tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7622016008041794322024-03-05T20:52:55.841-08:00Betrayed - Why Public Education Is FailingBetrayed is designed to inform the public about critical education issues affecting students, teachers, community members, and the country. Site author Laurie Rogers, wlroge@comcast.net, also is the author of <i>Betrayed: How the Education Establishment Has Betrayed America and What You Can Do About It</i> (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2011).
Please help parents and teachers take back the classroom from those who have stolen it.
Write to Laurie Rogers at wlroge@comcast.net.Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-9095467176226381872014-09-25T14:36:00.004-07:002014-09-26T05:44:35.546-07:00Reframing the Common Core discussion: A battle for our freedom<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Laurie H. Rogers<br /><br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“To learn who rules over you, simply find
out who you are not allowed to criticize.”</i> – Voltaire<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The further a society drifts from the
truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.”</i> – George Orwell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />If I were to build a list of the worst systemic problems in public education, the
Common Core State Standards would not be at the top of the list. The Common
Core (CCSS) is a huge problem, to be sure. It’s dictatorial, inadequate, experimental,
expensive, developmentally inappropriate, politically infused – it’s nearly everything
critics have said it is. But it isn’t the worst problem we face.<br />
<br />
That dishonor goes to The Network, a moniker I’ve given to the conglomeration
of corporate and government interests (and their allies) that have seized
control of America’s classrooms. The Network is huge – containing most of the
K-12 education mob, plus its allies in the Department of Education; colleges of
education; unions; media; government agencies, associations and legal teams;
foundations; corporations; legislatures; fundraising groups; colleges and
universities; business; and even the courts. <br />
<br />
The Network prefers to operate quietly, promoting supposedly good intentions.
Its hallmark phrase: “It’s all about the kids.” But try opposing The Network on
behalf of a child – yours or anyone else’s. If you can’t be put off, persuaded,
ignored, bullied or bought out, The Network has no problem getting nasty. The
more honest and honorable you are, the nastier The Network becomes.<br />
<br />
This isn’t about left or right, Democrat or Republican. It’s about “in” and “out”;
money and power; agenda and ideology. The Network spends a lot of taxpayer money
growing itself, feeding itself and shielding itself from accountability. The
bigger it is, the more power it has. The more power it has, the more friends it
gains. The more friends it gains, the more money it gets. The more money it gets,
the bigger it grows – even as it completely fails our children. Allies of all
stripes play along. <br />
<br />
In Washington State, legislators and judges now tout the additional billions
they’ll rip from taxpayers for failed school districts. They don’t say how much
is spent currently or what it buys. They don’t hold districts accountable.
Education already is a bottomless pit of wasted dollars; they don’t seem to care.<br />
<br />
Parents must understand: The Network will never properly educate our children. A)
It doesn’t know how. Its power structure has lost any sense of how to teach
academics sufficiently, efficiently and effectively. B) It doesn’t care. The agenda
is to gain money and power; push a particular political view onto the next
generation; maintain position and income; and avoid accountability and
transparency. Some allies work agreeably with The Network; others accept the
benefits of looking the other way. <br />
<br />
This is how we were stuck with the CCSS. They claim it will raise the bar and
foster international competitiveness, but unless they mean to foster
competitiveness IN our competitors, their claim is easily disproved by a comparison
of what they’ve done versus what happens in the classrooms of our competitors. The
CCSS is designed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to deliver the agenda</i>
in such a way that it cannot be overcome.<br />
<br />
The Network wants freedom, choices and privacy <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for itself</i></b>, not for us. If
it’s successful, it will have replaced the light constraints of a free people with
the ropes and chains of the subjugated. To have what it wants in education, The
Network must have it all – K-12, secondary education, early learning, preschools,
private and faith-based schools – and someday – mark my words – homeschooling.
Dissenters spend time and energy fighting off the CCSS but almost none fighting
off The Network. Thus, they can’t defeat the agenda, and The Network knows it.<br />
<br />
A few in The Network believe they’re doing right by children, but most deceive
themselves and us about their level of independence -- as they accept money,
votes or benefits or do The Network’s bidding. You can establish who’s “in” by:
following the money; speaking up publicly; or asking for help in opposing the
agenda. The players and sycophants will undermine your message or crush it.<br />
<br />
The Network will not tell the truth about the CCSS, for example. It was
destined to be authoritarian and politically useful – not academically
excellent. Nationalizing systems can work well for widgets, but not for
children, learning, individuality or freedom. Politically biased, uninformed by
what works elsewhere, and academically counterproductive, the CCSS is a
national experiment on children and dangerous to the nation. The people who
control it and push it aren’t accountable for it. It’s a lesser product than
what many states had. It was deceitful from its inception in its adoption,
writing, content, promotion and implementation. This was a bipartisan deceit –
Republicans are as guilty as Democrats.<br />
<br />
The CCSS is a godsend for district leaders, however. Many lack the knowledge
necessary to identify a solid curriculum. They habitually adopt programs that
are unproved or proved to be failures. The failures of the CCSS won’t be known
for generations, so they’ll have lots of time to retire in comfort. <br />
<br />
In math, the CCSS is cementing processes proved over three decades to be
failures. Nationalization of education is how extreme constructivists plan to
ultimately win the “math wars” – by using the CCSS to mandate their stupid
methods across the country. They will destroy more generations of students and
further endanger the country.<br />
<br />
In English, the CCSS is allowing districts to eliminate great literature,
replacing it with “informational” (pro-government, pro-extremist) material. Much
of the history, culture, context, and factual information that would help to inform
a student’s “critical thinking” has been or is being removed or minimized. Ray
Bradbury, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fahrenheit 451</i>, once
presciently noted: “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get
people to stop reading them.” The CCSS is doing that.<br />
<br />
In history and civics, the new themes are content-light and opinion-heavy,
pro-victimization, anti-Christian and anti-patriot. America is to be portrayed
as bigoted, imperialistic, genocidal, misogynistic and anti-immigrant. Great
historical figures and much daring and innovative history are to be eliminated,
criticized or minimized. (This is what happens when those who view America with
contempt are given free reign over academic standards.)<br />
<br />
If the CCSS was ever about helping students academically, its promoters would
have had proof of its efficacy – a track record of success. They don’t have it.
The CCSS is an unproved product. Unfortunately, as bad as it is, the CCSS is just
one tentacle of the monster. The Network remains largely hidden as its agenda oozes
out around us, like a nasty sludge. It’s difficult to confront and defeat what
we can’t see. It’s an ongoing challenge to explain this to people who would
rather not believe it.<br />
<br />
Another tentacle is the privacy-destroying longitudinal data systems. Another
is the flawed testing, all online. Another is teacher evaluations, based on the
faulty premise that good teachers can overcome bad curriculum, policy and administration.
Another is the de facto federal takeover, now seeping into private schools,
preschools, daycares and colleges. Another is the creepy technology: emails for
children (that disallow parental access); scanning of driver’s licenses; and biometric
intrusions on children.<br />
<br />
We try to put all of this under the umbrella of the CCSS, and we can’t, because
the CCSS is not the umbrella. We struggle because we’re missing the point.
These are tentacles of the same monster. They’re separate – related but
independent. It’s fascist, it’s corporatist, it’s dictatorial, selfish,
larcenous... Call it what you like, but The Network is in charge and not
accountable to anyone.<br />
<br />
This is how national tyrannies are born. <br />
<br />
The Network’s strengths are in its size, money, and near-sociopathic ability and
willingness to lie on a daily basis and with impunity. It benefits from our
ignorance and passivity. It’s easy, safe and pleasant for us to believe that government/corporate
“partnerships” are benevolent and that the government is still on our side. We
are failing to recognize our new reality.<br />
<br />
It’s almost too late. The Network now determines problems, makes decisions and
provides solutions. It essentially has oversight over itself, and it’s rapidly
gaining power over the rest of us. It cares less about the children or our
rights than it does about protecting its interests. The finer details of the content
of the CCSS were always immaterial – a distraction. The CCSS will be whatever
The Network wants it to be. The goal was that we lose our power as individuals.
Graduates won’t know they’ve been manipulated. The Network wants to
be the decider; we are to be the obeyers. Hop to it.<br />
<br />
It’s risky to draw this picture for the public. Network allies will kick into
gear to mock and undermine the message. Since 2009, I’ve watched this come to
fruition, hearing lie after lie about it, even as the dark truth blossomed
right there in front of our face. We asked for help from legislators, board directors,
government watchdogs, and the media -- only to find out that most are part of The
Network.<br />
<br />
Sometimes a conspiracy “theory” isn’t a theory.<br />
<br />
Fighting it off requires a certain mindset about freedom, knowledge, the law,
the Constitution, and individuality – hence The Network’s attacks on those
things. The Network is self-regenerating, with a long institutional memory. If
it loses a tentacle to a determined group of dissenters, it grows another and renames
it. In math, it can be Outcome-Based Education; New Math; Reform Math;
inquiry-based math; student-centered learning; or constructivism. If a state rejects
the CCSS, The Network can keep it in place under a different name. The Network
isn’t worried. It intends to win. For the kiddoes, of course.<br />
<br />
This is grim, so I hate to leave it here. This is America, and in America, it’s
never over. But we’re now in a battle for our freedom, and most of us appear to
not know it. It isn’t going to be a walk in the daffodils. The battle cannot be
won by a few of us while the rest wait to hear how it went.<br />
<br />
More citizens must become motivated, questioning, informed and involved. We
must learn, vote, dissent, and inform others (including the few in The Network
who will listen). We must stop supporting powerful people who demand that we
acquiesce to The Network. We must vote against legislators who vote for The
Network. We must walk away from schools run by well-heeled administrators and
board directors who express solemn concern over students they never actually
help. The Network prefers that we remain uninformed and obedient. As we wait in
vain for it to do the right thing for our children, it advances the agenda. It’s
symbiotic to itself but parasitic to the rest of us.<br />
<br />
Americans have been asleep for too long. This battle is necessary to our
children’s future as free Americans. If we don’t save them now from The
Network, we risk losing them to it forever.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note: This information is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </span></strong><br /><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Rogers, L. (September 2014). "Reframing the Common Core: A battle for our freedom." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></a></strong></span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-45142941465715259502014-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:002014-09-10T17:47:31.559-07:00What Does a Quality Textbook Look Like?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Nakonia (Niki) Hayes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(Previously published on <a href="http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/what-does-a-quality-textbook-look-like/">Truth in American Education</a>. Republished here with permission from the author.)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s an interesting new concern being voiced by Common Core leaders: “What does a quality textbook look like?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s a non-nuanced, concrete answer, especially for mathematics textbooks: “It gets results and doesn’t chase kids out of math.” And, yes, such textbooks do exist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s not surprising that the issue of quality textbooks has come up with Common Core. After all, textbook publishing is a multi-billion dollar industry. The federally-supported mathematics and English Core standards will drive 85% of a school’s curricula and 100% of the related assessments in about 40 states. The creation of new Core-aligned materials that prepare students for the Core-aligned assessments is already making a rich impact on publishing businesses, vendors, and peripheral activities (teacher training, consultants, etc.). So much has to be rewritten or at least republished with the words “Common Core Aligned” on the cover. Old materials must be thrown away. New materials have to be bought. Lots of profit is on the horizon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The major problem for publishers, however, is actually in mathematics education. They must figure out how to get good, reliable, and verifiable results from American children who have become math phobic over the past 50 years. That means publishers need to listen to authors who have a </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>proven</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> success record and not to ideologically-driven math education leaders who have for years promoted fads with political correctness as the purpose of math education. It will be hard—and expensive—to cut the cord between publishers and embedded education “leaders” if quality textbooks are to be created. Profits may suffer at the beginning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />But here is a checklist for publishers, administrators, teachers, and parents to consider about math textbooks:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />1) Look for </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>results</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, not ideology. </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is about student success, not affirming adult beliefs.</i><br />
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Results are reflected in GPAs, End-of-Course exams, state tests, national tests, and/or college board exams.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Local comments from students, teachers, and parents give anecdotal but often powerful insight. (Surveys are especially interesting when high school students are asked about their elementary and middle school classes.)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Specific studies commissioned by the author(s) or publishers show results.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">School districts or schools with similar demographics that have used the textbook should be contacted. This information can be supplied by the publisher.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) The <b><i>author </i></b>(not “consultants” or “advisors”) who actually wrote the textbook is named, preferably on the cover. This also helps provide accountability.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If no authors are listed, the book has been created by workers in publishing “development houses.” This can and probably does provide lack of continuity, different writing styles throughout the book (and supplemental materials), and thus incoherency which decrease clarity of the lessons and affect student responses. This also erases responsibility for the publisher.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) Actual examples of internationally-based problems (not simply referenced in “studies” by education researchers) are offered for review by the publisher if the textbook is listed as Common Core-aligned, since it is touted that Core standards are internationally based.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />4) The teacher’s manual does not consist of 1,000 pages for 180 days of instruction.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One afternoon of teacher training with a user-friendly textbook should be sufficient.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If it is claimed that a detailed and extensive teacher’s manual (for teaching the teacher) is needed because of weak teacher preparation or skills, then it is the school administration’s problem. They need to work with the teacher training sites to produce better candidates, not buy a truckload of supplemental materials.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) The textbook does not waste space with expensive, colored photos even if they may have a relationship to the topic. One color used for highlighting words or graphs is sufficient.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The textbook uses appropriate space for examples and creative repetition of exercises through every lesson of the book for practice and mastery.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The textbook’s focus is on mathematics. Use of social justice themes, for example, in math problem-solving detracts from the math concepts which should be the focus of students.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6) The use of calculators is limited to a few “investigative exercises” to help familiarize students with calculators for later use; they are not to be used in regular problem-solving activities in grades K-6.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mental math and memorization of math facts are required.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7) Few supplemental materials are necessary for students, especially in basic, foundational learning.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A test manual and a solutions manual are sufficient as supplements for teachers.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A manual for specific populations (special needs or gifted) may be useful.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8) No protest has ever been waged against the textbook by any organized parent group.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Internet search will show if such protests have taken place.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9) The textbook can be completed in one school year without skipping pages or topics.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Textbooks of 600-800 pages that can weigh up to seven pounds are subject to teachers’ having to eliminate topics. This creates holes in the fabric of linear mathematics education.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10) Schools using the textbook can show the following:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a steady, significant decrease in low-level math courses and the need for remedial programs,</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">an increase in enrollment in advanced math and science courses,</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">an increase in those passing state-required exit tests, and</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">an increase in passing rates and scores on college board exams.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11) In summary, does the textbook show accuracy, brevity, and clarity in its lessons so both parents and teachers can help children learn mathematics?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />There are those who insist that textbooks aren’t “the curriculum.” They say it’s all about the teachers. (Common Core now says it’s about standards.) If that’s the case, let’s just give all students a copy of the Yellow Pages. Let’s save all that money spent on books and materials and finally train teachers in their content areas so they can use anything handed to them to teach—including the Yellow Pages. (And if the textbooks are so unimportant, why do progressives fight so hard to get “their” chosen textbooks adopted?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Maybe teachers can do without a book, but many of us know that students need a quality textbook. Parents and teachers come and go in the lives of children these days, but a user-friendly textbook should always be within reach for children. It can set up a satisfying relationship with positive </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>results</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for them to show the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />More than a million homeschooled students, plus many charter, private, and small public schools use a textbook that meets these listed criteria. The math education leadership hates the series because they say it is too traditional. Reams of documentation exist, however, to prove its success with students. For more information, go to </span><a href="http://saxonmathwarrior.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://saxonmathwarrior.com</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. (Disclaimer: The author is NOT affiliated with any publisher.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">About the Author:</span></i></div>
<div align="justify">
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nakonia (Niki) Hayes is a K-12 teacher, counselor, and principal who retired in 2006 in Seattle, WA, and returned to Waco, TX, her former home. Certified and experienced in journalism, special education, mathematics, counseling and school administration, she also worked 17 years in journalism fields outside of teaching. She now operates a tutoring academy using Saxon materials in math, reading, and writing. Hayes self-published John Saxon’s Story because publishers said no one wanted to read a story about a math teacher. Her mission is to have John Saxon recognized and honored for his clarity in teaching and his continued legacy of success among students today.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All proceeds from the book go to the West Point Department of
Mathematical Sciences in memory of LTC John Saxon</span>.</span></span></span></em></div>
<div align="justify">
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Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-32840037153881158832014-06-02T13:31:00.000-07:002014-06-02T13:31:09.686-07:00The Myth of the Helpless Parent<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Laurie H. Rogers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
“I Can” statements are all the rage in our public schools. Students are to say
“I can” and then positively reaffirm something they feel capable of doing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m offering suggestions for “We can” statements. If your
school district obeys the law, tells the truth, spends money wisely, and
properly educates children, then you probably don’t need these. Sadly, most
citizens don’t have a school district like that, and this article is directed
to them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents have been trained for decades to trust in America’s K-12
government schools. This trust now serves the districts but not the students within
them. Most districts aren’t being held accountable for violations of the law; failures
to properly educate children; improper spending of tax dollars; or long-term refusals
to tell citizens the truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many districts seem increasingly dictatorial, deceitful, expensive
and intrusive. We trust them with our children, and in return, they lie to us, miseducate
our children and blame us for their failures. When we question them, some even attack
us, using government/media/corporate allies to help pile on. They retain power in
the way schoolyard bullies do, by ensuring that parents remain cowed, isolated
and uninformed. It’s ironic. In reality, parents have all of the power.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most parents don’t know that. Schools have purposefully fostered
a sense of helplessness in parents (and in students and teachers), training us to
believe that we must do as we’re told. Schools couldn't eliminate parents
altogether, but they could create parents who agree to eliminate themselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Schools thus trained successive generations to work in a
group, defer to the group, think as a group, achieve consensus with the group, be
assessed with the group, and defend group decisions. Punishments and rewards have
been used to mold thinking and behavior and to direct energies. Parents are encouraged
to be involved in the schools, as long as our involvement brings in money, furthers
the agenda and doesn’t question the authority. Obeying = Rewards. Dissenting =
Punishments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nowadays, when schools praise “critical thinking,” they usually
mean non-critical thinking or groupthink. When they talk about community “input,”
they tend to receive it via the </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2010/02/delphi-technique-art-of-pretending-to.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Delphi
Technique</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a way of manipulating groups to agree on predetermined
conclusions. When they ask for parent “help,” they mean any help that doesn’t
question the authority, not even to help a child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, parents have long been shut out of the education of
our own children. Books are eliminated, homework isn’t sent home, traditional
methods are derided as “old school,” and our wishes are undermined or ignored.
Parent preferences are openly criticized and dismissed, and in conferences, we’re
told: “Don’t teach that at home. Don’t help. You’ll just confuse your child.” Schools
now use technology to hide the curriculum – on tablets and laptops and in private
email accounts for children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This operant conditioning
– skillfully done, I’ll give them that – has produced a population that generally
feels helpless. Worse, it accepts feeling helpless. This population doesn’t
need to be shut down; it shuts down itself. “Oh, no, I couldn’t. It will be OK.
They must have a good reason. They must know what they’re doing.” Such apathy suits
authoritarian, intrusive governments. It’s easier to implement an agenda with weak
and politically aligned sheep than with individualistic and critical thinkers. Most
of us do find now that it’s easier, safer and infinitely more profitable to be
sheep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And yet, dissent is critical to helping our children, to serving
our honor, and to maintaining a free country. We’re helpless only in our mind. The
government cannot make our child take a test. It cannot force us into its
failed bureaucratic, narcissistic, adult-centered system. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not unless we allow it.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We can say no to this government. We can refuse to allow it
to eliminate our ideas and preferences, or to miseducate, misuse and misguide our
children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Few “leaders” are likely to help us. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Most now are part of the government network. Think of the vast array of</span>
government and elected officials, their associations and throngs of legal teams
– now “partnering” with influential people and non-accountable, non-transparent
corporations, organizations and foundations – to implement policies <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that suit</i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">them</i></b>.
