By Tom
First the good news: Students in Washington State scored the highest in the nation last year on their SATs. While scores across the nation stayed flat, our students improved. We might have a crappy baseball team, but on something that actually matters, we're number one.
Now the bad news. The Seattle Times, which by default is the most widely read paper in the state, gives absolutely no credit for this impressive feat to the teachers. None whatsoever. Here, read it for yourself.
This after blaming teachers for everything that's bad about public education. Blaming them for the poor performance of students on state tests, Blaming them for obstruction to school reform. Blaming them for the need for school reform. You name it, teachers have been blamed for it.
Don't get me wrong; like The Times, I credit the students who actually took the SATs. They sat there with their pencils and answered the questions correctly. Good for them. And good for their parents for supporting them.
But for crying out loud, I want at least a little of that credit. Just a bit. Those kids learned how to write paragraphs from me. I taught them their multiplication tables. I taught them how to divide. How to subtract three-digit numbers with borrowing. I taught them how to listen, how to share glue. I taught them the water cycle. I taught them how to read.
So good for you, students. I'm glad you did well and I'm glad that you'll get into a good college. And I'm sure you know a third grade teacher or a middle school teacher or a high school teacher who helped you along the way.
It's just too bad that you're stuck reading a newspaper that doesn't know how to change its narrative in the face of data that doesn't support that narrative.
The funny thing about the article is that mentions increased “AP class enrollment” as one of the factors, but gee, who’s in that classroom?
Oh yeah, that’s right… teachers teach AP classes.
Hi Tom –
I was struck by your line about “the narrative.” Do you recall the keynote by Jennifer James at NSDC this summer? I’ve been holding on to that idea ever since. My latest blog post touches on the same idea “The Danger of a Single Story” – borrowed from novelist Chimamanda Adichie.
You’re far more charitable, or far less cynical than I am, Kristin. I interpreted “Credit Washington’s hard-won emphasis on classroom rigor” as a reference to the “fact” that the business community was able to prevail over the teachers’ union in getting the state to adopt high standards and high stakes tests.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see the positive comments on the Times website. Either this piece motivated a lot of teachers or the general public was as outraged as we were.
Have you read the comments after the piece? I usually ignore those because they can be so violent and ignorant, but a few people have pointed out that the piece ignores the teachers.
It’s a heartbreaking time to be a public school teacher and still find the heart to keep going. Even those of us who are for reform, for best practice, for high standards, for accountability are lumped in as being the problem simply because we teach in public schools. On top of the current swing against teachers we’re seeing students whose home lives are more troubled because of unemployment, homelessness, health issues they can’t pay for, and family abroad affected by war.
It’s hard to keep going right now. I hear you. But, we are still making a difference to the students. They know who taught them to write a paragraph or understand a tricky analogy – their parents and / or their teachers.
I did interpret their line, “Credit Washington’s hard-won emphasis on classroom rigor. The College Board, the nonprofit that administers the SAT, points to data showing students who take more challenging courses, such as Advanced Placement classes, do better on the SAT.” to be a nod towards the classroom, if not directly towards the teachers.
At the same time, I find it hard to imagine students performing worse and the Times publishing a piece holding students accountable for a poor performance.