I was going to write about the Tennessee online testing fiasco (TNReady…not), and then a teacher sent this to me. It is quite powerful, and eloquent. She wishes to remain anonymous, but wants her message to be seen. Please read and share:
Dear Tennessee Parent,
I am writing to express my heartfelt apology regarding your child’s education. You have put your trust in me this school year to ensure your children receive a quality education that meets their needs and helps them master the Tennessee state standards required to pass into the next grade. I am writing to all of you tonight to let you know that I have failed.
This year, teachers across the state were asked to buy into a new state standardized test called TNReady. This test would assess mastery of our new (common core-like) state standards. We were informed that the new testing platform would be a program called MIST, that it would incorporate technology, and make the students more college and career ready. We were told time and again that we needed to prepare our students for this new testing platform, because it would be ready come testing time in February.
About this time your children and I were becoming very close. We were getting to know each other as the year got started. I came to learn that many of them didn’t have access to a computer at home and were very unfamiliar with anything that wasn’t a tablet or smart phone. Typing was definitely not their strong suit. However, I was determined to make sure they would feel successful, so the test prep began. In the first few months we would visit the computer lab twice a month, then we increased it to once a week to make sure that the students were comfortable typing, using the testing platform, and simply using a computer for an extended period of time. In the weeks leading up to the test we practiced and prepared every day. Your children knew what was expected of them and how to tackle writing a response to what they read on the computer.
Then test day came….
Some students were nervous, of course, but most were confident. They spent most of their year being prepared for this. They were going to nail it! Until the program crashed after the first 20 minutes. Your children were patient and understanding as we scrambled to try to fix the problem. Come to find out, it is nothing we can fix.
That seems to be the theme of education today. It is out of the teacher’s hands. We are not trusted to educate children, no matter what degrees we have earned. We are told when and how to educate these kids and if we don’t follow suit, we don’t get a raise, we are moved to a different position, or we are simply asked to leave. This year, I followed the rules. I practiced and prepped so our kids could succeed on our computerized test. Then, after a huge letdown from the state via their MIST platform, I have been informed that your children will not be taking the test on the computer, but a paper/pencil version will be provided instead.
This is where I have failed your children. I cannot count the hours we spent practicing typing instead of doing science experiments, the minutes lost on learning how to navigate a worthless program instead of diving into books that will make children love reading, or the precious seconds I could have been showing your children the love and attention they deserve, but couldn’t because we had to take a practice test that day. This is where I have failed you, but the department of education has failed us both. So, I am here to say what they won’t say:
I’m sorry.
Sincerely,
A Tennessee Teacher
Beautifully written. Echoes the sentiments of thousands of us.
Originally from Chattanooga, I returned after having spent 30 teaching in Florida. We experienced the same last year. In fact, the math End of Course tests were to count 30% of EACH semester grade. Florida wound up nullifying the tests. There was so much pressure on teachers AND students to pass. What was so frustrating was the time spent studying and preparing were so excessive to have everything simply be devalued to nothing. Teacher evaluations were to have been tied to test results. They simply gave all a “proficient” rating. It really got my goat to be involved at the elementary level and see some students actually crying over the amount of testing they were having to endure as part of practicing for the real thing. RTT money has allowed states to force school systems to become harlots of the Federal government. Our local system in Florida chose to reject the money. However, the state prevailed. This letter is an excellent projection of why many would-be and newer teachers find it difficult to choose education as a profession.
Respectfully
Tim Davenport
And why many who’d planned to teach a few more years retired instead.
I’m not a teacher and can only imagine how frustrated they must feel.
I disagree that this in any way is this or any other teacher’s fault. This rests quite solidly at the feet of Governor Haslam. He has put forth a series of “improvements” to education that are anything but. If we as teachers were to run our class with the efficiency and effectiveness of the Governor’s last couple, then we would be fired, tenure laws or not. Anyone with a modicum of education experience and common sense can point out the giant list of flaws with the new “standards”, the testing system, and the direction the Governor wants education to go. He should take the hit for this disaster that he has put forth.
As a fellow teacher, I have to disagree. Governor Hallam may share a certain amount of blame, but the vast majority of blame belongs to the Department of Education and state and local education administrators who fancy they know more about how to educate students than teachers. (In total fairness, there are many in the “system” trying to keep it sane, but it is apparent they are woefully outnumbered.) The entire mission of Common Core–and derivatives such as are used in TN–undermines teachers and utterly fails to prepare kids for anything BUT taking a test. Many of these are your points, so we share this frustration. But the governor is simply responding to a national impetus as he sees fit. Again, I’m not saying he’s right, only that we needn’t pretend that this problem starts with him. Lets ‘s honest and brave enough to trace this snake to its nest: DoE.