Instead of partnering with parents for a better education system, they partner with
each other to implement policy, gather data on us and our children, sell their
products and services, and implement a political and social agenda. It’s a symbiotic
relationship for them, but it’s largely parasitic toward us and our children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They help each
other. They sit on boards, hand out grants and contracts, campaign, advertise,
lobby, buy and sell. They socialize together, travel together, praise each
other, help friends and family members gain preferred positions, and allow each
other to get away with things.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">These “partnerships”
might be fascist in nature (the government controlling the corporations), or
corporatist (the corporations controlling public policy), but in any case, they’re
neither democratic nor representative of a Republic. America is being fundamentally
transformed to a totalitarian state in which government and corporate cartels work
together to do what neither is allowed to do by itself. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It pays well now to be a government or
corporate crony; it does not pay, and in some cases, it has become dangerous,
to dissent from this government/corporate network.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Network won’t spend our tax dollars wisely, won’t return
control of our children’s education to us, and won’t stop its intrusive data
collecting. It has no incentive to tell the truth or obey the law. Many media
outlets – which are supposed to have our back –appear to be part of the Network.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suddenly we find that – although our schools lack solid
academic programs – there are laptops, iPads and SMART Boards in front of every
child’s face. There are new curricula every few years, new calculators even in
kindergarten, and cool electronic toys that don’t foster real learning. De
facto national standards and tests are being pushed on all of us from cradle
through career. When we ask who is doing that pushing, the feds point to the
states and to non-accountable associations; the states point to districts; the
districts point to legislators; the legislators claim ignorance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suddenly, some of us find that there are handguns in the
hands of school employees. There are cameras and video recorders on the wall to
track visitors, and new machines to scan our driver’s license, track our
children, scan their irises, record their fingerprints, or track their
biometric information.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look around you – the K-12 education system in America has
become freaking scary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Citizens MUST be
the dissenters. Our children’s future – this country’s future – is on the line.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly, the American government no longer knows how to
educate a child. That’s been proved in 10,000 ways. It has ceased to hold
itself accountable, and it now works collaboratively to skirt laws and protect
itself. This isn’t a left/right issue. This simply is “in” or “out” of the government/corporate
Network. If you’re “in,” you’re taken care of. If you’re out, well, good luck
with that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we aren’t stuck in this machine. We’re helpless only when
we agree to it. My first “We can” statement is this: “We can say no to the K-12
government education system.” Here are some more:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<strong>Opt out of programs:</strong> We can opt out of failed academic programs, and out of excessively mature sex education classes and materials. We can find solid math and English curricula online, buy them, and start teaching them to our children.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Leave the system:</strong> When a school mistreats, abuses, blames, mocks, neglects or refuses to educate our children, we can walk out of that school and never look back.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Opt out of testing:</strong> We can opt out of state and federal testing that sucks up class time; tells us nothing of value; collects intrusive and flawed data on us; is manipulated to show success where none exists; and forces our children to either take math tests online or be labeled as special education.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Say no to technology:</strong> We can say no to excessive and intrusive technology and data collection. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Question the money:</strong> We can question the barrels of state and federal money allotted for special education programs that never seem to go to special education students. We can vote no to the next levy and bond for school districts that misspend taxpayer money; use taxpayer money against taxpayers; and lie to us about budgets, expenditures and outcomes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Inform others:</strong> We can inform other parents, run for the school board, or help other citizens run. We can recall corrupt or obstructive board directors and push to replace superintendents and administrators.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Reject Common Core:</strong> We can push our legislatures to reject the de facto nationalization and radicalization of the American public school system, epitomized by the questionable, authoritarian and unproved Common Core initiatives.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Reject pretend "choice":</strong> We can refuse to support charter schools that clearly are under the thumb of local school districts.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
We can say no. We can make a good system happen. We can help
our children, fix the problems, rebuild an accountable government and put
responsible individuals in power. We can homeschool, find private schools, hire
tutors, or ask family members or friends to teach our children what the schools
will not. We can step away from the entire madness of public education. Believe
me, folks, it’s a mess. It’s much worse in 2014 than it was in 2007, even as
our avenues of dissent have narrowed dramatically.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The government/corporate Network depends on us thinking
we’re helpless, that we can’t say no, that we don’t know any better, that they
mean well, that they really do care about our children, and that they will eventually
do what’s right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t believe it. We are not helpless, we can say no, and we
do know better. The Network doesn’t mean well, it doesn’t care about our
children more than it cares about itself, and if the Network was ever going to use
its considerable power to do what’s right for our children, it would have done
it by now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note: This information is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </span></strong></span><br /><span><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Rogers, L. (June 2014). "The Myth of the Helpless Parent." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></a></strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-79471256566540295062014-05-27T12:25:00.002-07:002014-05-30T08:45:55.999-07:00School district scans driver's licenses and takes photos of visitors in new "sign-in" policy<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br /><b>By Laurie H. Rogers</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In America, citizens have a constitutional right to privacy, to be "secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects." The government, on the other hand, is to be open and transparent to the people. These principles are critical to America remaining a free country. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Increasingly, however, the government is turning these principles on their head, doggedly working to gain privacy for itself while limiting it or eliminating it for citizens. A</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">gencies are obstructing public records requestors, undermining laws on government transparency and citizen rights, and working collaboratively to dodge accountability for violations of the law and the U.S. Constitution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Spokane Public Schools has a long history of displaying little respect for the principles of privacy for citizens and transparency for itself. Recently, the school district came up with a brand new way to infringe on citizen privacy while monitoring and controlling which members of the public have access to public buildings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Friday, May 16, Spokane
lawyer Cheryl Mitchell went to Spokane Public Schools to pick up a disc from a
records request. She was told the District had implemented a new policy:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
visitors must scan their driver’s license and allow their picture to be taken at a kiosk in the lobby before
heading to other parts of the building. Her understanding was that
this new policy applies to all visitors, not just to records requestors.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is it legal for a public agency to scan driver’s
licenses and/or take a photo of citizens, simply because they chose to enter a
public building?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is it legal for a public agency to deny access to a public
building if citizens refuse to have their photo taken?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s reasonable to
identify visitors and have a measure of security. It’s reasonable to ask for
proof of identity. It is not reasonable for school districts
to photograph visitors, connect the photos with ID, and store that information.
A school district has no legitimate
need to scan anyone’s driver’s license. The bounty of personal information on a
driver’s license is an identity thief’s dream.<br />
<br />
The security of driver’s licenses is being argued now before the state Supreme
Court in <i>Lakewood v. Koenig</i>. Attorneys for the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhZTJLMUY4WmxrZGM/edit?usp=sharing">Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys</a> and the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhTElXZ05lQUJpWjA/edit?usp=sharing">Washington Association of Public
Records Officers</a> argue that a driver’s license number should be
exempt from disclosure because it “exposes private citizens to the risk
of harm such as identity theft.” And that’s just the <i>number</i>, never mind the birth date, address
and photo.<br />
<br />
The identity-theft issue alone should be enough to keep school districts
from exposing citizens to that kind of risk (and themselves to subsequent liability). Hackers were
wildly successful in breaching the firewalls of Target, eBay, Facebook, the Veterans
Administration, the Department of Defense and others, which had invested
billions of dollars in securing <b><i>their</i></b> databases. <br />
<br />
On May 16, Mrs. Mitchell refused to scan her driver’s
license. The school district's receptionist did not know what to do and made several calls upstairs.
Mrs. Mitchell was finally allowed to use the old "sign in"
system and obtain the disc without her driver’s license being scanned. Her
photo had already been taken, however.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There obviously was no
"opt out” procedure in place on May 16, nor was there any indication that the
system might be making an error. An administrator finally agreed to make an
exception for Mrs. Mitchell <i>because she
refused to comply.</i> <span style="background: white;">For those who did NOT
complain on Friday, what happened with their information?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On May
16, Mrs. Mitchell sent an email to the District’s attorney, Paul Clay, to ask
about this new policy, and to inquire whether the District is using facial
recognition software. Five days later, on May 21, Paul Clay wrote back to say
that the District isn’t “using” facial recognition software, and that the initial demand
for driver’s licenses was a mistake, due to “inadvertent software settings.” He said the
system now will accept a sign-in through the kiosk, or citizens can “utilize
the driver’s license scan.” <br />
<br />
Paul Clay did not mention the photos. He did not say the District lacks the cap<em>a</em>bility for facial
recognition or won’t use it later.</span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Does the District have the capability for facial
recognition? Will it use that technology later? If it does, will it bother to tell
the public?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On May 16,
I also sent a query to the superintendent and to the school board directors. After
several days of silence, I sent a second query on May 21. On Thursday, May 22,
I finally received <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhLXJOWWFzUlhjejQ/edit?usp=sharing">an
answer from Board Director Deana Brower</a>, the board’s “corresponding
secretary.” Brower echoed Paul Clay that the initial demand for driver’s license scans
was “due to inadvertent software settings.” She said citizens now can sign
in at the kiosk or use the driver’s license scan for “convenience.” She did not
mention the photos. She did not answer all of the questions I put to her.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have not heard back from the superintendent.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has long been
understood in this country that it’s inappropriate to take a photo in public of
someone without that person's permission, or to host a security tape without
notifying the public. Mrs. Mitchell said there was no notice posted on May 16 saying
that photos were being taken and stored on a server. The District can argue
that permission was granted and that notification was given, but it also can be
argued that this "permission" was coerced and that the notification given was unclear. <br />
<br />
According to Mrs. Mitchell, the instructions on the District's computer say
something like, "Place your face close to the computer screen." This
is not just taking photos of citizens going about their business. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Where are the photos going, and how are they to be used?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">How is the driver’s license information to be used? How is it secured?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Deana Brower said people
can scan their driver’s license “for convenience.”</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">How is it “convenient” to hand over private information to a
government agency? Has Director Brower scanned her own driver’s license for “convenience”?
If so, can the public look at it?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will the superintendent, board directors, administrators, or the District’s
legal counsel scan </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>their</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> driver’s license for convenience?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With every scan of a
driver’s license and every picture taken, is the District creating a new record
within the school district system?</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">If so, can</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> someone request a copy of
these public records? (The District likely would argue that this is personal
information and thus exempt from disclosure. <b><i>If so, it begs the question of
why this government agency would collect it.</i></b>)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Attorney Paul
Clay indicated</span>,
following Mrs. Mitchell’s query, that anonymous requestors of public records
will not be forced to identify themselves in this manner and can pick up their
requested records at the front desk. Mrs. Mitchell said, however, that the computer in
the reception area appears to be taking streaming video.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will anonymous requestors find that their photo was taken when
entering the building?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">To be safe, should requestors wear a bag over their head, a ski
mask, or a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses? Should they hire agents to pick
up the records, who will then have to identify </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>themselves</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and have </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>their</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
photo taken?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The District ultimately made
an exception to its new policy for Cheryl Mitchell because she refused, and
probably because she’s a lawyer.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">What about everyone else who is not a lawyer? Will newspaper
publishers have to have their photo taken? How about the mayor? Contractors? Newspaper
reporters? Legislators? Bill Gates? The governor? County commissioners? The
hundreds of attendees of the school district’s annual Community Leaders Breakfast? Or,
is this just another "policy" the District will enforce as it
chooses?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will ALL District employees have to identify themselves at these kiosks?
Or, is this system only there to identify private citizens?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Does this policy apply to citizens attending board meetings, usually held on the same floor as the lobby? How about other
meetings held upstairs, such as committee meetings and board work
sessions? If so, the policy appears to conflict with the </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.30" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Washington State Open
Meetings Act</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">It's a
huge step for a public agency to coerce identification and data collection on
visitors.</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is the collected data to be part of the “State Longitudinal
Data Systems?”</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will the information be given away or sold by the
District? If so, to whom and for which purposes?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">To the
best of my knowledge, the District hasn’t breathed a word about its new sign-in
policy.</span> <span style="background: white;">I searched the school District Web site for information
and found nothing. Asked for it, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhLXJOWWFzUlhjejQ/edit?usp=sharing">Deana
Brower offered policies and procedures that were written decades ago</a> and
that have not been modified to include this new policy. She did not answer the
question of when the new policy was approved by the board.</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">How much money did this new "sign-in" system cost
taxpayers? If taxpayers didn’t pay for it, who did and why?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">What is this government agency </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>actually</i></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
aiming to do? And why on Earth would the citizens of a free country allow them to do it?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note: This information is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Rogers, L. (May 2014). "School district scans driver's licenses and takes photos of visitors in new "sign-in" policy." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></a></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></strong> </span>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-51299987904329031672014-04-22T11:18:00.002-07:002014-04-23T11:03:00.250-07:00Professional development in math should focus on math, not on pedagogy or materials<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>By Laurie H. Rogers</strong></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Creativity
springs unsolicited from a well prepared mind.”</span></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>“Fundamental knowledge is the basis of creativity.”</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-- </span><a href="http://saxonmathwarrior.com/john.htm"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b95814;">J</span>ohn Saxon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, co-author
of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saxon Math</i> textbook series</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently, I asked Spokane Public Schools about the new professional development
(PD) in math for teachers. I was sent a link to <u><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://webs.spokaneschools.org/prolearn/"><u><span style="color: #3333ff; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a district page</span></u></a></span></u> where upcoming courses
focus on the implementation of a new and unproved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">math curriculum</i>, not on mathematics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chief Academic Officer Steven Gering <u><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhM19ucjZBbXU0S2c/edit?usp=sharing"><u><span style="color: #3333ff; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">said</span></u></a></span></u> the
district plans to teach fractions to teachers, and I’m glad to hear it. But those
skills should <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> have been required.
Fractions are a small "fraction" of what’s missing in the skill set of many K-8 teachers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where else but in our public schools are employees persistently deficient in necessary
skills? Where else are they taught that pedagogy is infinitely more important
than expertise in the subject? Where else are billions of our dollars used to
train employees in skills they should have had before they were hired? Who in
the private sector knowingly hires doctors who don’t understand medicine, contractors
who don’t know how to build, or rocket scientists who don’t understand rocket
science? Who would knowingly hire an endodontist who doesn’t know how to do a
root canal?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s true that many teachers don’t understand enough math. I don’t blame them. They
learned what they were taught.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve been conversing with an assistant professor of education who maintains
that constructivism is the best way to teach math. (Professors of education are largely in charge of educating the country's prospective teachers.) This assistant professor said substantial evidence
supporting constructivism is easy to find, so I asked him for some. He sent me a few articles containing older,
questionable methodology or anecdotal criticisms of a teacher. I pointed out to
him the last 30 years of the failure of excessive constructivism. He responded:
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am interested in this country you speak of that has been in
the grip of constructivism for 30 years. Most studies indicate that American
classrooms incorporate few (if any) constructivist practices espoused by
schools and colleges of education. ... What we do have, I would argue, is a
fairly widespread attempt at ham-handed implementations of
constructivist-oriented reforms. .... The mathematical and pedagogical
knowledge needed to run a constructivist mathematics classroom is not possessed
by most teachers now, or at any point in the last half-century ... (W)e
graduate and hire most anyone with a pulse and a clean-ish criminal record. ...
(A)s a whole our system in its current form couldn’t teach constructively if it
wanted to. And it doesn’t even want to because it hasn’t seen much (if any)
constructivist teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This stance is typical. As our conversation continued, this man refused
to acknowledge the problem and ducked most of what I told him. It wasn't long
before he began to call me names. He is courteous in the way of many reformers:
Ostensibly civil, yet still calling me a conspiracy theorist,
"closed" to the conversation, "dogmatic" and even "indulging
in intellectual dishonesty." I'm sure he sees himself as polite and
restrained. His entire defense boils down to this: Constructivism works; they just aren't doing it right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Avid proponents of constructivism typically seem certain that they’re correct,
that they don’t have to prove anything, and that all problems are due to
incompetent implementation. After 30 years and trillions of taxpayer dollars spent
pushing fuzzy math and constructivism on public schools, they don’t see today’s
nationwide math problem as due to fuzzy math and constructivism.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many maintain their faith by denying the problem. Obvious academic failure is explained
away or deemed to be irrelevant; they focus on an undefined notion of “deeper
conceptual understanding.” (They ignore the fact that this “understanding” can’t
be achieved without acquisition of skills.) When confronted with irrefutable
evidence, they blame it on teachers, parents, students or society.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t blame teachers. Most received garbage for math instruction – in K-12, in college
and for years after they were hired. How <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i>
they teach math properly? They were taught that math is hard and that they
don’t have to <em>know</em> math in order to teach it. (They must be so tired
of being lied to.) Their training has intellectually disarmed them, their
students and this country. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">These are
unforgiveable sins.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If proponents of fuzzy programs and
constructivism had to use math in the “real world,” and were held accountable
for the results, they would have to modify their views. In the "real
world," math is a tool, used to get a job done. What matters are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clarity</i></b>
(understandable by others); <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">efficiency</i></b> (done relatively
quickly); <b><i>and accuracy</i></b> (the result is correct). Math is a tool –
like a hammer or drill. One doesn't come to consensus on the philosophy of a
drill; one learns to use the drill and then one uses it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We use math to help us cut the wood, build the bridge, fill the ditch, fire the
rocket, heal the sick, fire the bullet, cook the food, calculate the pay, run
the business, combine the chemicals, fly the plane, build the software, measure
the floor, balance the checkbook, project the earnings, and balance the budget.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Math is critically necessary to the functioning of the country. A
mathematically illiterate populace puts America’s future in jeopardy. K-12 math
is inherently understandable and doable, but proponents of fuzzy math and
excessive constructivism have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">made</i> it incomprehensible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luckily, I was taught properly, and I refuse to be “disarmed” now. I’m engaging
in some PD of my own. I recently picked up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saxon
Algebra I</i> and read it cover to cover. That was instantly helpful. I’m now
doing the problems in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saxon Algebra II</i>,
chapter by chapter. I wondered if this PD would change my views, but it’s
reinforcing everything I’ve been thinking about how math should be taught and
learned.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Deeper conceptual understanding" in K-12 math comes with knowledge and practice
to mastery, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> with pointless struggle and reinventing of the wheel. Efficiency on
paper is critical; the calculator tends to get in the way of learning. Each
day, as I work through another chapter, I think, "Oh, yes. Right. I see
that now." Proper process is being reinforced for me; each time I cut a
corner, I pay for it with an error. As I practice, I’m becoming faster, more
efficient and more accurate. Recently I tweaked an algorithm to make it more
efficient; this would not have come to me without skills and understanding.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Constructivists claim that the materials don’t matter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as they insist on fuzzy materials</i>),
and that it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the teacher</i> who
matters. (This is how they duck criticism of their materials and blame
everything on teachers.) But proficiency is gained via solid instruction, such
as from textbooks that provide sufficient explanation and practice, examples, structure,
and an incremental and logical progression of skills.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Below are some processes that are conducive to the development of solid math skills.
(Proponents of fuzzy math and excessive constructivism typically refuse to
implement these): </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Direct instruction of sufficient material, emphasizing the most-efficient, most-effective processes (including long division; vertical multiplication; arithmetic; exponents; negatives; the number line; polynomials; fractions, decimals and percentages; the clock and the calendar; and proficiency with paper and pencil).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Practicing concepts to mastery, with constant refreshers of previously learned skills</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using good process:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Working vertically</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing down the equation, filling in what’s known, solving for the variable, checking the work, making sure the question is answered</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing clearly, separating equations from calculations</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Going from simple skills to complex, working forward in a logical, linear fashion. (Classes should NOT begin in the middle of a math textbook)</span>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below are processes that tend to result in increased errors
and misunderstandings. (Proponents of fuzzy math and excessive constructivism typically
emphasize these):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excessive use of mental math</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prioritizing methods and processes that are inefficient, confusing, nonstandard, not useful long-term, and complicated for children</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Constant distractions through group work, discussion and premature “real-world application” </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dependence on calculators, classmates and achieving consensus, rather than emphasizing individual understanding and proficiency</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Forcing children to “construct” their own methods, manage their own classmates, explain things to themselves, and understand concepts at a level that is wildly inappropriate for their age<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dependence on teachers who don’t understand math, refuse to correct or explain work, and don’t provide students with answers so that students can check their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">own</i> work</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dependence on administrators who refuse to give textbooks to children, destroy solid materials by inserting loopy processes and philosophy, and force teachers to begin in the middle</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The success and clarity achieved <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with direct instruction</i></b>
are motivating and empowering. The confusion, struggle and failure found in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">constructivist
classrooms</i></b> are spirit killers, producing students who hate and fear math.
