“Testing has become a perversion of the original intent.”— Former Texas Education Commissioner, Robert Scott at the 2012 Texas Association of School Administrators Mid-Winter Conference general session in Austin, Texas
Never have an education commissioner’s words become so meaningful for educators. Since those words were spoken nearly a year ago, Commissioner Scott resigned his post and left the Texas Education Agency behind to work though some of the most significant issues facing education in several years. In fact, many of the points of his speech are seemingly prophetic when considering recent happenings in Texas education. At that January session, former Commissioner Scott suggested:
- “Testing has become a perversion of the original intent.”
- Educational Service Centers are in remarkable shape; however, they have not been realigned in over 40 years. It’s time to look at population shifts.
- A desire to waive the 15% STAAR EOC requirement, although he did he not have the statutory authority to change it.
- Texas would rank in the top 10 in graduation rates.
- The need to develop a better school accountability system.
I was fortunate to hear these words from the commissioner first hand. I heard the cheers, claps, and ovations when the commissioner stated to the crowd of superintendents, administrators, district leaders, and principals the most obvious concerns for education in this state. These are the very issues that challenge and motivate these leaders to move our students forward. I would even venture to guess that much of his speech and vision for Texas education might have ultimately led to his departure as commissioner.
Commissioner Scott never intended to begin a nationwide debate about high-stakes testing – and why would he? The Texas Education Agency commissioner is appointed by a politician. Politicians have political agendas that must be adhered to. The state of Texas pays test developer Pearson $468 million for services related to standardized testing. Within that lucrative five-year contract, which runs through the 2015 school year, it’s easy to assume there is political motivation that has led the significant increase in testing over the last decade.
Instead, Commissioner Scott took a bold move: he spoke the truth. Whatever led him to that place, he bravely took politics out of education – if even for a moment. He took a realistic lens to the challenges facing Texas’ public education system. He put politics aside and put the needs of Texas and its students first. He put those needs ahead of multi-million dollar testing contracts, presidential candidacies, and political double-speak.
Unfortunately, the fallout from that speech was a variety of interpretations designed to advance more political agendas. And sadly, few of those agenda-driven detractors share Commissioner Scott’s purpose of putting Texas and its students first. To be clear – there is a war being waged on public education in Texas, and it is politically motivated. It comes from a variety of fronts – those that support vouchers or so-called “school choice;” profiteers that are more interested in garnering government contracts or charter cash cows than educating students; and even those that seek to promote their religious or political ideologies.
For example, “education advocate” Donna Garner recently used the commissioner’s speech to once again promote her anachronistic “Type 1” philosophy of education, which happens to closely resemble the widely panned education platform of the 2012 Texas Republican Party. According to Garner, “Type 1” education includes “knowledge-based, academic, clearly worded, grade-level-specific content that is tested largely through objectively scored tests — These standards are built from K through Grade 12 and are taught mostly through direct, systematic instruction. The new TEKS and STAAR/End-of-Course tests are Type #1.”
Self-proclaimed advocates such as Ms. Garner are those that dismiss “Type 2” education that is “project-based” and emphasizes “multiculturalism, political correctness, environmental extremism, diversity, social justice agenda.” These activists fear the more modern and widely accepted “Type 2: learning as promoting “Obama’s social justice agenda.”
Inane and unfounded ramblings, such as those presented by Ms. Garner, are a clear example of political agendas permeating education. Unfortunately, fringe educational theory espoused by such radical elements are impacting and tainting the image of public education in Texas. (Ahh… the unintended consequences of free speech.) It is time for educators to speak up against the agenda-driven attacks that take aim at the public education system. The education system has enough challenges without the noise added by those promoting ideology and political agendas. Such musings are not research-based and are without merit in the education community. As a professional that has spent the last 15 years in a public school environment, let me lay out simply and clearly for the fringe education detractors – there is not an agenda to indoctrinate children.
Instead of recognizing that our state is moving in the right directions in education with an improved accountability system (one that does not punish a school or districts for its most struggling demographic), and an improved testing design, ideologues such as Garner choose to disparage educational leaders to promote political platitudes.
I challenge fringe advocates and ideologues (and sadly that group includes many of our legislators) to visit their local school. Set foot in a classroom. Observe. See first-hand the changing faces of Texas students. We have more Hispanic students than ever before, more English Language Learners (and not just Spanish), and more students for fewer teachers. Our classrooms are diverse and changing, and our education and practices must change as well. Our students need small group instruction, the best practices of instructional strategies, strong guided reading and balanced literacy, opportunities to discuss their learning with others, processing time, anchor charts, and teachers to facilitate their learning. They do not need the lecturers of days past.
And teachers are meeting that challenge. Teachers are creating more engaging and challenge lessons than were taught 20-30 years ago. Teachers are stretching out a complicated curriculum and moving students forward in several subjects a day; not just the traditional 3-Rs. Teachers are collaborating, using technology, analyzing data, and using social media to exchange ideas an improve instruction and promote critical thinking.
Most importantly, our students need critical thinking skills to process learning that is required for the 21st century and we need to discard the archaic, rote memorization strategies of the 20th century. As I tell my teachers, we need to start asking our students, “Why Austin is the capital of Texas?” instead of just asking our students “What is the capital of Texas?”
Why these people are against that is beyond me. How is that for critical thinking?
To public education supporters: the time is long past that we can ignore the radicals pushing their agendas into our classrooms. Speak out against these attacks. Educate the attackers and those that hear their messages. Don’t stand idly by and allow politics to enter the school system.
