I am a third grade teacher at a Title-1 School and the
parent of a third grader. I ask that you
take time to think about how families and students in our state will be best
represented. Is taking a parent’s voice
away, silencing a teacher, or treating a third grader like a test score the
best way to represent and serve them?
I’m not sure what the house is thinking, but this testing
stuff is madness! I know people like to think that teachers aren’t doing their
jobs..and if we were we wouldn’t be afraid of how our students would score on
the test. Let me tell you a little bit about my students. I have
more than one student who has been diagnosed with ADHD (and it’s the real deal,
not a made up excuse for bad behavior), another student who was diagnosed with
autism just this year, a boy who is very smart but spends most of his time worrying
if his mother is going to be in or out of jail, a girl who lives with her aunt
because her mom just got out of jail and hasn’t been able to find a job, at
least 2 students who speak fluent Spanish and while their English is good they
have limited understanding of certain vocabulary. I could go on, but you
get the picture. Imagine yourself in their shoes…is it possible that you
might have a bad day, a day when you just can’t focus…is it possible that maybe
some of these kids just aren’t test takers? Do we really need to base their
future on one test? Yes, there are exemptions but those exemptions don’t always
apply. Currently a student on an IEP can be retained if they score
unsatisfactory, but at least under the current law there are certain exemptions
that apply; such as benchmarking on DIBELS Testing, or a team/committee
decision…under SB 630 the
committee will go away and to my knowledge the second form of testing might go
away as well. These kids deserve better, they are individuals with individual
needs.
In the days
leading up to the test I asked my students to write about how they were feeling
about the test and also asked them to tell me about anything that might keep
them from doing their best on the test. Some of my students felt confident
and prepared, but many were fearful of failing, one student wrote that they
would kill themselves if they didn’t pass (I spoke with the student before and
after the test and they are feeling better about things, but the fact that a 3rd
grader would have these thought even for a minute is unacceptable). One
boy wrote “I can’t concentrate because my parents are getting a divorce”,
another student was worried about his brother who was in the hospital because
of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. I could go on, but thinking
about those letters makes me sick.
I’m not sure
that legislators understand what they are doing to education. These laws
are causing many to view students as test scores, this makes me physically ill,
but I see how it happens. Schools are judged on test performance, and
many teachers and administrators don’t want to be associated with low
performing students or schools. Most people would agree that “teaching to
the test” is not appropriate, but making everything hinge on one test is in
direct conflict with that belief.
The test is a
waste!! I don’t know how to explain to you the amount of time that is wasted
preparing for and taking the state test. As soon as students start 3rd
grade (at Title 1 schools) we begin targeting students who will need extra help
to pass the test. After Christmas we begin hard core test prep and the
closer the test comes it intensifies. We spend 2 mornings a week, for 2 weeks
testing…and that’s just 3rd grade. If you take into account
all testing grades and the time it takes to test students on IEP’s and makeup
tests…my school has been testing for a month. When one grade is testing
it affects the schedule of the entire school, students are required to eat
lunch in silence so that none of the testing grades are disturbed…It’s insane!
I’m sure you’re
aware that there is a teacher shortage and yes part of it is the fact that
teachers don’t get paid enough (but I won’t even go there); there are teachers
leaving the profession because they can’t stomach what has happened to
public education. If you look at the elementary job postings the majority
are for testing grades. Teachers aren’t lazy, they want to teach kids,
they want to do what’s right for kids, and they know that all of this testing
is WRONG!! There are teachers who are afraid to teach 3rd
grade at a Title-1 School, because they’re afraid of how low test scores will
reflect on them as a teacher. If we want the best teachers to teach at
Title-1 Schools, we have to stop penalizing them and their students!!!
For the record,
I care about my students way more than I care about their test score.
Their test score matters to me, because I know it will affect them…and the way
things are going with SB 630 it will affect them even more next year.
Mess with me if you must…but don’t mess with kids!! I am currently debating
whether I can continue teaching 3rd grade, not because I don’t love
3rd graders, but because I don’t believe in what I have to do
because of the test.
It is with
great conviction that I ask you to give parents, teachers, and administrators a
voice. Say no to SB 630.
Jennifer
Seitsinger
3rd
Grade Teacher