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Many develop depression, panic and performance
anxiety. </span>Their constant hunt for consensus leads to distraction, dependence,
insecurity and groupthink.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve come to see fuzzy math and excessive constructivism as abusive. Indeed,
the assistant professor described his own reeducation in math as “painful,” “brutal”
and “ego-crushing.” Why would he want that for children? I can’t think of a reason
to demand that children suffer.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> He insists
his efforts are to benefit children, but he appears to be too far removed from classrooms,
math, children and outcomes to understand how fuzzy math and excessive constructivism
destroy skills, self-esteem and futures.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would never do that to a student. Math should be enjoyable. Individual understanding<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>proficiency
should be the goals. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Direct
instruction</span> can easily incorporate laughter, play, practice and
application. Students can work through the material, eating the elephant one
incremental bite at a time. Over and over I see students relax as they realize
I'm not going to make them reinvent it. They smile. They gain confidence. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">They tend to say, "I get
it. I can <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i></b> this." </span>It's the nature of direct instruction.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doing the math I’ve done has reinforced what I knew. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The truth is evident
in the children. Thirty years of fuzzy math programs and constructivism have
led us here, to a nation that can't do much math.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's no wonder that Eastern Washington University <u><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/28/guest-opinion-ewu-wrong-to-cut-graduate-math/"><u><span style="color: #3333ff; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">decided in 2011 to disband its
masters in math</span></u></a></span></u>. A<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fter two decades of fuzzy math and excessive
constructivism in surrounding school districts, it's likely that</span> </span>few high school
graduates were able to get through the
EWU program. Sadly, the EWU situation reflects just the tip of the national math
iceberg. We are clinging to the edge of a grim precipice that teeters over complete
national mathematical illiteracy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All K-12 teachers and parents should have received at a minimum the instruction I did, but
it isn’t too late. </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/saxon-math-placement-test-for-upper.html"><u><span style="color: #3333ff; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a placement test so you
can assess your level</span></span></u></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
and start teaching yourself. Buy a textbook online or at a secondhand
bookstore. You don’t need highlighter pens, sticky notes, butcher paper or
group work. All you need is about $15 and some time. (Teachers will have to do
it on their own because their district is not likely to give them <em>this</em> PD, nor is
Bill Gates, Pearson Education, the Broad Foundation, the Common Core, Texas
Instruments, EngageNY, Arne Duncan, or the teachers union).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Get yourself some math skills, and pass them on. Watch as the children soar.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(P.S.: You might want to buy a complete set of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saxon Math</i> now, before some well-meaning and ostensibly polite
person wants to make them illegal.)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Please note: This information is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Rogers, L. (April 2014). "Professional development in math should focus on math, not on pedagogy or materials." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></strong></span></span></a> </div>
<div style="mso-special-character: line-break;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-24038688886230171642014-03-25T08:58:00.004-07:002014-04-01T13:27:51.767-07:00Administrative plan for math is to fix the math program later<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>By Laurie H. Rogers</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/oct/15/spokane-public-schools-overhauls-reading-writing/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to <i>The Spokesman-Review</i></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Shelley Redinger said in October 2013 that math outcomes in Spokane are "average" and that's why the school district is focusing on repairing its English/language arts program.<br /><br />The impression given in the article was that math instruction in Spokane is in an OK place, not great but not terrible, and that attention needs to be paid first to ELA. <br /><br />Such an impression, however, isn't what college</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> remedial rates indicate to be true. It isn't reflected in most high school graduates, nor in most students in any grade prior. It isn't what I have told the superintendent; it isn't what she has repeatedly acknowledged to me. It isn't what she told me that the rest of the <em>Spokane community</em> has said to her. Even board directors appear to have gotten a clue: On Dec. 4, 2013, director Rocky Treppiedi called the district's math program "a disgrace." And it is. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I asked Dr. Redinger about her choice of the word "average" to describe math outcomes in Spokane, and she </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhNzA4cUh3ZV9sV0E/edit"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">wrote that </span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">she chose the word because district scores are "at the state average in mathematics."<br /><br />If I didn't know better, I might accept that. However, I do know better.<br /><br /><i>The school district is not "average" in student outcomes for math</i><strong> --</strong> unless the definition of "average" has come to mean "abysmal." One can't depend on Washington State test scores to accurately reflect student knowledge in math. The state tests are weak; the cut scores (i.e. the passing scores) are ridiculously low <i>and </i>are set <b><i>after </i></b>students take the tests; and the scoring has been subjective and often incoherent. In addition, the vast majority of districts in this state also have weak outcomes in math.<br /><br />Being "average" in a state that struggles in math does not denote success in math. Surely a </span><a href="http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/schools/2013/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">$262,000-per-year superintendent</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> knows that.<br /><br />The only thing that has EVER mattered in math is what the students know and can do. On that score, Spokane Public Schools has a serious problem. Dr. Redinger has assured me that she <i>knows</i> that and <i>will fix it</i>. Yet in public, she frequently provides a completely different picture.<br /><br />Dr. Redinger also assured me in December that she plans to get rid of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-family: Arial;">Connected Mathematics </i>and <i style="font-family: Arial;">Investigations in Number, Data, and Space</i> -- two of the weakest K-8 math programs in America. In March 2014, I noted to her and to Chief Academic Officer Steven Gering that some students are still working out of those programs. </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhXzRjWWdqVFAybVE/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. Gering assured me</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that the district's math program will be different in a few years. Neither administrator expressed concern about students still laboring under two of the weakest programs in the country. There was no apparent sense of urgency in Dr. Gering's reply, no questioning, no effort to learn more. It's difficult to explain the leadership's seemingly casual attitude toward suffering children.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a few years, will the promised new program be better? Will it be sufficient? Who knows? In the meantime, the district has adopted an interim program called EngageNY. This program is</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> unproved, still evolving, online, and is based on the controversial Common Core. It does not come with textbooks for parents to see and use. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These two administrators - who together pull down about $400,000 per year - have explained that they know EngageNY will be good because they "feel" that it will be good. Yes, both said "feel." Neither had student outcomes or solid research to offer. People laugh when I tell them what the administrators said, like it can't be true. Someone even broke into an off-key rendition of the 1970s song "<i>Feelings.</i>" (And who needs <em>that</em>?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Does either administrator even know what a good math program <i>looks </i>like? Dr. Redinger should know. </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhODB0MUZSOUlaaFk/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her resume boasts several positions in curriculum development</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. In December 2013, I asked her if she thinks <i style="font-family: Arial;">Saxon Math</i> is a good program. She said she doesn't know. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Saxon Math</i> has been around since 1981 and is the program of choice for many homeschoolers and private programs. Early last year, I surveyed all of my contacts - on my email list and on social media - to ask for their favorite K-8 math program. The majority picked <i>Saxon Math</i>, far and away over the closest competitor, <i>Singapore Math</i>. I compiled their picks and comments and gave that to Dr. Redinger early last year. She said she would pass it on to the school board. <br /><br />In December 2013, I reminded her of this survey. She replied that other people <em><strong>don't</strong></em> like Saxon. (But many of those who don't like <i>Saxon Math</i> are education administrators who love reform math and who have helped to completely screw up their district's math program.)<br />
<br />
If administrators can't recognize a good math program when they see one, how will they ever eventually choose one? Meanwhile, this district continues to refuse to adopt any of the good programs now available, even as the students continue to struggle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below are some indicators of actual academic outcomes in math in Spokane -- not provided by anyone in the K-12 system, but by employees of Spokane Community Colleges in response to my requests. You'll see how many SCC and SFCC freshmen test into remedial math, which level of math they test into, and their general rate of success.<br /><br />When you're told that the math problem is just you, your income, your child or grandchild, your child's school, or your neighborhood in the city, <i>don't believe it</i><strong>.</strong> And when you're told that outcomes are "average" and that it's OK for your school district to take another year or two to get its math program together, <em>don't accept that for your family.</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Remedial Rates in Mathematics<br />at Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC)<br />and Spokane Community College (SCC):</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">** Academic years 2004-2005 through 2008-2009</span><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhWFZhT0RpYkZWT0U/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Remediation rates</b> in mathematics for Recent High School Graduates</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students from Spokane-area high schools only</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
** Academic Years 2005-06 through 2009-10, with a Five-Year Average</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhMzJlZGZlNzItNDYyZS00NzdkLWIxOWYtNWEwMzUzMTZiNDI3/edit" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Remediation Rates</b> in mathematics for Recent High-School Graduates</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students from Spokane-area high schools only.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
** Academic Years 2007-2008 through 2009-2010</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhNTFjYzlhNWMtMjA3ZC00Zjk5LWFjZGUtNzc2MjgwNzZmNjNh/edit" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Success rates</b> of Recent High School Graduates Placed Into Developmental Math Courses</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Remedial Math) -- Spokane-area High Schools Only</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
** Academic Years 2008-2009 through 2012-2013</span><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhcktHdlZkN291dTA/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Remediation Rates </b>in mathematics<b> </b>for Recent High School Graduates</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students from Spokane District High Schools</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
** Academic Years 2008-09 through 2012-2013</span><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuheU5MazA5VkVIaGM/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Success rates</b> of Recent High School Graduates Placed into Developmental Math Courses</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Remedial Math) - Students from Spokane District High Schools</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">** SFCC College Spark grant</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhQy1WNXhDZ1ZoN0k/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Results for the first half of this project</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, broken down by Spokane high school. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The students tested were Algebra II students, and so theoretically should have been proficient in Algebra I and perhaps also Geometry. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Although College Spark is not <em>about</em> college readiness, the results about where these students ultimately placed is informative.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />I'm including a </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhSVl0T29HdTBVYUE/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">link to an email </span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">from an SFCC administrator, who explains this project and provides additional clarification. It's important to recognize that the project was NOT about testing students for college readiness. The College Spark grant was designed to determine curricular alignment between SPS and SFCC.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The project is ongoing and scheduled to run through the fall of 2014, at which point analysis and conclusions likely will be available. </span><a href="http://www.spokanefalls.edu/academic/mathematics/courseflowchart.aspx"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See this link for a flowchart</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of the SFCC math classes and their levels of content, so you can see the content Spokane students appear to be missing.<br /><br /><b>An aside</b>: In December 2013, I asked Superintendent Shelley Redinger about the results of the College Spark study. She said she had "not seen them."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please stay tuned. More to follow.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: This information is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong><strong>Rogers, L. (March 2014). "Administrative plan for math is to fix the math program later." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></span></a>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-69407600677637774202014-03-01T21:33:00.001-08:002014-05-19T14:38:58.678-07:00Legislature should look into the PDC's investigation of Spokane Public Schools<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Laurie Rogers</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Note: This is a VERY long blog post, but this is what it takes to properly tell the story of the PDC's investigation of Case #12-145 regarding Spokane Public Schools. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRWJneEc4Wjlubk0/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue;">A PDF of this article can be found here</span></a>. I encourage you to forward it to legislators and ask for a legislative investigation of the Public Disclosure Commission. It's my belief that, left unchallenged, the long-term negative consequences of the PDC decisions on Case #12-145 will last for generations.)</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“He pities the plumage, but
forgets the dying bird.”</span></span></i></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
-- Thomas Paine, commenting on what he saw as Edmund Burke’s tendency to defend
the gentry</span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
</i></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On September 28,
2011, I filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) regarding
election activities by Spokane Public Schools. These activities entailed a bond
and levy election in 2009 and a school board election in 2011.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
complaint stemmed from public records I obtained from Spokane Public Schools in
January and July 2011. In those records, I saw a clear pattern of school district
officials using public resources to promote bond and levy ballot propositions,
as well as evidence of certain employees using public resources to assist in
the campaign of a school board candidate. There appeared to me to be multiple
violations of </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/dispo.aspx?cite=42.17.130"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RCW
42.17.130</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a law that governed disclosure, campaign finances, lobbying and
records. (The law was recodifed as RCW 42.17A.555 in January 2012.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the
afternoon of Election Day 2011 (Nov. 8), the PDC announced it would investigate;
the case was numbered 12-145. After two and a half years of investigation, PDC officials
Phil Stutzman and Tony Perkins presented their findings on 12-145 to
Commissioners at their Feb. 27 hearing in Olympia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you read
through </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhcmVvYmlKTDluclU/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
PDC report</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, you might feel a cold chill down your back. There must be an
immediate and thorough legislative investigation of the Public Disclosure
Commission. The PDC has essentially sanctioned repeated violations of election law
with respect to school district elections.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you
think I’m exaggerating, please read this article. Then, I invite you to read </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhcmVvYmlKTDluclU/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
PDC report</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About the Public Disclosure
Commission (the PDC)<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According
to </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-05-050"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Washington
State’s Administrative Code</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (the “WAC”), the Public Disclosure Commission
“has statutory authority for information gathering, recordkeeping, and
investigative and hearing procedures with respect to elected officials,
candidates, political committees, and persons and entities involved in lobbying
activities.” </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-05-020"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
PDC is to engage in</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">strict, vigorous,
uniform and fair enforcement of the provisions” of the Public Disclosure Act.
</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its five </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commissioners
are to be bipartisan and are to “ensure that the provisions of the disclosure
law are fully met.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The five Commissioners are “appointed by the Governor for one five-year term and
are confirmed by the state senate.” (Since 1985, all Washington State governors have been Democrats.) According
to </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.17A.100"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RCW
42.17A.100</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, no more than three Commissioners should identify with the same
political party. </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Brief History of
this Citizen Complaint to the Public Disclosure Commission<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In September
2011, I had no idea the PDC would go in the direction it did. At the time, I
had only just learned what the PDC was and what it was supposed to do, only
just received some of the records from Spokane Public Schools, and only just
learned that some of what I saw in those records was not allowed under state
law. My learning curve was steep, and the PDC doesn’t provide much assistance on
filing a complaint. There is no one locally to ask.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I obtained
additional records from Spokane Public Schools regarding its levies (records that
should have been provided to me in January 2011), I recalled PDC official Tony Perkins
writing to me, “You are welcome to continue sending evidence my way.” So, I sent
additional evidence his way. I’m a citizen, not a lawyer, but I did my best,
making things as clear as I could, with spreadsheets and photocopies organized
chronologically. I clearly indicated which records I thought showed violations.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was
told that a flood of “informational” activity, when done by public agencies, can
become “promotional” in such a way as to violate the law. I submitted what I
saw as a flood of campaigning, promotional language, overarching authority,
intimidation of teachers and staff to campaign for the bond and levy, and a
longstanding pattern of district leadership behavior with respect to elections.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early in
the process of making my complaint to the PDC, I made it clear that the issue in
Spokane Public Schools is not teachers or staff; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s the leadership</i></b>. The
records indicated to me that the campaign for the bond and levy came from the
top of the district administration and wasn’t something the teachers and staff
thought up and organized on their own. I believed then and believe now that the
evidence of this contention cannot be missed in the complaint and in the records
I sent. I thought the PDC officials understood what I was telling them.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I later
found out that the PDC staff members assigned to the case are not attorneys.
And yet, it’s their job to review the documents, conduct interviews and apply
the law. The Stutzman/Perkins report has let district leadership off the hook
and set a precedent for districts to campaign as they please. Much of the
evidence I sent was not cited, and flimsy excuses were accepted, including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we didn’t know</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we fixed it now</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this is
legal because we always do it</i>. Arguments that supported <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my complaint</i></b>
were used by the PDC to excuse district behavior. Apparently, the PDC has
decided that professed ignorance – of employee activities and/or of the law –
is now a viable legal defense as well as a license to reinterpret the law.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile,
without letting me know before they issued their report (or giving me the
opportunity to respond) the PDC criticized me for not doing things properly,
and insinuated that I colluded with a local teacher over the 2011 school board
election. For those who believe in the impartial application of the law, the
Stutzman/Perkins report is a grim read.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/bond-and-levy-and-other-elective.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here
is a link to some of the district records the PDC officials cited as showing
activity reflecting a violation of RCW 42.17.130</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sent other records to the PDC
that ultimately were not cited. </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/records-from-spokane-s.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here
is a link to some of the other records</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Analysis of the
Stutzman/Perkins report</span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane
Public Schools contention: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no “overarching” district plan; employees organized and campaigned on
their own</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Associate
Superintendent Mark Anderson told the PDC that, while there were “multiple
inappropriate uses of public facilities” during the campaigns, “these uses were
conducted by individual Spokane Public Schools officials and employees, without
overarching authorization from the administration or school board.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Judging
by the records, I would be surprised if any employee of the district believes
Anderson’s contention. I’m sure, however, that few would dare to publicly
dissent. Clear evidence of “overarching authorization” permeates the records,
and the fingerprints of the leadership structure are all over it. The PDC report
acknowledges much of that evidence, which includes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the leadership’s</i> detailed, comprehensive and constantly evolving
marketing plan; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the leadership’s</i> detailed
instructions and wording for employees, delivered from the top to the bottom of
the organizational structure and passed on to teachers and staff; and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the leadership’s</i> persistent reminders to
vote, threats of lost programs and lost jobs if the propositions failed, as
well as promises of various rewards if the propositions passed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nancy
Krier is a former Assistant Attorney General representing the PDC, and is now the
open government ombudsman. She observes </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhTFBDT0ZMaGlqU0U/edit?pli=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">on
page 10 of this Sept. 13, 2001, memorandum</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that, with respect to agencies predicting
outcomes of failed propositions, “there seems little purpose for ... such
speculation, except to influence the election results.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
records clearly show Spokane teachers and staff working in mornings and nights
and on weekends to make calls from call sheets delivered to teachers, hand out
flyers that were delivered to schools, and wave signs asking the public to
“Vote Yes” for the bond and levies. Records suggest that “Vote Yes” signs were
stored on district property and were returned there after the campaign was over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nevertheless,
the PDC accepted the district’s claim of no “overarching authority.” Their
proposed penalties to all district leaders are therefore minimal. Some
examples:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nancy Stowell</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">former superintendent: Cited
but no penalty<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark Anderson</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, associate superintendent</span>:
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">$700, with $400 suspended, for a net of $300 penalty.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kevin Morrison</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, administrator</span>: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">$250, with
$200 suspended, for a net of $50 penalty<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
report proposed a net penalty of $350 for these three administrators; a net
penalty of $1,100 for the entire district leadership; and a net penalty of
$2,000 in total. Commissioners recommended increasing the net penalty to Mark
Anderson by $200; that modification to the PDC report is being considered.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These
findings and penalties provide little or no deterrence for leaders of other districts
and agencies who wish to campaign in the same way. In fact, this outcome could
be construed as authorization by the PDC to engage in similar types of conduct.
At the very least, the Commission’s decision encourages public agencies to be
willfully ignorant of the law, and to offer the “We didn’t know” excuse. It might
seem to agency officials that the less they know about the law, the better they’ll
fare with the PDC.</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane Public Schools contention: </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their campaign activity on the bond and levy is “normal and regular”</span></div>
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According
to </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-05-271"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WAC <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">390-05-271</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, election law “does not
prevent a public office or agency from . . . making an objective and fair
presentation of facts relevant to a ballot proposition<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i></b>if such action is part
of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Associate
Superintendent Mark Anderson stated to the PDC that the district’s communications
on the bond and levy followed “its past and ongoing practice in communicating
information on a range of policy issues, including the district’s budget
process, school openings and improvements, student art and music events, and
milestones in graduation and registration rates.” Therefore, the district’s
campaigning theoretically follows a “normal and regular” pattern and doesn’t
fall into the prohibited area of being unusual or excessive.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the
district’s argument is accepted, then violations under RCW 42.17.130 could
become legal simply by tying them to legal activity in which districts normally
and regularly engage. Put it another way: “I’m legally allowed to race my bike in
the backcountry, so I’m legally allowed to race my bike in the city.” Or, “I
normally and regularly speed down the highway, so that makes it legal.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The problem with the PDC’s acceptance of Mark Anderson’s argument is that it
compares apples to oranges and declares them to be the same. The other activities
Anderson cited do not fall under RCW 42.17.130. In fact, according to </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-05-273"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WAC 390-05-273</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
(bolding added):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Normal and regular conduct of a
public office or agency, as that term is used in the proviso to</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RCW </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.17A.555"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">42.17A.555</span></span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,</span>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">means conduct which is (1) lawful<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,</i></b> i.e., specifically authorized,
either expressly or by necessary implication, in an appropriate enactment, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and (2) usual<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,</i> </b>i.e., not effected or authorized in or by some extraordinary
means or manner</span>. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No local office or
agency may authorize a use of public facilities for the purpose of assisting a
candidate's campaign or promoting or opposing a ballot proposition</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,</i> in the absence of a constitutional,
charter, or statutory provision separately authorizing such use.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
first requirement of the activity, therefore, is that it must be lawful. Conduct
that violates the law cannot be made lawful by repeated violations. Conduct
cannot violate RCW 42.17.130, even if it’s “normal and regular.” The district’s
argument is circular, that their activity is legal because it’s normal and
regular, and that normal and regular activity is legal. Besides being in
contravention of WAC 390-05-273, the argument sets up election law as flexible
and malleable, different for each individual and agency, without set standards
for citizens to understand and obey. It removes the principles of fairness and
uniformity that form the bedrock of American jurisprudence. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC’s
Feb. 27 acceptance of the “normal and regular” argument absolves agencies for
activity to date and provides a PDC sanction for them to campaign as they
please from now on, if they do it regularly and if they profess to not know the
law. It allows them to include election activities in their “regular and
normal” activities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane Public Schools
contention: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bond and levy campaign materials were informational, not promotional</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According
to RCW 42.17.130 (bolding added):</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No
elective official nor any employee of his or her office nor any person
appointed to or employed by any public office or agency may use or authorize
the use of any of the facilities of a public office or agency, directly or
indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person
to any office <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">or for the promotion of or
opposition to any ballot proposition</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Public Disclosure Commission's own 2006 </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhNndhczFBdFVjTDg/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Guidelines
for School Districts”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> cautions school districts: “The </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Districts need to be aware, however, that in no case will the PDC view a
marketing or sales effort related to a campaign or election as normal and
regular conduct.”</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
report stated that the district’s “informational” material carried promotional language
such as “something for everyone” and “the bond would stimulate the economy.” (From
records I sent to the PDC, I can add more, including, but not limited to: “promote,” “campaign,” “necessary,”
“critical,” “essential” and “300 staff positions would possible (sic) be lost.”)