This is not the Governor’s fault. BSim, didn’t you read the response from Tim Davenport who taught in Florida? This and similar scenarios are occurring all over the country. Governing bodies cannot prescribe for individual that they know nothing about. That is why in the letter by the ‘A Tennessee Teacher’ the 6th paragraph is the most important point. Teacher’s can no longer use their professional judgements to prescribe the best educational strategies for their classroom/students. We might as well have robots teaching the classes.
This is why I had to withdraw my children from the local school system, even TNVA the virtual academy run by the state was just as poor. They cut a lot of important lessons out to focus in on only what the TCAPS will be covering. Then the TCAPS were basically thrown out in part or full each year they took them due to errors in the system or whatever else was going on behind the scenes. My son and daughter were falling behind to a disturbing level and no amount of pleading with the younger teachers to help me help them get my kids caught up mattered.The good teachers are farther and fewer and are almost always the more experienced teachers who taught before these tests became what they are. Now we home school and our children are excelling in math, reading, science and other subjects. However, they have to miss out on having lots of friends and the wisdom experienced teachers could have shared with them.
If you really want to take a look at theses things and the way they have evolved, look back just 25 years ago. Test were given in a subject at the end of a chapter not daily. Teachers could teach a whole class of 21-28 on and individuals level. If one child needed extra things to keep their mind occupied and they learned things faster , the teacher could provide this. But I learned when my son was in school that it was going downhill when they told me that the teacher could not give him extra work to keep hi occupied and to stimulate his thirst for learning things ( he was a gifted child). That is when I knew the education system was falling into the rut with everything else and it was all just a matter of who had the money to get their version of education put in the system. Look at these other countries that still have an hour of recess a day, no testing the children to death, and let TEACHERS TEACH the children on how they see it needs to be done seeing as how they are the ones in a room with them for 8 hours a day. America in a whole needs to step back and look at what is going on around it.
I am a retired elementary teacher. I taught 30 years in Georgia, then five years in Hamilton County. I retired several years earlier than I had planned, because I could no longer continue teach in a way that I knew wasn’t right.
My heart goes out to the Tennessee teachers who have been put through this online testing fiasco. When I first heard of the plan, I was saddened because I know it isn’t developmentally appropriate to test young children using a computer. You aren’t getting the true picture of their academic progress because the amount of their experience with computers, typing skills, and the quality of computers factor into the scores.
People ask why teachers don’t speak up. The reason is that they are being told from the first days of inservice that they had better “be on board” with the changes and directives. Schools now have a climate of fear- not a climate of working together for the best of the students. Principals have lost the ability to make decisions for their school. They are afraid of the county administration. Teachers are in fear of the principals. We no longer can give ideas or speak up if something isn’t working. We are told over and over we had better ” be on board”. I was simply tired of ” being on board” with all the craziness.
Good teachers like yourself leave and what is left behind now is mostly new young teachers and principals. This method of doing things is literally all they know. They are not necessarily bad people but it becomes frustrating for parents who want their children to get a good education to deal with the newly brainwashed (or sadly in some cases no longer caring) masses.
I would like to say that I would qualify myself as a “new(er) teacher”. This is my 6th year teaching. I, however, would never qualify myself as “brain washed” or “no longer caring” as you have done. Truthfully, your response is heart-breaking to me. I am blessed to be in a school where my principal values me as a professional and an educator. I am blessed to be in a school where the reins are handed over to us to create our own curriculum. Developing strong lessons without the need of a manual or text book, making real life connections, and teaching in ways in which students are thirsting to learn more is what I love about my job. I am blessed to be in a very unique school with a very unique principal who stands up for what she believes is best for children and for educators. We did not go through 4+ years of schooling with minimal pay to be told by someone else (who may or may not have any classroom experience) what and how to teach our students. Trust me… it is not just the students who are deserving of so much more in our education system these days. Teachers thrive on creativity and the freedom of building a meaningful, connected, hands-on curriculum. Shame on you for placing us “new teachers” into the small box you did. And more-so… shame on the State for robbing us educators of what we most desired to come into the field for: to help students fall in love with learning and truly make a difference. I am proud to be a part of the amazing community of educators (most of whom are younger, “new” teachers) and administrators who refuse to teach to a test and strive every day (for endless hours) to meet each and every need of our students.
You have summed it up perfectly. I am in my 25th year and it is crazy and makes no sense . We can say something but it falls on deaf ears. Non of the Common Core and testing are on developmental levels for these children. Any educator who took child development in college knows this. The children are so frustrated,starting in 1st, where I have been teaching for 19 years, it hurts me. I am glad these children are now taking it on paper ,maybe they can feel better and relax and do better . I am sorry for all the stress that was brought on to all the teachers. These children and teachers can’t enjoy school because of all the testing. This is just my opinion of this situation.
My child is one who does not test well. He becomes so nervous, in fact, that he develops mouth ulcers and twitches around these weeks each year. It’s sad to watch.