To those pushing ideology and politics into the classroom: Texas is different. Texas classrooms are changing. And for the better. The antiquated educational theories you espouse no longer have a place in modern classrooms. And political and ideological agendas have never and will never have a place in the classroom. To the so-called education advocates attacking educational progress, please take a page from Commissioner Scott. It’s time to put ideology and politics aside to do what’s best for Texas’ students.
Related articles
- Two Editorials: Sandy Kress Vs. Thomas Ratliff (educationviews.org)
- North Texas classrooms getting crowded as districts seek waivers (star-telegram.com)
- Education commissioner faces legislative test (mysanantonio.com)
What about the SAT and ACT? The test that colleges look at. No college asks for you TAKS scores. Employers don’t ask for this. The politicians have no clue that teaching has been destroyed from this accountability system. You know the tests that is the only thing you can worry about. There is no teaching outside the box. It is terrible. Education is moving backwards instead of forwards. We can not challenge our students. All we can do is test them over and over again. It’s sad and HAS to change!
In the “political climate” of education, everyone has an opinion.
–Dr. Burkett, I get the feeling that you are a Type 2 advocate and Mrs. Garner is a Type 1 advocate.
–You referenced Donna Garner. “To once again promote her anachronistic “Type 1” philosophy of education. According to Garner, “Type 1” education includes “knowledge-based, academic, clearly worded, grade-level-specific content that is tested largely through objectively scored tests — These standards are built from K through Grade 12 and are taught mostly through direct, systematic instruction. The new TEKS and STAAR/End-of-Course tests are Type #1.”
–Apparently, you feel that her Type 1 approach to education is archaic and that she has a political agenda. I could argue the point that since you think Type 2 is better, then maybe you have a political agenda as well.
–You go onto to tell your readers to challenge those “radicals” who are attacking our education system. So, as a reader, I assume you want me to challenge Mrs. Garner.
–You go on to state what Mrs. Garner says is Type 2. Self-proclaimed advocates such as Ms. Garner are those that dismiss “Type 2” education that is “project-based” and emphasizes “multiculturalism, political correctness, environmental extremism, diversity, social justice agenda.” These activists fear the more modern and widely accepted Type 2: learning as promoting “Obama’s social justice agenda.”
–Well, if you read the Common Core standards, it does indeed sound like what the government would like to have in place. I don’t know if it is an Obama Social Justice Agenda. However, if Obama believes in these ideas and he is pushing this concept forward, it naturally would appear that he does think and feel this way. Or at least, he has people who work under him who push this idea.
– I seem to remember that there are 5 states who are not using Common Core standards. One of those is Texas. I believe Texas chose to adopt TEKS that appear to be Type 1.
–You are referencing Type 2 when you reference in your article that in order for students to move forward, we need ” Our students need small group instruction, the best practices of instructional strategies, strong guided reading and balanced literacy, opportunities to discuss their learning with others, processing time, anchor charts, and teachers to facilitate their learning. They do not need the lecturers of days past.”
You spend a great deal of time in your article trying to give the reader the impression that Mrs. Garner is an archaic out of touch idealogue.
-What exactly do you want me to challenge her on. Challenge her because you don’t like that she is Type 1 or that she is correct in what Type 1 instruction is. Challenge her because EOC/STAAR tests are Type 1? Challenge her because she thinks that if you have Type 1 TEKS and Type 1 Testing that you should have Type 1 instruction in the classroom?
Are you asking me to challenge her because you don’t like her opinion on education and that she is using Commissioner Scott to further her agenda?
Aren’t you doing the same thing with your article?
As a teacher of 30 years and a spouse teaching 25 years in West Texas, I’ve seen education change tremendously. Some for the better. Much not so good.
Common curriculum across the state is better. The rest, not so good.
After all the Teams, Taas, and Taks testing, why is the community still complaining that graduates are still not ready for the workforce? Why are there still so many drop outs?
35,000 a year in Texas alone!
How much money has been spent on testing? Pearson has been given an obscene amount of money to develop the tests at the same time the state is cutting funds to school districts. Add that to the funds the school districts, schools and teachers spend on test preparation and you have a colossal amount of money.
Imagine how that money could have been spent! State of the art schools, ipads and computers for all students, small group instruction, experts to teach, small classes, all the materials a teacher needs, instructional aids in all the classrooms, field trips, grants for all students to further their education, no more school fundraisers, and on and on.
Why do we insist that all students can learn the same amount, at the same level, at the same time? Why do we think that teaching in a “box” is better?
It sounds like the “powers that be” don’t really want a free thinking citizenry. Just a group of test takers that will follow mindlessly.
Most kids don’t like school, don’t feel challenged, or feel lost and frustrated.
These kids are smart. No matter what economic level, they can adapt to increasingly more complicated, fast changing technology. Yet they can’t multiply 6×8 in 6th grade, have trouble passing the Taks test the first time or end up dropping out.
Because of the high stakes testing, teachers are teaching less not more. It scares me that the people who control the educational systems never set foot in a classroom and never teach.
Testing does not improve education. If you don’t believe me, look at Finland’s educational system.
I wholeheartedly agree with Angela. These kids are benchmarked and tested to death. amazing how much money is spent on testing and they cut teachers and other programs from schools. We can definitely say that kids know how to take a test.
As a veteran teacher in Florida, where Jeb Bush began his own educational profiteering by squashing the creativity out of the minds of a generation of our precious children, I feel your pain. Keep calm and Teach on!