However, the PDC officials wrote this:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“.
. . the extensive informational activity . . . by officials of Spokane Public
Schools was authorized by statute and district policy, and followed the
agency’s practice in communicating information on elections and other major
policy issues . . . The district did not have the benefit of PDC staff’s
guidance on the content of its communications . . . If asked, PDC staff would
have recommended changes to some aspects of the communications, to lessen the
impression of a promotional tenor or tone. However, the remainder of the
communications constituted an objective and fair presentation of the facts. .
.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In spite
of there clearly being promotional language in the district’s election
communications, the PDC report concluded that it does not “warrant formal
enforcement action.” The report recommended dismissing the allegation of the
district using “promotional” language, and the Commissioners did so.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dismissing
a finding of promotional language by saying that other<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>“communications constituted an objective and fair presentation of
the facts” is like saying, “You exceeded the speed limit only some of the
time, therefore you are not guilty of speeding any of the time.” The PDC has
interpreted the standard of compliance to be a standard of what it deems to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">substantial</i></b>
compliance, although this does not appear anywhere in the law or the
regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
addition, district administrators repeatedly sent around PDC regulations to
staff, which the PDC acknowledged. But, for argument’s sake, let’s say, as the
PDC said, that the district “did not have the benefit of the PDC staff’s
guidance. . .” Well, why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">didn’t</i> it? Were
all district phone lines, computer servers and the post office out of service for
several years? <span style="background: white; color: black;">Is there no <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">requirement</i></b>
that agencies understand and obey the law? </span>Is ignorance of
the law now an acceptable legal defense? Can we all now just claim we just
“didn’t have the benefit” of legal advice? Spokane Public Schools pays its
contracted lawyers </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhQmxnV0dSVjZpSkE/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a
lot of taxpayer dollars each month for legal advice</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do
citizens now determine what constitutes “information” vs. “promotion”? Which phrases
are actionable violations? Is a “promotional tenor or tone” a violation? The
PDC report did not clearly define “informational” vs. “promotional,” and it
blurred the line between them by turning campaigning, threatening and promising
into “an objective and fair presentation of the facts.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who will
dare now to challenge agencies on promotional language? The PDC has just agreed
that promotional language is not an actionable violation. Thus, it gave
agencies an official sanction to push the boundaries on campaign language –
with the edges of those boundaries no longer clear to anyone. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane Public Schools
contention: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It didn’t “authorize” or know of the distribution of campaign literature in the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">KIDS Newspaper</i></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em></em><o:p></o:p></span></b> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">KIDS Newspaper</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is a </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">free
periodical that Spokane Public Schools distributes each month of the school
year in elementary schools.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is not a school
district publication. In September and October 2011, the periodical carried </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhZjFiOGM2M2MtNmFiZC00ZWQwLThhMDItODg3MDBhNmI3YzU0/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">paid
union endorsements of three candidates for public office, including school
board candidate Deana Brower.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Brower’s campaign manager, according to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Spokesman-Review</i>, was school
district administrator Kevin Morrison. Brower and another union-endorsed
candidate narrowly won their race that November. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-05-290"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WAC
390-05-290</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> says (bolding added):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(3) "Political
advertising"</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is defined under RCW </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.17A.005"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">42.17A.005</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
to include a mass communication used for the purpose of appealing, directly or
indirectly, for votes or for financial or other support or opposition in any
election campaign</span>. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(4) Political advertising does not include letters to the
editor, news or feature articles, editorial comment or replies thereto in a
regularly published newspaper, periodical, or on a radio or television
broadcast <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">where payment for the space or
time is not normally required</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According
to </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-18-010"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WAC
390-18-010</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(4) Printed advertising shall
clearly state, in an area set apart from any other printed matter, that it has
been paid for by the sponsor . . .<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
union endorsements of three elective candidates, published in the KIDS
newspapers, were paid advertisements, but didn’t follow PDC rules on advertisements.
They didn’t identify themselves as paid advertisements or indicate who paid
for them. They were not reported in a timely manner as contributions to three
elective campaigns. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The school
district twice distributed the newspapers containing these union endorsements to elementary schools,
where they were twice distributed to the children to take home. They also were
available to the public over two months near school offices and in the downtown
office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stutzman
and Perkins wrote that “the purchased, promotional content” (the union endorsements)
in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">KIDS Newspaper</i> was
“distributed without the knowledge or authorization of officials of Spokane
Public Schools.” They recommended dismissal of the allegation that the district
“authorized” the distribution. But I didn’t allege that the district <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">authorized</b> the distribution; I alleged
that the district “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">distributed</b>” the
periodical, in violation of RCW 42.17.130. That the district did so is
indisputable. On Feb. 27, PDC Commissioners dismissed the allegation (as
reworded by the PDC).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
district’s claims are dubious. The papers were twice distributed throughout the
elementary schools <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and were available to
employees and the public in the downtown office.</i> No one looked at them? No
one ever looked at those newspapers over two months of distribution, not even
Kevin Morrison, district administrator and reportedly Deana Brower’s campaign
manager? Regardless, the question is irrelevant to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fact</i></b> of their
distribution by the district.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.17A.235"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With respect to the
disclosure of campaign contributions</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, the Spokane Education Association
(the union) president contended that it "didn't occur" to her that she was required by law to
disclose her paid advertisements in the KIDS newspaper. According to the PDC
report, union lawyer Mike Gawley said “the union did not disclose its
expenditures to run endorsement pieces in the newspaper, because it did not
occur to SEA president Jenny Rose that reporting was required.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On
October 22, 2011, the local newspaper </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/22/union-broke-law-with-kids-news-ad/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ran
an article titled</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> “Union broke law with Kids News<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>ad.” In the article, Jenny Rose took responsibility for running
the ads. But on Nov. 16, 2011, </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/new%20user/Desktop/Regarding%20the%20info%20in%20the%20article%20‐‐this%20all%20came%20to%20be%20because%20of%20one%20school%20board%20candidate"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jenny
Rose wrote to an employee about the newspaper coverage</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between you and me
Sharon</span> </span>‐‐‐<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
purposely took the fall for that</span>. . . . <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SEA did nothing wrong – we are using
WEA</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‐<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PAC money to pay
for those pages those 2 months because it is political information going out to
community members</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC report
recommended dismissal of the allegation that the union failed to disclose in a timely
fashion its paid political advertisements in the KIDS newspapers. On Feb. 27,
Commissioners did so. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC investigators
also appear to have accepted board candidate Deana Brower’s explanation that
she didn’t know there was an expense involved in the KIDS advertisements, and that
she viewed the advertisements in the same light as a newspaper endorsement.
(Never mind that these endorsements came from the union president, not from a
newspaper’s editorial board.)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Agencies
will notice that there was no consequence for using district time and resources
to repeatedly stuff campaign literature in the children’s backpacks. They’ll
see that “I didn’t know” or "it didn't occur to me" was an acceptable excuse for the district, the union
president, and a school board candidate. This could encourage them to campaign
at will and to knowingly maintain “plausible deniability.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane Public Schools
contention: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Handing over private employee information to the pro-levy group is okay because
there was a longstanding records request on file, and anyway, it’s “normal and
regular conduct”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each month during bond/levy season, Spokane Public Schools administrators
handed over to private group Citizens for Spokane Schools (CFSS) detailed
reports with private employee information (including address, phone number, and
amount of levy-campaign donation). The district’s argument to the PDC is that
there was a longstanding records request on file, even though it didn’t have
anything in writing. The district said it was merely following the Public
Records Act, as it is legally bound to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
accepted this argument, even though the Public Records Act does not authorize
continuing requests. <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=44-14-04004">According to WAC 44-14-04004</a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (bolding added):</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An
agency must only provide access to public records in existence at the time of
the request. An agency is not obligated to supplement responses. Therefore, if
a public record is created or comes into the possession of the agency after the
request is received by the agency, it is not responsive to the request and need
not be provided. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A requestor must make a
new request to obtain subsequently created public records. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CFSS should
therefore have submitted a new request each month. Stutzman and Perkins acknowledged
that the payroll records in question were “created, rather than pre-existing.” They
also found that “there was no written request for the payroll information on
file with Spokane Public Schools.” Oops. However, they added, “CFSS has since
submitted a written request.” <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
therefore accepted a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">retroactive </i>request
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created</i> records containing
personal employee information, including home address and the amount contributed
to the bond and levy campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRExQOS1yc0tfb0U/edit?pli=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark
Anderson emailed the superintendent</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in 2008 about giving payroll
information to CFSS. He noted to CFSS members that employee contributions had
dipped. He wrote: “Thus, in addition to talking about the bond plan, I think we
should discuss gearing up for this year’s October enrollment campaign to the
levy/bond committee, among other topics.” It appears from this record and others
that the district used disclosure of the payroll records <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">specifically</b> to increase donations to the pro-district levy group.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC,
which was given the record noted above, said the district practice of handing
over private information to CFSS “has been in place for nearly twenty years” and
that “the district operates under a good-faith understanding...” The PDC
recommended the allegation be dismissed. On Feb. 27, Commissioners did so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark
Anderson has previously made a big deal of privacy issues, redacting home
addresses and phone numbers for other records requests because the information
is “personal.” But for CFSS, this private information was handed out monthly. Does
the PDC not care about privacy laws? How would <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b> feel, being a Spokane
teacher or staff member who does <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b> contribute to CFSS, knowing that
the information is tracked and sent outside of the payroll system to a third
party? Would <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b> feel intimidated or coerced? Who wants to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
teacher</i></b> who doesn’t contribute to CFSS?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i></b>
district employee ever received a notification about these 20 years of private
information being released to CFSS? Has the district made any effort to protect
private information or offer employees a chance to opt out? When I’ve made
requests for records, the district has personally notified third parties whose
names appear in the records about my request. It also offered third parties the
opportunity to call the district about the possibility of filing for an
injunction against the release of information. Were employees ever given this
opportunity with respect to the CFSS donor report?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
has, in essence, provided districts everywhere with an official sanction to work
with and give pro-levy groups private employee information, specifically in
order to boost donations to those groups.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public Disclosure Commission contention: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane teacher Jennifer Walther violated RCW 42.17.130 over “Face Off At
Ferris”</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></b><br />
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only question that matters with respect to the 2011 “Face Off At Ferris” political
debates is this: Did Jennifer Walther “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">use
or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public office or agency,
directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of
any person to any office”?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
claims she did. The PDC report, however, damns Jennifer Walther with some of her
political associations and attempts to call it a case. The PDC failed to prove
that “Face Off At Ferris” was anything other than a fair debate between
candidates. In all of the pages of “evidence,” that’s the critical missing
link.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who
filed the complaint against Jennifer Walther regarding Face Off at Ferris? I
didn’t do it. My name is all over the PDC letters and documents regarding
#12-145, but there is no indication of where Complaint #14-053 against Jennifer
Walther came from. The records I provided to the PDC do not include the vast
majority of documents about Jennifer Walther that appear in the PDC’s report.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
wasn’t until January 23, 2014, that the PDC sent an email saying that “additional
evidence involving Ms. Walther has come to light” and brought up the Ferris
debate.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
their report on Jennifer Walther, Stutzman and Perkins also focused an unusual
amount of attention on a few emails exchanged between Jennifer Walther and me, appearing
to attribute improper and unproved motives to both of us. At no point did the
PDC notify me or ask me about these communications. Jennifer Walther once again
became a target (as did I, but without my knowledge and without the benefit of the
avenues of recourse provided to school district officials and employees).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
truth about my emails with Jennifer Walther, which the PDC has never attempted
to determine, is that I wanted to see a copy of a union letter sent in 2011 to
teachers on behalf of Deana Brower’s campaign. I’d only just met five of the board
candidates, including Deana Brower. If the letter said something consequential about
any of them, I wanted to know. Although I had my doubts about Deana Brower, and
I had chosen to support Sally Fullmer’s campaign, I remained open to new
information about everyone. I asked the union president for a copy of the
letter, and she refused to provide one. So, I asked Jennifer Walther if she had
one. The PDC concluded (without talking to me) that I (and thus Jennifer
Walther) was engaged in what they called “oppositional research.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
wasn’t “oppositional research”; it was just research. This contention is well supported
by my extensive labor during the 2011 election to meet every candidate,
interview every candidate, </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/laurie-rogerss-questions-for-2011-board.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">post
exact transcripts online</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, ask follow-up questions about math, and </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://disclosurespokaneschools.blogspot.com/p/wheres-math-school-board-director.html">vet
candidates through “Where’s the Math?</a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://disclosurespokaneschools.blogspot.com/p/wheres-math-school-board-director.html">”</a> It was a massive effort, and my
research continued throughout the election. </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC turned me into a subject of investigation, however, without
allowing me the opportunity to explain or defend myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jennifer
Walther didn’t coordinate my research for the 2011 school board election</span>; <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">she
answered my question. She did not campaign in that email string. The subject of
the emails was mine. The request was mine. Her email went to me and no one
else. The PDC dismissed charges against <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i></b> district employees who
responded to someone’s email and did not forward it.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
report does <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b> note that, following the 2011 Face Off At Ferris debate, </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/01/print-media-display-political-agenda.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
district and local print media targeted Jennifer Walther</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> over the debate. John
Rose, husband of the teachers’ union president, asked the district for records
on Jennifer Walther, me and the KXLY anchor who hosted the debate. Associate
Superintendent Mark Anderson directed staff to be sure that an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inlander</i> reporter, Nick Deshais, received
a copy of John Rose’s initial request along with the second one. </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhR0R0ZnlOQzR4UGs/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anderson
wrote</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fyi</span>..
..<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the first email I want to provide Mr. Deshais is the previous emails (sic)
from John Rose, requesting all emails between Walther/Woodward/Rogers as it
provides the “reason” for his request - I want Deshais to see the reason.</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
stated “reason” for John Rose’s records request was this: “I have questions
regarding the validity and origin of the questions that supposedly came (sic) the
students.” (However, the source of the debate questions could have been Sen.
Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it
wouldn’t be a PDC violation</i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doesn’t</b> note that the John Rose/Nick
Deshais records requests found no collusion between Jennifer Walther, me and
the KXLY anchor because there was no collusion to find. The questions asked that
night were good and relevant. Candidates rose or fell on their own. </span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
report <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doesn’t</b> note that the Ferris
debate was approved by the district and promoted by the district, and that it
was the second of its kind, organized and run in exactly the same way as the
first, and by the same teacher. It doesn’t note that the district “investigated”
the 2011 debate and laid the matter to rest without disciplining Jennifer
Walther. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
report does include a copy of an “Advisory Letter” the district gave Jennifer
Walther in</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2011, telling her </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“that
the role that students play in the development of the debate questions needs to
be more clearly understood and advertised, to avoid any confusion by candidates
or attendees.” This letter, provided to the PDC as evidence, states in the last
line</span>: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Because the letter is not discipline, a copy of it will not be retained
in your personnel file or your principal’s Supervisor File.” Yet, this same
Advisory Letter was handily available for someone to provide to the PDC.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
report does say that Jennifer Walther worked on the debate with known conservatives,
and</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">that “some” of the questions came from conservative sources. The report
spends</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">three pages in a flutter of political irrelevancy, trying to
lay the groundwork for an accusation of political bias.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When analyzed closely, those three pages boil
down to “she had an opinion,” “she organized the debate,” and “she met with
conservatives.” Since when did it become a PDC violation to:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">have an opinion?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">organize a debate?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">communicate with conservatives?</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ask solid, timely and relevant questions of elective candidates?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bias <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in
the Ferris debate</i></b> was not proved, not by the PDC and not by the
union/district/media. Good questions were asked that night about things the
public wanted to know. The district/union/media school board pick won the straw
poll, and she narrowly won the election. After the debate, Deana Brower praised
the debate and thanked Jennifer Walther. The PDC has proved only that some of
the people Jennifer Walther communicated with were conservative or (OMG)
Republican. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That is not yet a PDC violation</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tellingly, the
Stutzman/Perkins report includes a transcript of the Ferris debate questions
for school board candidates, yet included zero argumentation showing actual bias <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in</i></b>
the questions. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is the critical point</i></b>. The PDC’s allegation of a violation
of RCW 42.17.130 during the Ferris debate is built on nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC report <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i></b>
make it clear, however, to school districts and political action committees
across the state that the PDC can allow itself to be used, “under color of law,”
to attack people on the basis of political affiliation, without solid proof of
an actual violation of the law.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile,
although she no longer works for the school district, former superintendent
Nancy Stowell was defended in Case #12-145 by Paul Clay, a lawyer for the
school district. (Paul Clay’s firm represents educational institutions and is
under contract to Spokane Public Schools.) Although teacher Jennifer Walther <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">does</b> work for the school district and
pays dues to the union, the school district and the Spokane Education
Association denied her access to legal representation through them.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public Disclosure Commission contention: </span></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laurie Rogers made mistakes in her submission to the PDC</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
criticized me (after the fact) of not doing a perfect job in submitting my
complaint. I did my best, given that there are no clear guidelines or rules for
making a PDC complaint. Certain words such as “informational” and “promotional”
are not clearly defined. There is only a fill-in-the-blank form on the PDC’s Web site.
If the PDC had called me and asked me to redo the complaint, I would have done
so, but they never asked me or gave me that opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For my
last submission of evidence, which the PDC report criticizes as largely
irrelevant, the records were provided as the district gave them to me, in PDF
files. However, I gave the PDC <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a detailed
list of the exact records they should review</b>. Stutzman and Perkins never
provided me with guidance other than to not send anything irrelevant. (It would
have been helpful to have known what they considered to be irrelevant.) They also
never told me about a five-year statute of limitations. Even if they had, the
last installment of records I provided was to show a pattern of conduct by the
school district leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I contacted the PDC
a few times over the course of its two and a half years of investigation to ask
for a status update. After one of the requests, </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhdTBrSExuZTU1MjQ/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tony
Perkins wrote on Jan. 8, 2013</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (bolding added): <span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m
afraid I won’t have any other information to share until the PDC’s
administrators determine the disposition of the case—whether to issue charges,
or to seek dismissal of the complaint. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At that point</b>, you’ll receive prompt notification of whatever
action our administrators take.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I
was not notified “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">at that point</b>.” In
December 2013, without informing me, the PDC began sending out letters to
district employees. </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhTWVPalVkV0dYNDQ/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
I asked on Dec. 19 for an update</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">; the PDC response said nothing about the
letters. I was not notified about the allegations concerning me, nor allowed to
respond to them. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Feb. 4,
2014, I again asked the PDC for a status update, now aware that letters had been
mailed to school district employees. On Feb. 7, Perkins wrote: “As I’ve said
previously, we’ll notify you when PDC administrators take action on your
complaint.” I asked him what he meant by “action.” On Feb. 12, Perkins wrote: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PDC
administrators can take action on your complaint by scheduling an enforcement
hearing and issuing a notice of administrative charges to Spokane Schools
officials, or they can schedule a report to the Commission in which they
recommend another action (e.g., dismissal of the complaint). You’ll be
notified either way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
appears to me that action had already been taken but that the PDC was not
forthcoming with me.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According
to </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=390-32-030"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WAC 390-32-030</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> :<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(3) The respondent shall be notified of the date of
the adjudicative proceeding no later than ten calendar days before that date.
The notice shall contain the information required by RCW </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=34.05.434"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">34.05.434</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.
The complainant shall also be provided a copy of this notice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
I have never received a “copy” of the notice with the information required by
RCW 34.05.434.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On
Friday, February 21, 2014, </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhaUFLOWRYbFl1YkE/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stutzman
finally emailed me about the hearing on February 27</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. This email arrived
just six days before the hearing. Stutzman wrote nothing about the accusations
and criticisms of me in his public document. I was not invited to testify or
attend. I was not told that PDC hearings are public meetings. I was not told I
could submit evidence up to and including five days before the hearing. I was told only
that I could listen to the enforcement hearing online. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enforcement</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> hearings are governed by </span><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=34.05"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RCW 34.05</span></a>, <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
Administrative Procedure Act. According to</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=34.05.449"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RCW 34.05.449</span></a>,
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“all parties” have “the opportunity to respond, present evidence and argument, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">conduct
cross-examination, and submit rebuttal evidence</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. . . .”</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition, “all or
part of the hearing may be conducted by telephone, television, or other
electronic means. Each party in the hearing must have an opportunity to
participate effectively in, to hear, and, if technically and economically
feasible, to see the entire proceeding while it is taking place.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhSWVzOEhISUxOb0E/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On
Feb. 24, Stutzman answered</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> my question about citizens testifying.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Only
the Respondent and PDC staff are parties to an enforcement hearing. Each
party, at its discretion, can call witnesses to testify. If a citizen
wants to speak at an enforcement hearing, he or she needs to appear in person
at the hearing and ask the Chair of the Commission for permission to
speak. The Chair will decide whether to allow the citizen to address the
Commission. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC had made allegations against
me, but I was again not informed. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could have dropped everything and raced to
Olympia, yet still have been denied the opportunity to speak in my own defense.
