Schools get their report cards - Gilford passes
It looks like Gilford's system is working! The dreaded NCLB yearly reports came out and the summary report on the Elementary, Middle School, and High School came out alright. I think parents out to look at the summary reports for the schools (here) and review for themselves how they believe each school is working with respect to their expectations and how they think that the school is meeting their childrens' needs.
However, at the district and school levels, Gilford did do better than some of the surrounding areas.
Districts in need of improvement:
- Alton
- Gilmanton
- Laconia
- Winnisquam Regional
However, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I noticed how many kids in each were below Proficient with respect to skill levels. As a lay person, I take the word "proficient" to mean "meets minimum standards". Now, I am open to be corrected by those that know more than I with respect to the technical definition of proficient, but it still tells me more work is to be done. That said, the percentage of kids below Proficient is troubling.
I would also be remiss, since I posted about WRSD here and here, if I didn't mention the article in the Daily Sun about WRSD.
You know, if I was buying a product that I could not get anywhere else but the quality was not up to my standards, and I was going to be charged more for it, I'd be a tad ticked. In effect, that seems to be what almost happened to taxpayers of of the Winnisquam SAU.
Private sector? The vast majority of the time time, the mantra is improved quality at lower cost. Or lose the job as consumers can go elsewhere. And routinely, one puts in the time needed to get the job done whether you own the business or you work for the business. You have to keep your skills up (sometimes by the employer and a lot of times not) or find yourself replaced. That's the effect of globalization - there is no choice.
That's why this rubbed me the wrong way. From the Daily Sun:
Meanwhile Brenda Lawrence, president of the local teachers union called the Winnisquam Teachers Association, said she and her fellow faculty members were buoyed about the generally upward trend of scores across the district.
It is always nice to see success, even if at times, in what some might consider small victories. And that is goodness.
...we're making steps towards the ultimate goal, which is to be district without any Schools in Need of Improvement".
Which I, and probably most parents and taxpayers, expect as a minimum. Perfection? No, but meeting expectations? Meeting standards? That is accountability.
Lawrence said the results also point out that when voters turned down a proposed pay raise for teachers at last week's Special school District meeting they did not comprehend the whole picture.
I keep hearing this same mantra over and over again from those that lose elections. How come those that lose hardly ever say "hey, maybe we screwed up...maybe we have to be better and show better"? And at this point, it cannot be all laid at the feet of the "quality" of the kids in the classes. I know that there is variability (heck, most of us have been in "good" classes as well as the "monster" ones), but with the passage of four years, the teachers must step up to the plate and acknowledge their role in not meeting standards.
I believe that the citizens did understand and did comprehend the picture - they just didn't agree that the School Board rated a pass for not doing their job multiple times in a row. Being taken over by the State may well have played a role too!
Why pay more to those that are not meeting expected standards? Show a good product and I believe that people will pay for a quality service / product, sometimes a lot more. However, people hate paying for those things that don't.
"I think the public is misinformed, so our (the union's) goal this year is to help the public understand what's involved and what the job of a teacher is like, what we do to help students," she said.
Do I know the specifics, every nitty-gritty, of teaching kids? No, but I do know quite a bit about creating and deliverying highly technical materials to adults - I've done it for years professionally so I may know better than most. I've even taught at the college level. But I believe that most people do have a really good grasp of the overall teaching process.....one doesn't sit in a class for at least 12 years and not pick a few things up.
"We analyze test scores, we do evaluations, we adopt lessons to meet each student's need... And all those hours, we're not paid for. People are taking extra courses and taking a lot of different active workshops to help analysis test scores - and that's all on our time."
You know something - that's the job. That's what you signed up for and if you have been in the business for a while, you know the expectations. And it is a business, or teachers would be doing it for free. Hey, I don't write code for free even though I love doing so - it is a business too! I'm held to a given expectation that I can solve my customers problems with creative solutions and that my code works. In other words, I have to produce a positive outcome, or move on to something else. I study on my own time and take part in "stuff" (outside of work) for skill building and do a lot of "traveling" on my free time to boot.
Most of us do the same thing as you, Ms. Lawrence.....stop trying to hit us over the head with it. It is rather irritating.
