. I used to teach elementary and middle school in Louisiana, and I used to teach undergraduates at the largest state university up in Illinois, and I have to express my absolute dismay at the lack of preparedness of students in public schools today, regardless of their ratings. Students that came from the highest-rated suburban high schools in Chicagoland told me that they were able to graduate high school having never written a term paper, or any paper WITH AN ARGUMENT OR A POINT TO MAKE, that was longer than five pages. The thought of writing a cohesive, thoughtful paper of ten to fifteen pages scared the life out of them, and only two or three in a class of 65 undergraduates could do it. That's very, very scary.

I keep hearing that teaching to the test is bad. However, I looked at the TAKS math tests and it looks like the TAKS criteria is perfect at each grade level. If the kids in elementary school are struggling to be able to pass the math test at any level then they havent even learned the basics. These basics take precedence over everything else. Once the kids have mastered the fundamentals then it makes sense to go beyond. When kids can barely read or solve simple algebra problems in 4th grade, they have no business spending their time on anything else except learning to read and solving simple algebra problems.


What classes have the current crop of adults taken in elementary school that taught "thinking independently"? I went from elementary school directly to high school (elementary school went to 6th grade, hs started at 8th) so Im not sure what is taught in middle school, however I don't recall any independent thinking classes until high school. Elementary school was focused exactly on what is in the taks tests. Rote memorization and ability to solve problems. Obviously high school was quite different and was more like university.

Also a ton of money is being wasted - it doesn't take advanced technology or new textbooks to teach kids how to perform in the foundational areas.

[woodinvilleguy]

Well I work with my kids to understand how and why math works so they can solve any math problem. I have a math degree and I have found that understanding the theory in practical ways will serve people more than just using the tricks they get taught in school.

Just my opinion, My kids can read and do basic math. I want more!! :-) I've told them from birth they can do anything they want after they get an engineering degree :-)

[mimimomx3]

I think kids spend way too much time studying and struggling with things they really don't need.

[love roses]

I mean challenging to teach! And yes, if you did not know, the ratings on the TAKS test require each school to met certain passing rates for each group, the state education defines the groups as white, African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged, every sub-group must achieve the passing rate benchmark, so it is possible that a school could have Anglo kids that pass every segment of the test at 99% but have two subgroups such as hispanic and economically disadvantaged fail one section (the sections are reading, math, writing, and science) and then the entire school is rated unacceptable. Yes, this happens.

Here in Hutto there was a story today about this very thing. Although most of the schools here are rated Academically Acceptable and one made recognized, the superintendant said he wants the aim in this district for all of our schools here to be recognized and exemplary. One of the things stated that needs to be overcome is the fact that the black and hispanic kids didn't do as well on the TAKS as the white kids did (I took this from our local paper) in the math and science part of the test, so there's going to be some changes this year to move the schools up higher, which I applaud because I DO want my daughter to go to a school that values good education and such.

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I think kids spend way too much time studying and struggling with things they really don't need.

Like what Math, English, History, Geography, Music, Art, PE...If all you teach is reading, writing and math you will not have very well rounded individuals!

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by love roses

One of the things stated that needs to be overcome is the fact that the black and hispanic kids didn't do as well on the TAKS as the white kids did (I took this from our local paper) in the math and science part of the test, so there's going to be some changes this year to move the schools up higher, which I applaud because .

Color has nothing to do with these problems! It is the cultural and social attributes of some sub groups that keep these students from succeding in school, you just have to look to the parents and grandparents where you most likely will find unmotivated and uninvolved parents. Lets NOT blame skin color for these issues, because that is not giving credit to those in these subgroups who do well and have involved and motivated parents!

Like all education...I believe that what you get out of it is highly correlated with what you put into it!