The PDC hearing was televised online through TVW, but it suffered
substantial technical difficulties for the first half-hour. The audio was
garbled with multiple echoes and feedback loops throughout. I recorded it, but
I have no idea of what was said during the first half of the hearing.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know if the PDC recorded the hearing. Tony Perkins was told in the hearing about the technical difficulties, but <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhMnV1QjNjeERSdGM/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue;">in his Feb. 28 email to me</span></a>, he didn't mention them or offer me an audio of the hearing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the
Stutzman/Perkins report, citizens across the state will see that it’s now dangerous
to file a PDC complaint, that respondents and their lawyers have a greater
access to PDC officials than the complainant, that good intentions can be used
against those who file complaints with the PDC, that innocent people can become
ensnared in a noble effort, and that the PDC can accuse the innocent and let
violators off easy.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consequences if the PDC report
and the Commissioners’</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feb. 27, 2014, decisions stand</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Officials who engage in egregious violations of law can expect to suffer no more than a few hundred dollars in penalties.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can offset, downplay, ignore, and mitigate evidence of wrongdoing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can accept flimsy excuses and dismiss acknowledged violations of law, even if respondents offer a defense that is illogical, insensible or not lawful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can absolve respondents of a consequence for violations if respondents claim ignorance and promise to do better in the future.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PDC officials can assist violators by judging activities that are in violation as being</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“normal and regular.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can, without a formal process, allow respondents to become complainants and turn complainants into the accused.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can use its office, “</span><a href="http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/242fin.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">under color of law</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,” to attack citizens, without a formal written complaint and without solid evidence of actual violations.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can, “</span><a href="http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/242fin.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">under color of law</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accuse</i></b> people of political associations and find them in violation because of those associations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can accept unsubstantiated accusations as if they are factual evidence of wrongdoing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can, “</span><a href="http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/242fin.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">under color of law</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,” attack or imply impropriety on the part of whistleblowers and bystanders, without offering them notice or an opportunity for explanation or self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can engage in selective enforcement, treat individuals differently, and penalize them accordingly. It does not need to be consistent in interpreting the law or in assessing punishments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC can violate with impunity its own protocols.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC
decisions regarding Case #12-145, if allowed to stand, will have a chilling
effect on this state’s open-government laws. Those laws are already are difficult
to enforce; the PDC report makes it clear that those who file reports against
agencies are at substantial risk of being turned into the accused.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The PDC has accepted school district campaigning as normal and regular
activity; accepted unsupported excuses for violations; and reinterpreted the
law without citations to the law, the rules or case law. From now on, it will
be okay to not know the law, to fix things “retroactively,” to enforce the law
selectively, to implicate whistleblowers and innocent bystanders, and to not
provide evidence of violations of the law.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s hard to understand. Is this the country these people want their children to
live in?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>A country with no clear legal standard, laws that are applied
unequally and inconsistently, laws that are impossible for citizens to understand
or follow, and laws that are used against the innocent and the whistleblowers?
We call that kind of country a tyranny. The PDC has dragged Washington State into
very dangerous territory.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A full and thorough investigation of the PDC, especially its investigation of
Case #12-145, not only is warranted, but is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">critically
necessary to the future of Washington State</i>, including the future of those who would
cheer its decisions.</span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Please note: This information is copyrighted. The
proper citation is: </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
<strong>Rogers, L. (March 2014). "Legislature should look into the PDC's
investigation of Spokane Public Schools." Retrieved (date) from the
Betrayed Web site: </strong></span></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-36589943495489442502014-02-20T08:01:00.000-08:002014-02-27T23:21:53.738-08:00So, what's in those public records, anyway? Here's one: Associate Superintendent Mark Anderson and the "levy leadership team"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">From Laurie Rogers:</span> </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In my ongoing effort to be careful, accurate and thorough as I report on Spokane Public Schools, I have found it necessary several times since 2007 to ask for public records from the school district.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For this sincere effort on my part to be careful, thorough and accurate, I have repeatedly been implied to be, or accused of being, a hater, a whacko, a nut job, an antagonist, a loud critic, a conspiracy theorist, a gadfly, abusive, a person who "needles" public officials, and perhaps "less than fully hinged." In a Spokane paper, my efforts recently were placed under the heading "Friends and Enemies."</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">It isn't as if I enjoy reading records from Spokane Public Schools. They do not tend to improve my day or my mood. There is typically very little in records from the leadership that I can praise. They often contain grammatical errors, and their focus on money is near absolute. The needs of the children, particularly academic needs, are reflected almost nowhere. Reading the records through the years, it seems that many in leadership have viewed teachers, parents, children and voters as pawns in a chess game of "Get More For the Leadership" and "Do Whatever It Takes to Avoid Seeing and/or Telling the Stark Truth."</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many people have asked me to share the records. Below is an email string between Associate Superintendent Mark Anderson and what he calls the "levy leadership team." I'm providing this string without comment. No accusation or assumption about the records, or about those within the records, is being made or implied. The records speak for themselves.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just think you might like to see them. And, you have a right to.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following is a reproduction of the text of an email string I received from Spokane Public Schools; formatting issues prevent it from being an exact duplicate. </span></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A</span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhUllLZTZZWk0xcDA/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong>PDF copy of the record below can be viewed here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/bond-and-levy-and-other-elective.html">Other records regarding the district's election activity can be found on this page</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The PDC cited these in its Report of Investigation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some</span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/records-from-spokane-s.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of the other records included in my submissions to the PDC can be found on this page</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. These and others were not cited; nevertheless, they're interesting to read.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mark Anderson</b>: Associate Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Nancy Stowell</b>: (in 2011, Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Linda McDermott</b>: Chief Financial Officer, Spokane Public Schools</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Deana Brower</b>: (in 2011, a candidate for school board and a member of Citizens for Spokane Schools, which campaigns for district bonds and levies. Brower won in 2011 and is now a board director).</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mike Livingston, Staci Clary, and Scott Jones</b>: (have been involved with Citizens for Spokane Schools)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></b><br />
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">START OF EMAIL STRING </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(As with all email strings, the first message appears at the bottom, and the last message appears at the top.)</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From: <markeanderson comcast.net=""> markeanderson@comcast.net</markeanderson></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Date: Friday, August 19, 2011 8:38 PM </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To: nancys@spokaneschools.org; </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LindaM@spokaneschools.org</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Subject: Fwd: Draft Levy Information Presentation</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See feedback below from some of our levy leadership team. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">___________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From: "Scott Jones" SJones@fidelityins.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To: "Mike Livingston" Mikel@khco.com<mikel khco.com="">, markeanderson@comcast.net, "Deana </mikel></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brower" deanabrower@gmail.com<deanabrower gmail.com="">, staci@claryhome.com </deanabrower></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 1:58:37 PM </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Subject: RE: Draft Levy information Presentation </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark, </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I agree with Mike. The materials are very good. I also agree that more details may need to be shared on </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the things SPS has done to tighten its belt over the past couple of years to balance the budget. It will be </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">good info to have it the campaign decision is to be proactive with this information. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See you all next Tuesday at 7:30. Kristin Davis is available and l asked her to join us so you can meet her. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a great weekend. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scott </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">____________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From: Mike Livingston [mailto:Mikel@khco.com] </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 12:01 PM </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To: 'markeanderson@comcast.net‘; Scott Jones; Deana Brower; staci@claryhome.com </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Subject: RE: Draft Levy Information Presentation </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark-</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for forwarding the presentation. It is a very good overview of the levy process. As I reviewed the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">information I kept wondering how much has been cut from the budget over the past 2-3 years and where </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">did the cuts occur? The purpose of asking these questions is to make sure Sally Fullmer or Duane Alton c</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">an’t say SPS is moving money “from one pocket to the other" thus not experiencing any real cuts in </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">budget, staff, or overhead. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike Livingston </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kiemle & Hagood </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">601 W. Main, Suite 400 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spokane, WA 99201 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(509) 755-7559</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mikel@khco.com</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">___________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From: markeanderson@comcast.net [mailto:markeanderson@comcast.net] </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 4:57 PM </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To: Scott Jones; Mike Livingston; Deana Brower; staci@claryhome.com </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Subject: Draft Levy Information Presentation </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi Mike, Staci, Deana and Scott: </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FYl....attached is a PDF of a "draft" levy information presentation that l am putting together for </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. Stowell and SEA President Jenny Rose to use in meeting with all employees this fall at </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">individual school staff and department meetings for the purpose of helping staff </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">understand what the levy provides and the need for our community renewing the levy next </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">February. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">| thought you might want to sneek peak. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">END OF EMAIL STRING</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Following is information regarding open government laws in Washington State, and a brief timeline of my efforts regarding records from Spokane Public Schools. I'm providing it to assist with understanding and appreciation of laws on open government, not to imply that records provided on this blog are examples of any violation of any law or procedure.</b></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Records from Washington State government agencies are accessible to the people via the <strong><em>Public Records Act</em></strong>, a law that was passed in 1974 by<b> </b>the people and for<b> </b>the people. Many government agencies in Washington State have made concerted efforts over several years to undermine the Public Records Act.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A January 2011 records request of mine produced records regarding Spokane Public School's levies. A July 2011 request produced records on then-school board candidate Deana Brower.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In September 2011, some of the records led to a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission. The PDC was asked to investigate whether school district administrators violated RCW 42.17.130, which concerned <strong><em>Disclosure, Campaign Finances, and Lobbying</em></strong>, and which f</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">orbid the use of a public office or public agency facilities in elective campaigns.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The PDC's investigation of Spokane Public Schools is Case #12-145.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In February 2012, I filed a lawsuit to obtain records the district did not provide in response to the January 2011 request on the levies. From February 2012 through September 2013, in response to the lawsuit, the district provided eight more installments containing thousands of records.</span></li>
<li>RCW 42.30 is the <strong><em>Washington State Open Meetings Act</em></strong>, which ensures that government agencies operate in an open and transparent manner.</li>
</span></ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Some of the text of RCW 42.56:</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may maintain control over the instruments that they have created. This chapter shall be liberally construed and its exemptions narrowly construed to promote this public policy and to assure that the public interest will be fully protected. In the event of conflict between the provisions of this chapter and any other act, the provisions of this chapter shall govern. . . .</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of *subsection (6) of this section, this chapter, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records. To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by this chapter, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with this chapter when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing."</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Some of the text of RCW 42.17.130:</strong></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No elective official nor any employee of his office nor any person appointed to or employed by any public office or agency may use or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public office or agency, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot prop</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">osition. Facilities of public office or agency include, but are not limited to, use of stationery, postage, machines, and equipment, use of employees of the office or agency during working hours, vehicles, office space, publications of the office or agency, and clientele lists of persons served by the office or agency . . .</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Some of the text of RCW 42.30</strong>:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. . . . All meetings of the governing body of a public agency shall be open and public and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the governing body of a public agency, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. . . . No governing body of a public agency shall adopt any ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order, or directive, except in a meeting open to the public and then only at a meeting, the date of which is fixed by law or rule, or at a meeting of which notice has been given according to the provisions of this chapter. Any action taken at meetings failing to comply with the provisions of this subsection shall be null and void."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<br />Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-54466901466333392932013-12-09T13:35:00.002-08:002013-12-09T19:25:16.483-08:00Good news: District finally admits math problem. Bad news: Board adopts unfinished, unproved curriculum that contains no textbooks<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Laurie H. Rogers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The leadership of Spokane Public Schools (SPS) took a huge step forward at its Dec.
4 board </span>meeting. Unfortunately, it also took a huge step backward. Let’s begin
with the good news: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the step forward.</i></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Dec. 4, an administrator and two board directors acknowledged
publicly that SPS has a serious problem in math and that much of the problem is
due to inadequate K-8 math materials. Hallelujah. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chief Academic Officer Steve Gering called the district’s K-8 math program "weak," and he detailed at length how it doesn't allow for enough teaching and practicing of basic skills. Director
Jeff Bierman called the program inadequate; Director Rocky Treppiedi called it a
"disgrace." <br />
<br />
I almost fell out of my chair. I wish those public admissions had come years
ago, in time to save tens of thousands of children from hating math class, tens of thousands of
parents from having to pay for tutoring and private programs, and tens of thousands of graduates
from having to either give up on math or take multiple remedial math classes. <br />
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not everyone seemed to be on board with these obvious truths. </span>Board
director Sue Chapin said her own daughter had done well with the current math
program and that good teachers are what matter most. Her comment pretty much blames
teachers for the problems – a long-time district strategy that the former
superintendent used to great effect. (Nice way to toss teachers under the bus,
Sue.)<br /><br />Despite a few tone-deaf moments like this, however, the district presentation and the leadership responses were light years from any previous district presentation on math I've seen.<br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Spokesman-Review</i> could have helped
broadcast the district’s sea change in thinking, so that all parents could see
the truth and begin taking necessary steps to save their children. This about-face should have been headline news, considering the years of
unrelenting propaganda from the district and newspaper about how great the district
is, how things are getting better, how the curriculum is NOT a problem, and how
dissenters are just haters with a selfish axe to grind. Instead, the SR’s next-day
coverage said </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/dec/05/in-brief-school-board-adopts-new-math-program/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">not a word about it</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the first step to beating a problem is admitting you have one,
and the district finally did it. The second step is to isolate the causes: in
this case, the math materials and method of delivery. However, the board then
made a perplexing decision to address the problem by adopting an unfinished,
unproved, online curriculum that pushes the Common Core and contains no textbooks. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s the bad news, an intolerable echo of every bad curriculum
decision over the past two decades. This district seems to have a strange compulsion to
adopt unproved curricula in an uncritical echo chamber.<br />
<br />
The board meeting was momentous, yet supremely frustrating. It was like
listening to an alcoholic finally stand up and say, “My name is Harry, and I’m
an alcoholic,” then watching him pull out a flask and take a long drink of
whiskey. So it was with Spokane Public Schools. At the end of the evening, I
had emotional whiplash. My jaws ached from clenching my teeth.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite their public acknowledgement of a serious failure in
their math program, no one there took ownership of this academic train wreck. No
one said: “For decades, this District has betrayed 27,000+ students, their
parents and this community. We were told and told and told, and not only did we
refuse to listen to parents, teachers, students, professionals and
mathematicians, we actively attacked dissenters, and we punished teachers for
telling the truth. We encouraged our friends and allies to publicly attack and
reject them too. We ignored parents who cried in front of us, and we blamed
them for not being involved. We watched children struggle and fail, and we blamed
them for not being motivated. We refused to acknowledge the problem, and we
refused to tell the truth even as we helped our own children. We wasted 20
years of your tax dollars out of sheer stubbornness, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we betrayed children</i></b>.”<br />
<br />
Director Treppiedi bemoaned the fact that the math program was allowed to get
so bad, but he’s been on the board since 1996. He helped to make it bad.
Bierman has repeatedly voted for materials that on Wednesday he called inadequate.
Directors Chapin and Bob Douthitt have been rude and dismissive about dissenters.
By the time Deana Brower was elected to the board in 2011 (telling voters she
was “very pleased” with the district’s direction in math), </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhQmpKTTFySGh2b2M/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">she
had already asked around about outside math tutoring</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. <br />
<br />
Bierman said last Wednesday, and I agree, that parents shouldn’t have to be nuclear
physicists to get their children a good math program. However, one also shouldn’t
have to be a director, administrator, or pusher of the levies to obtain the
truth or be treated with respect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
reputation has been purposefully trashed across the city and state for telling parents
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what the district finally acknowledged on
Wednesday to be true</i>. Apologies are in order (and I will accept them by email because I'm a 21st-century kind of gal and also because it means I wouldn't have to talk with them).<br />
<br />
But their worst betrayal by far is of the children, who were failed and blamed for
decades, day after day after day – a senseless emotional torture. Sadly, more
betrayal in math appears to be on the way. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gering explained that OSPI (state education agency) recommended districts not buy more materials now, but instead wait until publishers "catch up" with the Common Core initiatives. Districts can meanwhile use free "open educational resources," OSPI has said. Gering said the recommendation "creates a problem" for districts. However, more to the point, the recommendation creates a problem <strong><em>for the children</em></strong>, which is why districts should ignore it. Alas, the children appear to carry less weight in many districts than unhelpful recommendations from OSPI.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meanwhile, an at-grade-level assessment in math should be done on all Spokane students,
with the grim results made public. I’ve been asking the new superintendent for
that since September 2012. She said “no one wants” a test like
that. I told her parents want and deserve a test like that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so they can learn the truth and help
their children.</i></b> (If she gave an assessment like that, she must not have
made the results public. Pass rates would be abysmal, and everyone would be
talking about it.) It takes courage to speak frankly about a failure so massive and
destructive, but that’s why she gets the big bucks, and it is the board’s job to tell us the truth.<br />
<br />
Instead, the superintendent reportedly </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/oct/15/spokane-public-schools-overhauls-reading-writing/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">told
the newspaper</span></span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in October that math outcomes are
“average” and that “where [the district needs] work is in language arts.” I asked
her several times to explain her choice of the word “average” and to tell me
what the district is planning for math. After multiple requests, on Dec. 3, </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhNzA4cUh3ZV9sV0E/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
superintendent finally wrote</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that the district would give a presentation on
math at the Dec. 4 board meeting. I guess I was expected to go fetch the answer
by leaving my family and wasting hours of my life at a board meeting.<br />
<br />
The next morning, I found out she <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had</i></b> answered one of my questions –
not to me, but to a reporter. The district was considering adopting </span></span><a href="http://www.engageny.org/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EngageNY</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
a new online program that’s still being put together. It's technically free, but there will be associated costs.<br />
<br />
…. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sigh</i>… <br />
<br />
</span>Looking at the
EngageNY Web site, it appears that the creators want it to be a national
curriculum. It’s a heavy promoter of the Common Core initiatives, and there are
federal tax dollars involved. EngageNY promotes the "Standards for
Mathematical Practice," which are connected to the Common Core but which
focus on pedagogy. (Districts that focus on the SMP tend to emphasize
fuzzy math and excessive constructivism, both of which have failed American students since the
1980s and are at the root of Spokane’s math problem.)<br />
<br />
Not only is EngageNY not proved as being effective, it isn't even finished. “Modules”
are still being built and modified. Who knows what the final result will be? EngageNY
can change its online materials any time, and Spokane parents won’t know. The
program is highly scripted, down to minutes, and there are no books for
parents. There is no easy way to know what children are learning or to help them
learn it. <br />
<br />
I reluctantly dragged myself to the Dec. 4 board meeting, where I expressed my
concerns. Breann Treffry, another parent, warned the board of the fierce
opposition in New York to EngageNY, that some there are calling it <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enrage</b> NY. A New York math teacher wrote to our board
and begged directors to not adopt this program.<br />
<br />
Naturally, the board adopted the program unanimously. They didn’t address its incompleteness
or its unproved nature. They praised each other and looked satisfied. This is standard
procedure in education, to waste tax dollars and the children’s time and
self-esteem on things that aren’t proved as effective, that have no data behind
them, that are controlled by people we don’t know, and that are dogged by dissent
and controversy. Spokane has done it repeatedly, and it describes the Common
Core experiment exactly.<br />
<br />
This adoption isn’t logical. Even if EngageNY were complete and a good product,
the district isn’t implementing it until 2014. The board also voted to give
individual schools the option to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b> adopt it. They intend it to be a
bridge, with another undetermined adoption coming in 2016. The next adoption is
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to be yet another unproved program that’s based on the
unproved Common Core</span>.