I’m a teacher of 15 years, who resigned last May because of the state of our educational system, among other things. I was tired of being told how to teach in preparation for testing, rather than creating a love of learning, and having fun with my first grade students. I wish I could afford private education for my own children and am disgusted that they’ve gone through this whole ordeal. It is certainly not the teachers who are at fault.
So based on these comments, everyone needs to be involved and communicate to our state legislators that teachers should not be held accountable for test scores. The results of this test fiasco cannot possibly be valid or reliable enough to be used to judge a teacher’s job performance. Following the decision to set aside these scores, the state and local education boards need to seriously examine the current emphasis on testing over teaching. As a retired educator with 31 years of experience, I am dismayed over the trend of ignoring the real role of the teacher as an educator, supporter, leader, and expert in teaching.
Gov. Haslam outsourcing this and no one is responsible for the error. Isn’t outsourcing wonderful? No one held accountable.
We try to solve so many social problems by throwing another bureaucracy, and hence tax dollars, at the problem! More bureaucracy, which always entails more rules and regulations, does not solve most problems. It makes the problems worse and further limits tax dollars that could be used for, yes, productive purposes.
My granddaughter teaches at a public school in Nashville. The school system does not have enough money to provide books for all students. If my memory is correct, less than half of the students in her class have books. Re-read that sentence and think of its implications. This is NOT an environment for learning, it’s a crematorium for learning!
You are in the position of many teachers. Feeling bad because you are made to follow practices that you don’t believe in. Practices that take time away from teaching. Sometimes practices that are not developmentally appropriate. The only choice you really have is to do it or to leave teaching. That is hard because I’m sure you love your work and your students. There isn’t a good solution. Maybe if enough teachers speak out as you are doing it will make a difference. Thank you for your letter.
This is disgraceful. Tn students need to learn & not how to take test.As adults how many many of us have learned to do our jobs by learning how to take a test. The test is if we can do our jobs not some pen & paper measure. How many of us as adults have been inspired by a teacher in so many varied ways(influence, encouragement, by example, etc)& been given a love of learning throughout our lives as opposed to learning how to take a test. Tn is a poor state & as somebody pointed out not every student has access to a computer & keyboarding skills.
I am not sure how I began to read this posting and the comments. It Made me discouraged since I have four great grandchildren. Most of posting was listing problems. I am no expert in education but spent 45 years with children and parents. My suggestions are: parents visit your child’s school, do a job for the school, help with your child’s homework, attend an occasional school board meeting, read daily to your children, congratulate child/teacher/anyone who does their job well. Grand parents, assist your grown children in the above time consuming jobs. All tax payers, determine how your taxes are spent and contribute your suggestions patiently but repeadily. I wish I had done more of the above. Retrospection is clearer and easier than prospection.
Wow! Well said! I am sharing this on FB even though I live out of state. I have friends that teach in two other states that have been in very similar situations
Good Teachers are not failing the students; the pitiful system that has evolved across this country is failing the kids.This message that you have expressed in your letter needs to be said, but, I doubt if the high paid central office people will listen or care. Thank you for this message. The federal gov’t, and now the state gov’t, have fallen into the mindset that mediocrity, or less, is acceptable. SHAME – SHAME !! We need more Teachers like this one, who, due to possibly being fired for telling the truth, , cannot even list her name. BUT, I appreciate her for stepping forward.
This is a beautiful letter and right on point. I and all of my fellow teachers have spent countless hours preparing for a test instead of teaching our students. Its horrible what they have done to teaching and to our wonderful students who are just a pawn in this horrible game of testing!!! Let’s evaluate the MIST people and the people who think testing online is a great idea. I bet they get all 1’s!
Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. In area after area – crime, education, housing, race relations – the situation has gotten worse after the bright new theories were put into operation. The amazing thing is that this history of failure and disaster has neither discouraged the social engineers nor discredited them. – Thomas Sowell
The government doesn’t want critical thinkers in society. Smart people are harder to control. They want rows of obedient unthinking worker units. For the rich owners of the companies that utilize these worker units, well, their wild profits allow them to send their kids to private schools and receive good liberal educations.
I don’t see why so many people are complaining about the “Common Core” method of teaching math! To me, it makes a lot of sense when you think about.
Now look: suppose a child is given the addition problem of 34,974 + 23,292. Under the old and very ineffective method or teaching, we would usually start out by thinking 2+4 =6 (for the last 2 digits).
Now under Common Core, we would take the top number (34,974) and divide it by the square of the average distance in astronomical units between Neptune and Saturn.
It’s easy so far, right?
After you take the Neptune-Saturn distance you multiply it by 3.41879 and then get the square root of THAT answer which, of course is the answer of the original problem.
People, we need to agree that what the leaders in each state education offices know what they are doing.
They are, after all, highly educated and know what is best for us!