STARR replaces TAKS

[TXRunner]

Originally Posted by jdw7337

TAKS minimum skills-my school is typically 90%+ commended, turning to RECOGNIZED/EXEMPLARY
STAR-my school has told us it expects to be UNACCEPTABLE for at least 2 years before it slowly pulls it self up to nearly exemplary.

It's great that the state is giving us a better test but they made to big of a jump in it, there wasn't a medium in between to get students and schools better prepared.

There are no ratings for the first year. The last TAKS rating will last 2 years. Anyone who is saying things like this doesn't know what they are talking about. The passing rates have not been set yet, so I am just wild guessing it, but I doubt Texas will set the rate where they have many more unacceptable schools on their list. That would not look good for NCLB, especially since each campus is supposed to be 100% passing by 2014 in order to make AYP.

[MDinTelfair]

Let's be honest there are a lot of problems with the public education system today. The quality of the people that are teachers is NOT what it used to be when I was going to school. One reason teaching is usually a fallback major for many people who tried other major and either couldn't keep up with the material or basically could not hack it. Another reason is pay. I have yet to meet a Teacher that thinks they get paid enough. (I think FBISD for a new Teacher is $44,000. Most medical residents don’t make that.) Another problem is cronyism that takes places at the administrator level. NO Principal or Superintendent is worth what they are paid. Really if 50% of those positions were eliminated, would anyone notice? Put that money into a pool for real merit based pay for teachers. 99% of the Principals are lucky and get into a good gig that really adds no value to education. They signed up for this “union” where they protect their own. Look at the vast majority who make up the school boards. They are usually people in education vs. People in the community. The number of administrators in schools has increased by a greater percentage than the total population of students. Really the principal should be a big dude with a belt that whacks kids that get out of line….ooops that is not allowed. Because Some European study said that makes kids dumb. Really, I guarantee you just about everyone that had their butts beat for reason is better for it today. Pretty much all Asian parents still beat their kids butts today. Mine get it when they deserve it. There where time when my old man beat me that would be CPS material today on YouTube. I thank him for it now. Another thing is all the stupid tests that really do nothing. 50-60% of the students in many of the HISD elementary schools are taught in Spanish anyway. When I was in school English was the only choice. Many, many Asian Immigrants that did not speak a lick of English came to the US. In my experience many refugees from Vietnam came this way in the late. Today the vast majority are professionals or business owners. Education starts at home. Yes and people who have children that don’t value education and expect the schools to fix that problem. Really? What the success rate with that plan. Charter Schools. Now this is a master racket. They selectively choose who they want and when it looks like the failing kid is not doing well, some excuse or another and they are kicked out. Charter school will be the undoing of the public schools the way I see it. School should stop catering to the lowest common denominator. I don’t have all the answers and any, but as a parent I see what is wrong.

[jdw7337]

Originally Posted by TXRunner

There are no ratings for the first year. The last TAKS rating will last 2 years. Anyone who is saying things like this doesn't know what they are talking about. The passing rates have not been set yet, so I am just wild guessing it, but I doubt Texas will set the rate where they have many more unacceptable schools on their list. That would not look good for NCLB, especially since each campus is supposed to be 100% passing by 2014 in order to make AYP.

We seeing as I am looking at this as a 16 year old high school student in a school that follows all of it's ratings ahead of time, I think I have pretty good idea of whats going on. My school spends 2-3 days after we get our scores back telling us why we need to improve our perfect TAKS scores and now, we are already talking STAR even though, I am a junior who will not be taking it. They have told us, face to face that for the first few years those taking the STAR will pass unless they literally do nothing on the test so the state can understand how schools stand score wise (TAKS sets passing at 65, so the STAR could be higher or lower).

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by MDinTelfair

Let's be honest there are a lot of problems with the public education system today. The quality of the people that are teachers is NOT what it used to be when I was going to school. One reason teaching is usually a fallback major for many people who tried other major and either couldn't keep up with the material or basically could not hack it. Another reason is pay. I have yet to meet a Teacher that thinks they get paid enough. (I think FBISD for a new Teacher is $44,000. Most medical residents don’t make that.) Another problem is cronyism that takes places at the administrator level. NO Principal or Superintendent is worth what they are paid. Really if 50% of those positions were eliminated, would anyone notice? Put that money into a pool for real merit based pay for teachers. 99% of the Principals are lucky and get into a good gig that really adds no value to education. They signed up for this “union” where they protect their own. Look at the vast majority who make up the school boards. They are usually people in education vs. People in the community. The number of administrators in schools has increased by a greater percentage than the total population of students. Really the principal should be a big dude with a belt that whacks kids that get out of line….ooops that is not allowed. Because Some European study said that makes kids dumb. Really, I guarantee you just about everyone that had their butts beat for reason is better for it today. Pretty much all Asian parents still beat their kids butts today. Mine get it when they deserve it. There where time when my old man beat me that would be CPS material today on YouTube. I thank him for it now. Another thing is all the stupid tests that really do nothing. 50-60% of the students in many of the HISD elementary schools are taught in Spanish anyway. When I was in school English was the only choice. Many, many Asian Immigrants that did not speak a lick of English came to the US. In my experience many refugees from Vietnam came this way in the late. Today the vast majority are professionals or business owners. Education starts at home. Yes and people who have children that don’t value education and expect the schools to fix that problem. Really? What the success rate with that plan. Charter Schools. Now this is a master racket. They selectively choose who they want and when it looks like the failing kid is not doing well, some excuse or another and they are kicked out. Charter school will be the undoing of the public schools the way I see it. School should stop catering to the lowest common denominator. I don’t have all the answers and any, but as a parent I see what is wrong.

I agree with most of what you said. I don't think $50,000 a year is a fair salary for somebody who has a master's degree and 10 years experience. In elementary education most people did study to teach and are very, very dedicated. Also, there is a huge problem with merit-based pay. The class you have really goes a long way to determine the results you get. Many times (whether they are supposed to be or not) classes are groupled by ability or discipline. It would be completely unfair to the teachers who are given lower classes.

[350days]

Originally Posted by crone

If the good people of Texas could just get rid of all those low income minorities, it would be great.

People in Texas should get rid of the low lifes like you.

[crone]

Originally Posted by 350days

People in Texas should get rid of the low lifes like you.

The people in Texas need to get their heads out of their bottoms and realize they are being played. The soft bigotry of low expectations has captured this state. This new test will not improve anyone's understanding of the world and the good teachers know it.

They need an integrated curriculum and people who care what they are doing. The current object is to turn us into Idiocracy.
What we will get is more dumbing down where the victim and their parents get blamed. Most school administrators are very good at blaming parents and kids for their own failures. The educrats have had a hundred years to learn how to reach all kids. They like kids and parents who mind, and everyone else can drop out.

The plan is to make public education so bad that everybody will be begging for vouchers.

If you were offended by my remarks, search Klein Forest high school. I said what 90% of the C-Dposters and 95% of Texans believe. Did you see the icon? Recognizing sarcasm does not come easy to some people.

The students and taxpayers are pawns of real estate developers and Texas Association of superintendents.

Just because Dr. Leninger has not been in the headlines, does not mean he gave up. As soon as the suburban districts come close to minority majority you will see vouchers in Texas.

[MommiePreMed]

Originally Posted by Grateful2

Totally unnecessary. Why so negative, small minded, uninformed, and prejudice. for you!!

If STAR, TAKS, NCLB and every other government mandated education initiative, are forced upon students without extensive research that proves the something new is any better than the old.