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
If EngageNY is that good, why not make the adoption permanent? If it isn’t, why
adopt it? As a heavy promoter of the Common Core, it looks like a Trojan Horse
for the CC's political agenda.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the meantime, the District will continue to torture students
with two of the worst math programs on the planet: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Investigations in Number, Data, and Space</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Connected Mathematics</i>. </span>(Nice
way to throw other people’s children under the bus, SPS.)<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Director </span>Bierman,
who pushed for EngageNY, said the key is in its implementation. I’ve heard that
argument a thousand times. It's a handy way to blame others for a leadership
error: "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We</i></b> didn't make a mistake in choosing this product; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b>
just didn't implement it properly." If the program is bad, teachers will again
be expected to turn straw into gold, and they’ll be assessed based on impossibilities.<br />
<br />
<b><i>All this district needs to do is buy a proved math program that is solid
and mathematically sound, and allow teachers to teach from it.</i></b> It's really
that simple. But the district obstinately refuses to do it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saxon Math</i> -- an excellent program --
has been demonized in Spokane, but in the real world, it’s a useful tool, like
a hammer. It gets the job done, and many frustrated parents end up using it. It
got my daughter most of the way through Algebra II by the end of 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
grade, and well enough that she blew all subsequent assessments out of the
water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately,
deeper pockets than ours are involved, and district ears are attuned to them. All
we have is a solid argument and our love for our children. It’s difficult for
us to overcome shadowy faces and ulterior motives. E<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cho-chamber
decision-makers </span>often
don’t see, or pretend to not see, problems and solutions that, to us, are
glaringly obvious. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They’ll call solutions the problem, and problems the solution, and they’ll
flatly deny successes that others have had with the very solutions they’ve
rejected.<br />
<br />
</span>All of this could have been part of the newspaper’s </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/dec/04/spokane-public-schools-looks-to-adopt-new-math/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dec. 4</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> article or its </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/dec/05/in-brief-school-board-adopts-new-math-program/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dec. 5</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> brief. (On Dec. 5, by the way, the
SR got the name of the curriculum wrong, calling it ExchangeNY. Good job, guys.)<br />
<br />
Perhaps there is some in-house dialogue regarding this adoption that the
district is refusing to tell us, but I’m tired of having to “read between the
lies.” The proof is in the pudding, and their proposed “pudding” is another
experiment on children.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They won’t get respect from parents
like me until they tell the public the truth and they actually fix the damn math
program. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the meantime, they’re still willing to pretend there’s a larger
worthwhile picture that requires sacrificing the children's academics to it. They're still willing to adopt an unproved product, withhold the stark truth from
parents, and toss teachers and parents under the Blame Bus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An administrator hoped last Wednesday that the adoption of EngageNY will help
to end what he calls “the math wars.” I wish it would. The children's futures depend on the district fixing its issues, and it's always nice to hope, but hope is not a method. The district’s choice
of “method” is likely to fail all of us, including 27,000+ children.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxLxpFDtzkuhMzJmRk9VUF9paEE"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Download the audio of the math-presentation portion of the Dec. 4 board meeting</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Steve Gering presents on math from 0 to 55.46. The presentation is frank and worth hearing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gering says the Common Core is not his focus at 29:00.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rocky Treppiedi asks how the district knows EngageNY will be good at 41:15.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Breann Treffry testifies against the adoption of EngageNY at 56:20.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Laurie Rogers testifies against the adoption of EngageNY at 1:03:55.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sue Chapin's comments on teachers and "integrated math" at 1:48:10.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Board adopts EngageNY unanimously at 2:05:26.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gering notes -- truthfully, yet ironically -- that the district would be in a better place now had administrators listened years ago to parent concerns: 2:05:40.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span></span><br /><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rogers, L. (December 2013). "Good news: District finally admits math problem. Bad news: Board adopts unfinished, unproved curriculum that contains no textbooks." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </span></strong><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-25038551682310825922013-11-26T11:36:00.005-08:002013-11-26T14:11:22.518-08:00Secretary of Education displays arrogant, bigoted, anti-parent sentiment. Alas, he speaks for many<br />
By Laurie H. Rogers<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>“It was we, the
people, not we, the white male citizens, nor yet we, the male citizens; but we,
the whole people, who formed this Union. And we formed it, not to give the
blessings or liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the
half of our posterity, but to the whole people—women as well as men.”</em>
-- Susan B. Anthony, who in 1873 was under indictment for voting in a
presidential election</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
On Nov. 15, 2013, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told state school superintendents
</span><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/arne-duncan-common-core-comment-99987.html"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #2d88ac; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">he’s “fascinated”</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that “white suburban moms” are
opposed to the Common Core initiatives.<br />
<br />
Really? I’m
"fascinated" that someone put Arne Duncan in charge of the nation’s public education
system.<br />
<br />
Duncan’s entire college education appears to consist of a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
(This is a step up from community organizing, but not a very big step.) It’s bizarre
that someone with a bachelor’s degree in sociology is the Secretary of Education,
entrusted with 700 billion taxpayer dollars annually and now dictating
education policy to all of us.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
According to white suburban dad Duncan, the opposition of white suburban moms to the Common Core is
because they’ve been blind up to now. He said: <span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It's
fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white
suburban moms who – all of a sudden – their child isn't as brilliant as they
thought they were and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they
were, and that's pretty scary. You've bet your house and where you live and
everything on, 'My child's going to be prepared.' That can be a punch in the
gut."</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>Ah, yes: The 2013 version of “they’re
just hysterical females.” Even if our children <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>are</em></b> stupid, it isn’t polite
of Duncan to point it out. But that’s only the tip of what’s wrong with his
comments. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/arne-duncan-common-core-comment-99987.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #093d72; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Asked later to clarify</span></a>,
Duncan said he "didn't say it perfectly," but he declined to modify
his central position that opponents of Common Core don’t get it, are opposed to
higher standards, or might actually want “less” for students.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"></span> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/18/politics/duncan-comment-controversy/"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #2d88ac; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a later email</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, Department of Education
spokesman Massie Ritsch reportedly blamed extremists: "The far right
and far left have made up their minds," Ritsch reportedly wrote. "But
there's angst in the middle -- which includes many open-minded suburban parents
-- that needs to be addressed." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And just like that, the legitimate
concerns of Common Core opponents are again misrepresented, mislabeled and dismissed.<br />
<br />
What actually needs to be
addressed is the fact that many of those in charge of education (and so the
future of our children and the country) seem uninformed, arrogant, anti-parent, out-of-touch, antagonistic, bigoted,
elitist, chauvinistic, condescending, dismissive, divisive, snobbish, petty, obstructive,
ignorant of what actually works in education, blind to the children's needs,
and adept at saying things that obviously aren’t true.<br />
<br />
In the
echo chamber of education, Duncan’s comments exemplify the general attitude toward parents: <em>You don’t get it. You’re the problem. We don’t
need to listen to you because you have nothing to tell us. Stop being a pain. Vote
for our levies if you don’t hate children, but please don’t talk unless you
agree with us.</em><br />
<br />
Indeed,
if arrogance were water, it might have flooded the state superintendents’ Nov.
15 meeting and drowned them all.<br />
<br />
Administrators
frequently blame parents for not being involved. They also blame parents who are very
involved. They accuse us of not knowing enough math, but most won’t listen to those
of us who know a lot of math. Many have no problem calling us names, mocking
our efforts, refusing to answer our questions, stepping between us and our
children, and lying about their real intentions. To our face, they’re careful
to produce acceptable language, but behind our back, in the echo chamber, Duncan
has shown us exactly what many education administrators are: Arrogant, dismissive, bigoted and
deceitful.<br />
<br />
One must
agree with Duncan on the public schools. Most <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>are</em></b> inadequate and most parents
don’t realize it – because we are lied to constantly by the federal
government, state education agencies, district administration, board directors,
the media and some teachers. Duncan’s comments are a nice turn on the
truth; a strategy that’s been his stock and trade pretty much since he took
over as secretary.<br />
<br />
Following a storm of outrage, Duncan blamed sound-bites, poor communication and
a “fast-moving world” for the negative reaction. He said he “regrets” his </span><a href="http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/11/high-standards-for-all-schools-and-students-everywhere/"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #2d88ac; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“clumsy phrasing”</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– “particularly because it distracted” from the “important” conversation.
He wants to return to the discussion of “implementing reform.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, sure. He’s always welcome to join in as
parents continue to question his “reform.”</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
We
anti-CC parents never left that conversation. We understand exactly how
important it is, which is why we insist on and persist in having it. The CC
initiatives are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>alarming</em></b> – sloppy, expensive, unproved, poorly done, dictatorial,
divisive and intrusive. Some parents call the initiatives “Obamacore.”<br />
<br />
Whether or not you see Duncan’s attempt at damage control as an actual apology,
it’s too late. He accidentally stated his inner thoughts, and there is no
putting that nasty genie back in the bottle.<br />
<br />
Being
able to lie well used to be a sign of sociopathy, but it’s now a government norm.
Consider the vast nationwide deceit that is public education. It must be that education
agencies hire based on the abilities to lie well to children and parents; to
turn away from the obvious needs of desperate children; and to deflect all parental
doubt, worry and criticism as being the ravings of the deluded and uninformed.<br />
<br />
In actuality, parental concerns about the CC initiatives are legitimate and
worthy of media investigation.<br />
<br />
The initiatives were supposed to be common
standards in K-12 math and English, but are becoming national standards in all
subjects, along with national tests, forced curricula and a creepy national
data system on children and families. They’ve taken over the country, in preschools,
K-12, colleges, public schools, charter schools, private schools, Christian
schools, curricular materials, state and college testing, and public and
private daycares. There is zero proof of their efficacy; this is a national experiment
on children. Many CC-aligned curricular materials are already proving to be academically
weak, with insufficient grammar, no cursive writing, heavy (and extreme)
political bias, questionable literary content, and the same fuzzy math that devastated
the last 30 years of K-12 math instruction.<br />
<br />
The standards are both a “floor “ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>and</em></b> a ceiling for students; there
are mandated limitations on what can be taught, and the Common Core doesn’t
provide for special types of learners. In addition, the cost of this national experiment
could financially bury the country. It’s simple math. There are about 14,000 K-12
school districts. <em>14,000 districts x
multi-millions of dollars each = <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">billions</b></em>
of our tax dollars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
And yet,
with all of this, Duncan says he’s “fascinated” that white suburban moms don’t
get it. What those moms need is do, he said, is understand that education is
global.<br />
<br />
Right.
Because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>that</em></b> will fix it.<br />
<br />
Journalist Michelle Malkin, who is not white, is anti-Common Core. </span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/2013/11/20/malkin-arne-duncans-war-on-women-and-children/?subscriber=1"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #2d88ac; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week, Malkin wrote about Duncan</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: “He<span style="color: black;"> pretends that minority parents and students in inner-city
charter and magnet schools with rigorous locally crafted classical education
missions simply don't exist. A textbook liberal racist, Duncan whitewashes all
minority parents and educators who oppose Common Core out of the debate.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span>
On Nov. 18, Duncan </span><a href="http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/11/high-standards-for-all-schools-and-students-everywhere/"><span style="mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #2d88ac; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">explained</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that he didn’t mean to pick on white
suburban moms. “Every demographic has room for improvement,” he clarified.<br />
<br />
Ah, that’s better. In his mind, we <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>all</em></b> suck.<br />
<br />
Dear Mr. Duncan:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em> </em></b>Every <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><em>government agency</em></b> nowadays has room
for improvement, but most show no sign of knowing what improvement looks like. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you would stop mucking around in classrooms,
insulting involved parents and capable teachers, wasting tax dollars on
unproved initiatives, and secretively throwing your lightweight around – in
violation of the U.S. Code and the Tenth Amendment – then <em>We, the People</em> could take care of making actual academic improvements.<br />
<br />
Math advocates did that in Washington State in 2007-08 with better standards in
math. Just two years later, Duncan, with his bachelor’s degree in sociology,
caused those better math standards to be tossed in favor of the lesser and
infinitely more expensive Common Core experiment. Clearly, the CC was never
about academics or the children’s needs; it’s always been about money and
control.<br />
<br />
The solutions to problems in public education do not entail more
government and more Arne Duncan; they entail less government and
preferably no Arne Duncan at all.<o:p></o:p><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rogers, L. (November 2013). "Secretary of Education displays arrogant, bigoted, anti-parent sentiment. Alas, he speaks for many." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </span></strong><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-88882215385761871002013-11-11T23:02:00.001-08:002013-11-12T12:46:37.901-08:00Spokane print media failing all of us, but especially the children<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Laurie H. Rogers</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em>"If they were forced to add the truth to what they already
say about you, Laurie, it would look like this: </em>[The truth:]<em> 'Wow, that Laurie Rogers. She volunteers her time to advocate for proper math, help small
children, and uncover the truth about how public schools spend our
money.</em> [What they say:]<em> What a bitch.'"</em></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong> A friend and colleague</strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If the Spokane print media ever want to get rid of me and my
reporting on Spokane Public Schools (SPS), all they have to do is publish a
thorough, accurate and balanced article about me and my efforts to inform
Spokane parents. I’m sure I would die of the shock. I’m not worried it will
happen any time soon.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Their worst betrayal is of the children. I do not understand
adults who can look away from children in need, who can persistently deny or
ignore a child’s grim reality – even as they take steps to help their own
children. Sadly, Spokane is filled with adults just like that.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After nearly seven years of advocacy, I wasn't surprised at </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/oct/09/spokane-public-schools-to-pay-130000-in-public/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Spokesman-Review</i>’s “coverage”</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of
a lawsuit I filed against SPS over public records. The SR article was published
Oct. 9, 2013, on the front page, above the fold. In the first sentence, it
claims I have a "history of needling officials." The article contains
several errors, including the date and the wording of my records request. The
reporter and editors made no effort to contact me before publishing the article,
and the opportunity to post comments online was shut down after just one day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve been a reporter and an editor. This article would never
have been published “as is” at the newspapers I worked for. The article would
have been fact-checked and corrected. Diligent efforts would have been made to
contact the subject of the article, and those efforts would have been noted in
the article. Any factual errors would have been corrected on subsequent days.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite multiple attempts, I’ve never actually had a conversation
about education with anyone from the SR. I’ve
been investigating the district since 2007, writing an education blog since
2008, and I published a book about education in 2011. I speak with students,
teachers, parents and advocates from around the world. None of this seems to be of interest to the local daily, which has repeatedly trashed my name and reputation
without speaking with me.</span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In early 2011, some colleagues and I held several public forums on math. After one in which administrators were rude and obstructive, </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/feb/10/editorial-neutral-site-moderator-could-solve-math/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the SR criticized our inability to restrain the administrators and called us district “antagonists.”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The editors didn't bother to speak with us or explain the objective of our forums.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In October 2011, during an election, I sent the SR a Letter to the Editor that described the Public Disclosure Commission complaint I had filed on the school district. The editor acknowledged my letter but didn’t publish it. Instead, he sent my letter to the SR’s education reporter. <u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/12/paper-declines-to-inform-voters-about.html"><span style="color: blue;">Two weeks later, when the paper finally published a brief note</span></a></span></u> about the PDC complaint, the district had been allowed to respond, but not me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In October 2011, </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/30/brower-the-clear-choice/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the SR published a Letter to the Editor </span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">that contained unsubstantiated accusations about a local citizen and a local school board candidate. I asked an editor about it, and he said “that one got by us.” However, that letter was published three times – twice online and once in the paper. As of Nov. 11, 2013, it's still on the SR’s Web site.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In October 2011, I painstakingly transcribed an audio recording of a candidate forum. Compare </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/10/face-off-at-ferris-shows-board.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">my transcription </span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/dec/16/ferris-high-school-debate-questions/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the SR’s version, which the paper published</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> unattributed two months later. The hyphenation, punctuation, parentheses, word choice and spelling are the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In December 2011, without speaking with me, </span><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/dec/16/shawn-vestal-face-offs-focus-on-students-is/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SR columnist Shawn Vestal wrote</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that a teacher and I had engaged in "vigorous bashing" of a board candidate prior to the teacher's hosting of a candidate forum. Asked for proof, </span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/01/print-media-display-political-agenda.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vestal cited</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> one line from an email between the teacher and me. He said he wasn't "going to hunt down other examples in the e-mails again." (This is convenient; the email he quoted doesn’t represent “vigorous bashing” and there are no other examples.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2012, Vestal emailed to ask for an interview about “the many records requests being filed with the school district.” Wary of his intentions, I did not grant the interview. </span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/10/shawn-vestal-hint-of-truth-gives-credence-to/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vestal subsequently wrote</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that my efforts seem "less than fully hinged" and my complaint seemed “conspiracy-minded and poorly informed.” </span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He noted that my PDC complaint cited district employees for using school resources to promote a board candidate although I had emailed a teacher with praise for a candidate. He added sarcastically, "but that is doubtlessly different." (It is different. I'm not a public employee.)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vestal implied that I might be lying about my relationship with local anti-levy advocates, and he said</span></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I'm part of the cause of school district's "administrative waste and bloat."<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/oct/15/spokane-public-schools-overhauls-reading-writing/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2013, in the online comments for a SR article about the district,</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> a commenter called me a "crackpot," as in "Crackpot hits the jackpot." I emailed the SR about the comment, and it was removed (without a reply to me). This week, I noticed that a similar comment (from someone named “misjustice”) has appeared and was not removed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The SR’s education reporter did call me once in 2011 – not
to talk about math or education or my blog or my book. She called to complain
about my comments about her reporting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there’s the <em>Inlander</em>, a weekly entertainment paper in
Spokane. <em>Inlander</em> staff members have spoken with me a couple of times about
education, and there has been </span><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/maths-long-division/Content?oid=2134197"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">occasional
reasonable coverage</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. However, the <em>Inlander</em> also has:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">allowed the district to imply that <a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/the-ask/Content?oid=2137376"><span style="color: blue;">some records requesters are abusive</span></a>, <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">subtly </span><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/when-the-levy-breaks/Content?oid=2137330"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">encouraged citizens to file a complaint</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> against a local anti-levy group, while also suggesting without proof that I was part of the group (I wasn’t).<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">claimed I had </span><a href="http://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2011/08/17/results-from-last-nights-primary-election-andmdash-with-context"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“caused” commotions at my public forums on math</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, when it was actually district staff who interrupted citizens and who refused to sit quietly or follow basic rules of etiquette.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/calling-a-truce/Content?oid=2139134"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">quoted from my blog without using my name</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a no-no in journalism ethics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/drop-the-pitchforks/Content?oid=2137322"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">openly advocated for the district’s last levy</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, an inappropriate activity for a newspaper.</span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An <em>Inlander</em> reporter did call to ask for comments regarding
the lawsuit. I asked Cheryl Mitchell, a Spokane lawyer,
to speak with the <em>Inlander</em> reporter. </span><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/friends-and-enemies/Content?oid=2209425"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here
is the <em>Inlander</em>’s “coverage.”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The reporter did not quote Mrs. Mitchell, and
his article falls under the <em>Inlander</em> heading “Friends and Enemies.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Enemies”?? </span></i></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wow. That’s a new one on me. I’ve never in my life seen a
newspaper call citizens “enemies.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">D<span style="color: black;">o <em>Inlander</em> editors consider the
school district to be a friend or an enemy? If the district is a
"friend," does that make me an “enemy”? I’m just trying to speak
truth to the people. The truth isn’t comfy to hear, but it is what it is. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
didn’t build these problems</i></b>. </span>I also didn’t receive a “big
payout” from the lawsuit, as the <em>Inlander</em> said I did. The District admitted to
errors and made an “Offer of Judgment,” which included a settlement offer. Most
of the settlement paid for my legal counsel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the district:<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Didn’t abide by the requirements of the Public Records Act, and continues to employ people who didn’t abide by the PRA requirements. School board directors also keep trying to undermine the Public Records Act.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Has failed for decades to properly educate 27,000-28,000 children, and persistently refuses to give the general public an accurate accounting of student outcomes.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wants ever-more taxpayer dollars for a failed system, and refuses to give citizens an accurate accounting of how our taxes are spent.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is under investigation by the Public Disclosure Commission for election activities. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Used taxpayer dollars to help support a lawsuit against taxpayers to wrestle more taxpayer dollars from taxpayers (the McCleary lawsuit).</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is none of this worth an
investigation? I’ve tried to hold the school district accountable for what it
does with our children and our tax dollars. Is that what makes a citizen an “enemy”
nowadays, or “less than fully hinged”?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since 2006, I’ve always tried to take the high road with my
education advocacy. I’ve tried to not engage in the petty ad hominem attacks I see so
often from avid supporters of the public schools. Whereas backbiters tend
to post anonymously or under a pseudonym, I post using my real name, and I
support my comments with facts, statistics and hyperlinks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m a frank person, but generally polite. I’m a learner, and
I work hard to get my facts in order. I care about the children, and I’m a
patriot who is deeply concerned about my community and my country. With
training in proper journalism and argumentation, I know how to ask tough
questions, how to write well and carefully, and how to put together a solid
argument.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">None of that matters to backbiters. It’s much easier to
trash whistleblowers than to hold public agencies accountable. They don’t seem
to know this, but education <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t about them</i></b>. Nor is it about
me. Education is about the children. Everyone is supposed to be there <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for
the children</i></b>, to get the children the academics they need. It isn’t
supposed to be a make-work project, a jobs program, a money trough, a social
experiment, or a place for political advocacy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m focused on the children’s academic needs and on district
transparency and accountability. I haven’t had much help from those in Spokane
city and county “leadership.” This school district boasts a heavy footprint in
the city and the state, and has thrown its weight around with impunity
and without apparent shame. Decision-making appears largely driven by selfish
interests, big government salaries and a half-a-billion-dollars-per-year
budget.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Building a coalition to hold the district accountable is an
ongoing challenge. Adults would need to put the children’s needs ahead of their
own interests, and few in leadership seem willing. Most appear to not want to risk
upsetting this 10,000-pound government gorilla, its hefty capital budget, its horde of union voters, and
its stable of taxpayer-funded lawyers. That isn’t a Democrat or Republican
thing. It isn’t a left or right thing. It’s a “Just as long as I get mine”
thing. When you see the damaging effect on the children, however, you come to
realize how corrupted and perverse it’s become.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s appalling that these people are in charge of the well-being and future of children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not an enemy; I’m a messenger, and I try to
be a good one. Every second of what I've done over the last seven years, in an
effort to help 27,000+ children who aren't mine, was volunteered. I did it
because someone must and because the newspapers refuse to do it. If they would
step up, I would happily step down. </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They
will not do it. Instead, they blame me, criticize me and call me names. They
steadfastly refuse to properly investigate this public agency or to inform
citizens.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Real leaders accept the blame and pass the credit. This
school district and these media outlets have a habit of scrounging for credit
while passing the blame – to teachers, parents and the children themselves. Trying
to have it both ways, they also claim that no blame is warranted because students
are doing as well as can be expected. In actuality, the district fails 27,000+
children in academics every year. As its leadership makes piles of money, their
near-absolute focus is on gaining more taxpayer dollars and more power, while
adroitly covering their tracks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The print media in Spokane fail all of us,
but especially the children. They refuse to do their job while frequently targeting
citizens whom they think threaten their status quo. Now, one media outlet appears to have decided that
some law-abiding, well-intentioned citizens are “enemies.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s irresponsible and dangerous, and it's difficult for
media to be more alarming than that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>Rogers, L. (November 2013). "Spokane print media failing all of us, but especially the children." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #336699;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a></span></span></span>
<o:p></o:p></span>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-16988034917075666092013-09-11T17:03:00.000-07:002013-09-12T13:43:20.496-07:00Spokane math teacher offers suggestions for improving math instruction<br />
<strong>Note from Laurie Rogers:</strong> The more things change, the more they stay the same. Nowhere is this more true than in Spokane Public Schools. Recent School District decisions have included:<br />
<br />
** <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/14/spokane-public-schools-officers-may-carry-guns/">putting loaded handguns in the schools</a> (in the hands of District employees, no less). There's no telling what this will do to the District's budget or to insurance rates, since <em>The Spokesman-Review</em> reporter apparently didn't ask. This is an unfunded mandate the District has given to itself;<br />
<br />
** <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/sep/08/special-to-the-spokesman-review-schools-new-goal/">implementing a new "T-2-4" program</a>, which theoretically will prepare students for trades or for college (Not to be negative, but isn't this what the District was supposed to be doing all along?);<br />
<br />
** <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/sep/04/full-day-kindergarten-starts-at-all-sps/">placing all kindergartners, ready or not, into all-day kindergarten</a> (thus stuffing those cute little money-makers into the failed public system even sooner); <br />
<br />
** providing all students with their own school district email address, which will not be accessible to parents (thus removing the children - and the District curriculum - even farther from parents);<br />
<br />
** <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/sep/11/spokane-district-approved-ok-charter-schools/">and setting up the District for charter schools</a> (even though it's yet to be shown that this District's school board actually knows how to run an academically effective school system).<br />
<br />
To the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhYnU2c0VUMXpDaG8/edit?usp=sharing">best of my knowledge</a>, however -- what the District has NOT recently decided to do is buy an effective K-8 math program for students and teachers. It also hasn't told the community the truth about the K-8 math program it has now.<br />
<br />
It's hard to believe, folks, but Spokane Public Schools is going into yet another year with two of the worst math programs on the planet: <em>Investigations in Number, Data, and Space</em>; and <em>Connected Mathematics</em>. These programs have been heavily criticized across this country for decades, and proof of their abject failure is all around. Some in District and City leadership have quietly taken steps to fill in the gaps the programs have left in their own children.<br />
<br />
Last September, the superintendent told me she understands the math problem in Spokane, and she promised to fix it. Some $250,000 in salary later --- K-8 students in the District are left to swing in math for yet another year while the adults in charge of providing them with math skills are busy with other things.<br />
<br />
And so, I'm reprinting, with his permission, a fantastic article written in June 2013 by Spokane high school math teacher George Brown. It was first published in <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jun/01/george-k-brown-ideas-for-more-effective-math/"><em>The Spokesman-Review</em></a> in June<em>.</em><br />
<br />
************************<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">By George K. Brown</span></strong><br />
<br />
Once again Washington state is changing math standards and end-of-course exams. Fifteen years of such changes have produced nothing. I teach mathematics courses at Lewis and Clark High School. Since 1987, I have taught Business Math, Applied Math, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-calculus. I’m not the best, but I am pretty good at what I do. I still love teaching mathematics to children.<br />
<br />
For 10 years or more, the pass rate on Washington state tests of mathematics has been unacceptable. The number of kids requiring private tutoring for high school math classes and remedial mathematics classes in college is also unacceptable. This is a national problem and it has been written about extensively for years. On international tests of mathematics, the United States ranks near the bottom of industrialized nations, and this is without dispute.<br />
<br />
Most of my current students are extremely poor in basic arithmetic skills. They cannot add, subtract, multiply or divide with any accuracy or confidence without the use of a calculator. They have virtually no competence or fluency with fractions, decimals or percents. This deficiency has been worsening over the past eight to 10 years. In 2008, Washington State Standards required such proficiency. I have yet to see it. If a student is not fluent in arithmetic, then algebra will represent a serious hurdle. If a student is not fluent in algebra, then a firm grasp of calculus will be impossible. College-level mathematics is out of reach for many, if not most, of my students.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, we need to implement some common sense changes. Here’s a list of starters:<br />
<br />
1) Children should arrive at high school fluent in basic arithmetic and some simple algebra. For this to happen they must be taught to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, and to compute with fractions, decimals and percents. Proficiency must be developed through much practice.<br />
<br />
2) Eliminate the use of calculators for kids learning arithmetic and algebra. It is neither necessary nor helpful. Calculators have their place, but not in the mastering of basic skills.<br />
<br />
3) Enforce a strong attendance policy. It is not uncommon for a student to miss 10, 20 or even 30 class periods of instruction. What good are standards when we don’t require attendance? A student must know that excessive absences (more than 10 percent) will result in loss of credit. This is, after all, compulsory education.<br />
<br />
4) Stop placing students in math classes for which they are not qualified. For example, students who fail algebra must repeat algebra. They should not be placed in geometry. This practice is not only counterintuitive, it is counterproductive.<br />
<br />
5) Establish a rigorous and challenging applied math track at high school that teaches mathematics for business, construction, electricity, plumbing, mechanics and other trades. We desperately need an alternative to college prep math that counts toward graduation.<br />
<br />
6) Establish a rigorous and challenging college prep math track, including algebra with some geometry, advanced algebra with trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus. The geometry course we currently teach is nonessential to the study of advanced algebra and calculus. Remove it.<br />
<br />
7) Don’t raise the math requirements for high school graduation. Student interest cannot be mandated and without it little or no learning takes place. This practice has not produced better-prepared math students. Higher-level analytical mathematics classes should be available as electives for those who choose them and who are academically qualified to participate in them.<br />
<br />
8) Allow teachers to use district-purchased textbooks as written, without interference from folks who confuse having data with knowing students.<br />
<br />
9) End state and federal meddling in local schools. The ever-changing obstacle course of requirements, regulations and testing is destroying the education of our children.<br />
<br />
I expect that with the arrival of a new set of standards and new state end-of-course exams, we will fight anew the battles of curriculum and methodology and continue to ignore the need for attendance, interest and competency on the part of the learner. While the children are poorly prepared for postsecondary education, we continue to fight to the death over which book to use or how to use the books we have.<br />
<br />
This is a shame and a tragedy. At the end of the day, the children are the real casualties.<br />
<br />
<em>George K. Brown is a math instructor at Lewis and Clark High School.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Comment from Laurie Rogers: If you would like to submit a guest column on public education, please write to me at <a href="mailto:wlroge@comcast.net">wlroge@comcast.net</a> . Please limit columns to about 1,000 words, give or take a few. Columns might be edited for length, content or grammar. You may remain anonymous to the public, however I must know who you are. All decisions on guest columns are the sole right and responsibility of Laurie Rogers.</span> </strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong></strong></span><br />Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-74449209939108573152013-06-16T09:46:00.000-07:002013-07-01T08:23:28.723-07:00Children are the key to America's future. The government wants control of that key.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Laurie H. Rogers</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Those who exert the
first influence upon the mind, have the greatest power.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-- <i>Horace Mann, Thoughts<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The writing is on the wall. In a June 7, 2013, statement,
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said President Obama is planning to
"redesign" America’s high schools. This redesigning will take place
through “competitive grants” (also known as “bait”). Who will pay for this
redesigning? (Taxpayers will, as we always do.) How much will it cost? (The
secretary and president haven’t said, as they rarely do.) Does the president
have the legal or constitutional authority to “redesign” America’s high
schools? (No.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to </span><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title20/pdf/USCODE-2010-title20-chap48-subchapI-sec3403.pdf"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">20 USC 3403</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, Obama and Duncan also lack the
authority to direct standards, curriculum and teaching approaches. That isn’t
stopping them. They say their interventions are for our own good.</span></span></div>
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<dir><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He would be only too
happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might
make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?<i> (Animal
Farm)</i></span></b></span></dir><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please take note of the language in Duncan’s </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/fact-sheet-redesigning-americas-high-schools"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">press release</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. The “redesigned” high schools will entail: </span></span><br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Student-centered" learning</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Project- or-problem-based" learning</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Real-world experiences” and “real-world challenges"</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Evidence-based professional development"</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Engaging in “complex projects” and working with others to apply knowledge</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moving “away from the traditional notion of seat time"<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Uh, oh. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Math advocates will recognize that language. It
typically alerts us to reform math – to fuzzy content, “discovery learning” (or
constructivism), excessive group work, teachers who don’t directly teach, and
lofty concepts presented before skills. That approach has not worked well for
students for the last three decades.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems Duncan is a reformer, and why wouldn’t he be?
Public education systems, colleges of education, curriculum developers and
policy makers all have been bathed in reform philosophy and approaches since
the 1980s. The president’s new mandate – excuse me, his new <i>initiative</i> –
appears to<b><i> </i></b><i>mandate</i> an instructional model that has
completely failed children for 30 years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Duncan and Obama also push the controversial Common Core
initiatives, which are leading many districts to fuzzy math and weak English
programs. The CC math standards contain a separate section, called the
“Standards for Mathematical Practice.” Many states and districts are
emphasizing the SMP, and the SMP supports a constructivist approach. Voila:
more reform math. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s noteworthy that the publisher of <i>Singapore Math</i> –
a series long praised by traditionalists – released a new “discovery”
version based on the CC. Other publishers also have done so. They appear to believe
the CC embraces constructivism, and they're going along with it.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now we have this high-school initiative, announced with
the same language used by proponents of reform math. After three decades of
grim failure, reform approaches to math are unlikely to suddenly work for
students just because the feds throw another trillion taxpayer dollars at them.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In April, Obama also announced plans to “expand” early
learning programs for 4-year-olds, rolling them into the K-12 system.
Initially, children will be from low-income families, but other families and
toddlers are to be rolled in, too. </span><a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/obama-administration-2014-budget-prioritizes-key-education-investments-provide-o"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Preschool for All”</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> is estimated to cost
taxpayers $75 billion over 10 years.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This de facto federal takeover of public education is
cunning and devious. Many Americans have been persuaded that the Common Core
and related initiatives are “state-led” and academically better; that nothing
is federally mandated; that our right to privacy is intact; and that the
Standards are the key. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not true.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Proponents say the CC initiatives are voluntary;
internationally benchmarked; research-based; rigorous; proved to work; that
they’ll save money; they’ll provide commonality and consistency; and that they
aren’t “one-size-fits-all.”</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not true.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CC initiatives were </span><a href="http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/does-common-core-provide-an-international-benchmark/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">never internationally benchmarked</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or </span><a href="http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/common-core-state-standards-content/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">academically sufficient</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. They aren’t grounded in
scientifically conducted, replicable research. They’re unproved, with no
student data behind them. They’re a national experiment on children. They won’t
save taxpayers money. A base cost estimate <i>just to get started</i> is $140
billion nationwide (14,000 school districts x $10 million each).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CC initiatives are voluntary only in a technical sense.
States and districts have been threatened with the</span><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45942165/ns/us_news-life/t/some-states-could-lose-millions-education-funds/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> loss of federal funds</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, with the </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/education/22educ.html?fta=y"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">loss of money for impoverished students</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, and
(ironically) with </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-states-should-refuse-duncans-nclb-waivers/2011/08/08/gIQAhKJQ3I_blog.html"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">punishments under the No Child Left Behind Act</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> if
they don’t </span><a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/education-secretary-duncan/obama-and-nclb-the-good--and-v.html"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">comply</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></span></div>
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<dir><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This work
was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have
his rations reduced by half. <em>(Animal Farm)</em></span></b></span></dir><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CC initiatives </span><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/op-ed-obamas-common-core-is-not-state-led/article/2529380"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">aren’t “state-led</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.” The feds are pushing them <b><i>very</i></b>
hard. They were rammed through states before they were completed, with many
proponents appearing to </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/education/22educ.html?fta=y"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">have had a financial reason to support them</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. The
Department of Education has yet to fulfill my FOIA request <i>from four years
ago</i> on its role in the development of the CC, but even if the initiatives
really were “state-led,” why do the organizations in charge claim to </span><a href="http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2013/01/03/tax-sponsored-common-core-meetings-closed-public"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">not be subject to public-disclosure laws</span></span></a>?</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The nature of the CC also is expanding
rapidly. Initially, this was K-12 standards in mathematics and English/language
arts, but now it’s to be a complete nationalized educational program – with
standards, tests, curricula and professional development; from cradle through
workforce (P-20); in all subjects, all grades and all schools; in daycares,
preschools, K-12 systems and colleges.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CC initiatives also include </span><a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2013/03/08/rotten-to-the-core-the-feds-invasive-student-tracking-database/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">an intrusive national database</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> on children </span><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/forum/datamodel/eiebrowser/techview.aspx?class=Client"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">and</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> their parents
and guardians</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. Data and information are </span><a href="http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/National_Education_Data_Model_(NEDM).html"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">to be collected and shipped around</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> public
agencies, corporations and organizations without our knowledge or consent.
Certain state and federal laws were altered or ignored in order to allow and
facilitate this sharing of private information. Citizens were not informed.</span></span><br />
<dir><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
the foot of the end wall of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were
written, there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. ... [N]ear at hand there lay
a lantern, a paint-brush, and an overturned pot of white paint<i>. (Animal
Farm)</i></span></b></span></dir><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CC initiatives appear to entail serious violations of
the </span><a href="http://www2.ed.gov/policy/landing.jhtml"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S.
Constitution</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and </span><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title20/pdf/USCODE-2010-title20-chap48-subchapI-sec3403.pdf"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">the U.S. Code</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. The overall deceit is so huge, few
believe it. Fewer in leadership have questioned it. Legislators on all sides,
media, state agencies, governors, districts, money advocates, unions,
corporations and foundations have lined up at the Common Core trough, ready for
a treat and a pat on the head.</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
birds did not understand Snowball’s long words, but they accepted his
explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by
heart.<i> (Animal Farm)</i></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How long will it be before the feds threaten the loss of
taxpayer dollars if states don’t comply with the new high school “grant”
initiative or the new early learning initiative? How long before states and
districts shrug off questions from parents and taxpayers, saying they had no
choice in these matters?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Considering the unproved and dictatorial nature of these
federal initiatives, they can’t be about academics. I expect the feds will find
it necessary to redesign middle schools to “align” with redesigned high
schools. Elementary schools will have to “align” with redesigned middle
schools. Preschools will have to “align” with redesigned elementary schools.
Colleges are already aligning. It will be one brick at a time, each ripped from
the fabric and foundation of the country. This is about control.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With this incredible taxpayer expense – and with academic
programs that continue to be as weak as a White House explanation – the
children and the country will sink into economic and academic dust. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Education policy makers have learned
nothing over three decades. Or, perhaps they’ve learned everything. Choose your
poison. N<span style="color: #333333;">o doubt, Obama and Duncan will report
great improvements.</span></span></span><br />
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<dir><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Somehow
it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals
themselves any richer – except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and
so many dogs.<i><span style="color: #333333;"> (Animal Farm)</span></i></span></b></span></dir><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Department of Education is now dictatorial and
intrusive, assisted by non-government organizations and corporations <i>working
together behind our back</i>. Did you think fascism was just for right-wingers?
Read up on “fascism” (but do look beyond Google’s definition). This is
educational tyranny.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are some things you can do, however:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 44pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Help your child. Fill in academic gaps. Leave the public system if it isn’t working for your child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 44pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Support Alabama Representative Martha Roby’s effort to rein in the U.S. Department of Education. Ask your representatives to support H.R.5 (the Student Success Act 2013), introduced in Congress on June 6, 2013. This bill won’t undo everything, but it’s a step in the right direction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 44pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Say no to the intrusive data collection that comes with a district’s participation in the CC. Don’t tell them anything about your family that you don’t want Bill Gates, Pearson Education, the ED, the IRS, the Department of Justice, and other government agencies to know. Refuse questionnaires and surveys. Don’t tell them your voting status, political preference or religion.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“In a world of locked rooms, the man with the key is
king...” (BBC series <i>Sherlock</i>). Don’t let them have the key.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<o:p><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:</span> </span></strong></o:p></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rogers, L. (June 2013). "Children are the key to America's future. The government wants control of that key." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </span></strong><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color: #336699; font-size: x-small;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></strong></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-3937029330691537492013-06-06T11:08:00.000-07:002013-06-16T22:17:36.910-07:00Public education’s “culture of power”: Small minds, thin skins, fragile egos<br />
By Laurie H. Rogers<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Culture of Power”: That’s what a parent recently called the prevailing
attitude in the local school district. It’s an apt description. Power is what people
in public education know, and power is what they crave. In any <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">culture of power</i>, dissenters are seen as
the problem and dealt with accordingly.<br />
<br />
I’m privileged to know some teachers and staff members who care deeply about
the children and who work hard to do what’s best for them. But there are many,
many others whose interests begin and end with themselves and with their own economic/political/social
agenda. Conversing with these self-interested people in a reasonable, intelligent way is
impossible, a fruitless exercise. They want; they don’t want. It’s all they can
see. Their logic is infantile and their perspective constricted and unyielding.
With thin skins and fragile egos, it doesn’t take much for them to start showing
teeth and claws.<br />
<br />
Public education has been infiltrated by a willfully ignorant, bureaucratic,
obscenely expensive, narcissistic, dictatorial mob. The Edu Mob is an enterprise concerned with
enriching, maintaining and expanding itself -- not with accountability, responsibility or transparency.
Derelict in its duty to the children and morally bankrupt, the Edu Mob blames
others, attacks dissenters, and finds creative ways to get more money (such as
filing lawsuits; trading private student information for grants and other
payments; and training children to support the enterprise without question).<br />
<br />
</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGph7QHzmo8&feature=youtube_gdata_player"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
video from Utah – just 8 ½ minutes – shows socio-emotional indoctrination in
textbooks that claim to be aligned to the Common Core</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> If you click on no other link in my article, please click on this one.
</b>With these books, small children will learn to use inflammatory,
antagonistic language to get what they want. These books actively work to
develop negative feelings in the children <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for</i>
their parents.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, those in the Edu Mob tend to see what’s academically <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i></b> for the children as bad,
and what’s academically <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bad</i></b> as good. The harder we
argue for what’s actually good, the less successful we are. It took me years to see it
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">believe</i> it. The line they draw is
clear; we’re either "in" or "out," and we advocates are out. They see our focus on the children’s academics as a threat to the Edu Mob enterprise.
When you read through the alarming links below, you’ll understand why I call these
people what I do.<br />
<br />
Reading the news, and seeing what’s coming from the feds and the </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/13/us-usa-education-gates-idUSBRE85C17Z20120613"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">now-rather-disturbing
Bill Gates</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, I see the once-noble field of public education as deathly ill –
infected with myriad perverted missions and corrupted tactics. Children are no
longer vulnerable beings to be protected; they’re now vehicles for obtaining
money and power. Involved parents are no longer the first, best educators whose
wishes are respected; they’re now annoying and irrelevant, just wallets to be
tolerated until they start questioning things, whereupon they’re useful for
taking the blame. <br />
<br />
The sad fact is this: The Edu Mob sees everything that <strong><em>must</em></strong> be done to save
public education<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>as<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> bad</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> <br />
<br />
Still, the truth can be told, and there is value in that. Outing the Edu Mob can
change public perception, and that can affect everything. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Information is power</i>. Providing information to the people helps
return power <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to</i> the people, where it
rightfully belongs. (This is exactly why the Edu Mob works so hard, using our
money, to keep it from happening.)<br />
<br />
These are strong words, I know, but I arrived here the hard way. I’ve often said,
“Parents should see what I see every day; then they’d know.” The links below
show you a glimpse of what I’ve seen – over just a few months – of the culture
of power, predation and selfishness in America’s education system. The issue in these articles isn't money or academics; it's <strong><em>power</em></strong> -- over the children, over parents, and over the future of this country.<br />
<br />
We aren’t losing control of America’s classrooms; we’ve already lost it. Here is just one place where it all leads: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last
December, a California university student reportedly was suspended <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/12/12/calif-student-sues-school-after-allegedly-being-suspended-for-his-politics-and-he-has-some-noteworthy-video-evidence/">after asking college professors questions</a> about a poem that was published in the
university’s student newspaper</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. That poem began: “America the land robbed
by the white savage; the land of the biggest genocide; the home of intolerance;
the place where dreams come to die; the place of greed and slavery ...”<br />
<br />
We can’t ever persuade those in the Edu Mob that
their focus is misplaced, that the money is misspent, or that they’re failing
the children and endangering the country. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They’re getting what they
want</i>. What we <em>can</em> do is tell our communities what’s going on, we can save our
own children and grandchildren, and we might also be able to save someone
else’s child.<br />
<br />
Read through the links below. Feel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">angry about what you read</i>. Feel scared for the country and for the children. If you haven’t
already done so, talk to legislators, vote for better board directors, write
letters to the editor, inform others, and volunteer to tutor a child. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do what you can</i>. Do it today.<br />
<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Note: If you find any broken links in this article, please let me know at </span><a href="mailto:wlroge@comcast.net"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:wlroge@comcast.net">wlroge@comcast.net</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Thank you.]</span><br /><br />
June 2013: </span><a href="http://pro.wmal-af.tritonflex.com/common/page.php?pt=WMAL+EXCLUSIVE%3A+11-Yr-Old+Suspended+From+School+For+Merely+TALKING+About+Guns&id=26543&is_corp=0"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Maryland middle school student was
suspended for 10 days for saying the word “gun” on a school bus.</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A
deputy reportedly visited the boy’s home; threatened the boy’s father with his
son’s permanent suspension if he didn’t fill out a questionnaire; and began a
search of the home.<br />
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/20130530/NEWSCHIEF/130539989?p=1&tc=pg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Florida schools conducted iris scans on children,
without the knowledge or consent of parents</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>.</strong> After receiving complaints, the district said all collected data was
destroyed. (Uh, huh.)<br />
<br />
May 2013: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-05-30/news/ct-tl-batavia-teacher-5th-amendment-20130529_1_school-survey-students-kane-county-school"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Illinois high-school teacher was
reprimanded for reminding students that they have a legal right to avoid
self-incrimination</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><strong>
</strong>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May 2013:<strong> </strong></span><a href="http://articles.kwch.com/2013-05-31/spirit-day_39662189"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Milwaukee school planned a cross-dressing
day, where little girls were to dress as boys, and little boys were to dress as
girls</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
May 2013</span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/cowboy-style-cap-gun-gets-5-year-old-ousted-from-school-in-calvert-county/2013/05/30/a3a8a178-c93c-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:
A 5-year-old in Maryland, who brought a
toy cap gun onto a bus, was reportedly interrogated by school officials until
he wet his pants, and then he was suspended for 10 days</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. <br />
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.wggb.com/2013/05/24/toy-gun-causes-disturbance-on-palmer-elementary-school-bus/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A 6-year-old in Massachusetts was given
detention and made to apologize for bringing a tiny toy gun (slightly larger
than a quarter) onto a bus</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
May 2013: In </span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-transgender-20120220,0,5474113.story"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maryland</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, Georgia, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maine</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/education/edlife/18coed-t.html?_r=0"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">other</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> states – laws were proposed or passed allowing self-identifying
transgender males – or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> males – to
use bathrooms and showers for girls or women. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
May 2013: </span><a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9087003"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A North Carolina high school student forgot
his skeet gun in his truck. Not wanting to be late for class, he called his
mother and asked her to pick up the gun. He was overheard, arrested, and
charged with a felony.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (An administrator who previously made a similar
error was charged with a misdemeanor; reports indicate that the law doesn’t
treat administrators and students the same way.)<br />
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/21824293/2013/03/28/attleboro-student-suspended-for-bringing-butter-knife-to-school"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Massachusetts student was suspended for
bringing a butter knife to school so she could cut her pear.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/national/Pop-Tart-gun-Josh-Welch-School-suspends-7-year-old-for-biting-Pop-Tart-into-shape-of-gun"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Maryland 7-year-old was suspended for
nibbling a Pop Tart into the shape of a gun.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/28/florida-virtual-school-terrorism-stems-low-self-es/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Florida Virtual School reportedly teaches
students that terrorists join groups to kill in the name of religion <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because of their low-self-esteem and a need to
belong.</i></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A school official was quoted as saying the lesson is based
on Common Core State Standards and cannot be changed.<br />
<br />
May 2013: </span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/2013/05/10/bozell-free-speech-for-conservative-students/?subscriber=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commentary: Various conservative students
struggle to maintain their right to free speech</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
April 2013: A Wisconsin school was </span><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/202612171.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">designated a “Mix-It-Up Model.”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In one activity, students were
to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<strong>help
reduce bias</strong>”</i> by discussing the difference between natural and
drug-induced highs.<br />
<br />
April 2013: </span><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/25/girls-instructed-role-play-lesbian-relationship-wo/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A New York middle school reportedly told girls
to ask other girls for a kiss, and boys to decide which girls look like
“sluts.”</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (In </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">an
email</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to a reporter, the district superintendent complained about the news
coverage but did not refute these specific claims.)<br />
<br />
April 2013: </span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/04/03/atlanta-educators-indicted-in-cheating-scandal/?subscriber=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Atlanta educators were indicted in a cheating
scandal</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/07/cscope-exposing-the-nations-most-controversial-public-school-curriculum-system/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glenn Beck exposed CSCOPE, a controversial
education program in Texas.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> According to Beck’s guest panel, the CSCOPE
program is anti-American, anti-Christian, politically biased, and historically
inaccurate. Teachers reportedly were to sign anti-disclosure contracts and not
reveal lesson plans to parents. Prompted by </span><a href="http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/state-investigation-launched-after-students-dress-in-burqas.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a
photo of students wearing burqas</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> – without parental knowledge or consent –
Texas legislators debated removing CSCOPE from schools. Incredibly, it isn’t
gone yet.<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2296757/Massachusetts-principal-attack-inviting-students-exclusive-Honors-Night.html#ixzz2O9LyV9Vw"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Massachusetts principal reportedly said
an “honors night” could be “devastating” to other students. He canceled it in
favor of a “more-inclusive” assembly</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/student-data-compiling-system-outrages-article-1.1287990"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New York and other states compile private
student information and data to give to companies</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. The $100 million database was reportedly funded “primarily” by
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Officials say student data is
“protected” by FERPA. (Perhaps the new definition of “protected” is: “We’re
marketing your private information without telling you.”)<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/30/common-core-uses-scientology-videos-to-teach-students-they-have-right-to-food-housing-clothing-medicine-even-a-job/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New York school videos – reportedly based
on the Common Core – favor the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights over
the U.S. Constitution.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/21/texas-mom-outraged-after-finding-stunning-question-about-911-terrorism-on-her-sons-test/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Texas school test said 9/11 happened
because of America’s actions in the world</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. A Texas school worksheet on the Bill of Rights lists food and
medicine as “rights.”<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2013/mary-grabar/georgia-high-school-teachers-political-advocates-for-illegal-aliens/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Georgia teachers openly advocate in their
classroom for illegal immigrants.</span></a> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students who oppose this political agenda are challenged to face their
undocumented classmates.<br />
<br />
March 2013: </span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/2013/03/08/malkin-rotten-to-the-core-the-feds-invasive-student-tracking-database/?subscriber=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commentary: Rotten to the Core: The feds’
invasive student tracking database.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
February 2013: </span><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/1/houston-elementary-school-assembly-sings-ode-obama/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Houston school put on an assembly that sung the praises of Barack Obama.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
February 2013: </span><a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/01/31/4591624/senators-question-creators-of.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Texas curriculum told students to design a
flag for a “new socialist nation” and to “use symbolism to represent aspects of
socialism/communism” on their new flag.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
February 2013: </span><a href="http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/02/13/parents-complain-mission-viejo-elementary-tutoring-program/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Colorado school offered extra tutoring to
students ... unless they’re white.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
January 2013<strong>:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/24/philly-5th-grader-gets-in-trouble-searched-in-front-of-class-allegedly-called-murderer-for-paper-gun-that-looks-like-this/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Philadelphia 5<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> grader was reportedly
scolded, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>searched in front of her class,
and threatened with arrest – after pulling out a paper her grandfather had shaped
like a gun</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
January 2013: </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/21/us/pennsylvania-girl-suspended"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Pennsylvania kindergartner was suspended for
10 days and labeled a terroristic threat after playfully telling a classmate
she would shoot her with her “Hello Kitty” bubble gun.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The kindergartner’s
friend was reportedly listed as being the “victim” of the incident.<br />
<br />
January 2013: </span><a href="http://www.wistv.com/story/20535938/chapin-high-teachers-flag-lesson-prompts-district-investigation"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A high school teacher stomped on the American
flag in class and reportedly said the flag is just a piece of cloth that doesn’t
mean anything</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. In May, the teacher
</span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2013/05/07/flag-stomping-teacher-gets-85k-settlement-from-school-district/?subscriber=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">received
an $85,000 settlement</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
January 2013: </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2259654/San-Antonio-student-Andrea-Hernandez-loses-court-battle-refusing-wear-ID-tag-GPS-tracker.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Texas student refused to wear a GPS tracking
badge</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. That student was expelled. She sued the district, but she lost
the court case.<br />
<br />
January 2013: </span><a href="http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/public-school-teaches-white-privilege-class.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Wisconsin school reportedly taught in a “white
privilege class” that white people are oppressors.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
December 2012: </span><a href="http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/10/12/florida-passes-plan-for-racially-based-academic-goals/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Florida State Board of Education planned
to set racially based academic goals for students.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> This plan was met with outrage from Hispanic and black citizens.<br />
<br />
October 2012: </span><a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/kyleolson/2012/10/20/minnesota_schools_close_so_teachers_can_play_with_dolls_learn_about_teaching_islam"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Minnesota schools reportedly closed for a
few days so teachers could play with dolls, talk about the upcoming election,
and learn how to teach about Islam to students</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<br />
<br />
October 2012: </span><a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Romney-High-School-T-Shirt-Flap-172627871.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Philadelphia student wearing a Mitt
Romney/Paul Ryan T-shirt was reportedly told to leave her classroom.</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The student said the teacher likened wearing that
shirt to wearing a KKK shirt.<br />
<br />
October 2012: </span><a href="http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2012/10/09/educating-children-on-how-to-vote-for-democrats/?subscriber=1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Florida schools set up voter registration
drives in schools that reportedly advocated solely for Democrats and provided
pro-Barack Obama commentary.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br />
June 2012: </span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/brains-and-bracelets-gates-funds-wrist-sensors-for-students-20120614-20bqa.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bill Gates is funding wrist sensors to
measure and collect data on children’s physical reactions in the classroom.</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong>“Gates officials” reportedly said they
hope the sensors will become a “common classroom tool.”<br />
<br /><br />
I know. It’s terribly grim out there. I hope you’re motivated now to do what
you can to jerk a knot in the Edu Mob’s chain. If we don’t work together on
this, then this country and our children really have lost it all.</span>
</span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: <strong>Rogers, L. (June 2013). "Public education’s 'culture of power': Small minds, thin skins, fragile egos." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color: #336699; font-size: x-small;">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</span></strong></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This article was published June 12, 2013, on Education News at: </span><a href="http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-public-educations-culture-of-power/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-public-educations-culture-of-power/</span></a></span></b><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></strong><br />
</div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-90459288254830770532013-05-24T12:48:00.001-07:002013-06-06T19:10:23.776-07:00How we could fix public education, and why it won't happen<div>
By Laurie H. Rogers</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week, I saw a donation stand for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The stand was located between the in and out doors of a grocery store, and the older veteran standing there must have felt chilled. I gave him a donation, and on the way out, I offered to get him a cup of coffee. He looked like he wanted one, but he demurred, so I just went and got him a large cup with a free refill. He offered to pay me for the coffee. When I refused his money, he put it in the donation cup. </span></em><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This veteran was focused on his mission. He wasn’t there for himself, and he behaved with impeccable manners and integrity. I thought – what a difference between a man like that, and so many of those who run our public schools</span>.</span></em></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As an education advocate, I’m asked regularly how we fix our public schools. After six and a half years of advocacy, I’m no longer confident we can. Solutions exist, and they’re neither difficult nor expensive to implement. But most board directors and education administrators won’t do those things, and no one can make them. Absolute failure brings them more money, sympathy and power. They’re nearly immune now to any consequences, and most seem allergic to accountability or self-introspection. Naturally, this kind of power can go to one’s head.<br />
<br />
The situation <em>could</em> be rectified, with proper oversight from citizens, legislators and the law. But many school districts spend much time, energy and taxpayer money cultivating uncritical friends – in the legislature, the courts, public agencies, private organizations, small businesses, large corporations and the media. They keep publicly funded lawyers on retainer, and they can spend a bottomless pit of tax dollars, suing for more in the midst of plenty. They wield their considerable power with impunity, and they answer to almost no one. In the midst of their self-interest and lack of humility, most refuse to properly educate or protect the children.<br />
<br />
It’s quite twisted. I think of these people now as the Edu Mob. I keep asking for someone with oversight to jerk a legal knot in their chain, but it’s been years and I’m still waiting.<br />
<br />
Certain administrators and board directors come to believe they’re invincible, that they have carte blanche to do as they please – to hide information, mislead about money and outcomes, violate open-government laws, and lie right to our face, if necessary – in order to get what they want. I doubt they see their lying as wrong. I’m sure they see it as just the cost of doing business. It isn’t honorable, of course, but only those with honor would care about that.<br />
<br />
Here are 10 key things districts <em>could</em> do to fix the problems they’ve created. Match these 10 to the things they actually do.<br />
<ul>
<li>1. <strong><em>Start telling the truth</em></strong>. Assess all students with well-written, at-grade-level tests (so, not with any state tests). Provide citizens with the unvarnished results. Put more effort into telling the truth about academic outcomes than they’ve put into hiding it. Give completed tests back to teachers and parents so we know how to help the children.</li>
<li>2. <strong>See the children – and the academic problem – clearly</strong>. Feel a concern for the children that transcends a concern for themselves. Recognize that students are being damaged for life by failed academic programs. Feel ashamed and embarrassed. Develop a sense of urgency about helping the children academically. Turn shame and embarrassment into immediate action.</li>
<li>3. <strong>Buy good textbooks</strong>. Buy good textbooks <em>today</em>. If they bought textbooks with a proven track record, they wouldn’t need to waste teacher and student time on adoption committees or pilots. Worry more about the academic quality of the textbooks than about whether they align with the unproved, arguably illegal Common Core State Standards, whether they engage in “political/social justice” themes, or whether they contain a gazillion group projects. Buy books that are sufficient, efficient, effective, and crystal clear to teachers and parents. Such books are available; they should buy them now before somebody wants to make them illegal.</li>
<li>4. <strong><em>Don’t put curriculum and tests online</em></strong>. Many children won’t do well with all-online material. Some will find that working online hurts their eyes and even damages their eyesight. Some will be distracted by online options and visuals. Children also learn by writing things down; they don’t learn by clicking a mouse. Care more about this than about pleasing the feds, Bill Gates, Apple and other tech vendors – or about pocketing their gobs of bait-money.</li>
<li>5. <strong><em>Allow teachers to directly teach</em></strong>. Stop micromanaging teachers. Allow teachers the academic freedom they need to be as good or as poor as they are. Reward effective ones, and fire ineffective ones. Ask parents for input on this. Care more about teacher quality than about pleasing unions or obtaining union support for pet projects.</li>
<li>6. <strong><em>Remove distractions from the school day</em></strong>. Stop wasting time on things like excessive testing and test prep, “training” on unnecessary technology, and assemblies where children learn how to sell stuff. Stop yanking teachers out of class for useless “professional development.” Give teachers good academic materials and then leave them alone so they can teach it.</li>
<li>7. <strong><em>Make class sizes manageable</em></strong>. If districts take in tax dollars to lower class sizes, they should actually lower the damn class sizes and stop lying about it.</li>
<li>8. <strong><em>Allow the community to help</em></strong>. Community members can and will volunteer to fill in academic gaps; administrators just need to open the door. No one needs a teaching certificate to tutor a child.</li>
<li>9. <strong><em>Cut back on or get rid of curriculum departments</em></strong>. Most administrators in public-school curriculum departments don’t teach, and they generally refuse to learn. What they do is tell everyone else what to do. Make them go away. And please, for heaven’s sake, do not put any dogmatic reformers back into the classroom.</li>
<li>10. <strong><em>Obey the laws</em></strong>. Do it because it’s right, and do it always, not just when somebody gets caught.</li>
</ul>
This is what it takes: Good textbooks, a productive learning environment and caring teachers who can actually teach. It’s why good tutors are incredibly effective. But the Edu Mob won’t do any of it. Most administrators won’t publicly tell the truth or admit there’s a problem. They won’t assess students with at-grade-level tests and make results public; won’t consistently buy or use good textbooks; won’t allow teachers to directly teach; won’t clear the school day of distractions; won’t lower class sizes to reasonable levels; and won’t solicit community help on mathematics or grammar.<br />
<br />
What <em><strong>will</strong></em> they do? Exactly what they’re doing.<br />
<ul>
<li>They’ll put all curriculum and tests online, without any proof that a) this is an effective way to teach, or that b) it won’t damage the children’s eyesight. </li>
<li>They’ll campaign hard for bonds and levies and sue for more money, using your tax dollars to do it. </li>
<li>They’ll push for all-day kindergarten in all schools for all children, whether or not citizens like it, and whether or not all 5-year-olds are ready for this.</li>
<li>They’ll apply for charter schools, which they’ll run or influence to be run in the same way as the current public schools. </li>
<li>They’ll adopt the Common Core initiatives, sight unseen – blindly tagging along after this obscenely expensive national experiment. </li>
<li>And, they’ll hand you a fistful of excuses as to why they can’t do anything else.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The Common Core initiatives come with a creepy data system that is trashing privacy laws regarding children and families. Remember the idea of expunging records when children turn 18, so that new adults can begin with a clean slate? That’s pretty much out the window with the Common Core. The feds want cradle-through-career data and information, which they’ll share as they please without our permission or knowledge, and which no one will be allowed to expunge.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Despite voting repeatedly to target multi-millions of taxpayer dollars for various aspects of the Common Core, Spokane Board President Bob Douthitt admitted early in 2013 at a district math forum that he doesn’t know much about the Common Core. Douthitt also has said the district had no choice but to adopt the Common Core (which is not true), and that Spokane students are graduating ready for college (which is not true for most). His assertions aren’t logical. If everything is wonderful, why is he voting to waste our money on changing everything?</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Douthitt is running again for the school board. Please don’t vote for him.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I had a surreal experience this week. I went in to look at the district’s curricular materials, and they look depressingly like they did in 2007. Unbelievably, this district still uses two of the worst math programs on the planet: <em>Investigations in Number, Data, and Space</em>, and <em>Connected Mathematics</em>. The public has online access to the district’s “curriculum guides” – which are overarching concepts of what curriculum coordinators expect of teachers, but we haven’t been allowed to see the district’s "<strong>program guides"</strong> – the daily administrative dictates to teachers. Those are hidden in Blackboard, which requires a login.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Program guides are public records, however, so I stuck to my guns, and I managed to see some of them this week, along with some of the curricular materials. It’s a mound of truly awful stuff. </div>
<ul>
<li>If you’re a believer in civics instruction, you’ll be distressed by the social studies materials. </li>
<li>If you’re a believer in direct instruction to mastery of sufficient standard algorithms, you’ll be distressed by the stubbornly crappy math materials. </li>
<li>If you’re a believer in literature and in direct instruction of grammar, you’ll be distressed by the English/language arts materials. </li>
<li>If you think small children should not be taught to embrace alternative lifestyles to which their parents are opposed, or before they even know what a lifestyle is – you’ll hate the “human growth and development” materials.</li>
<li>Everyone should be appalled by the rampant typos, spelling and grammatical errors, incomprehensible test questions, and generally weak writing coming out of the Department of Teaching and Learning.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I asked Superintendent Shelley Redinger if the district will buy better math materials for fall 2013. She said they’ll continue to pilot materials. It’s clear that <em>Saxon Math</em> will not be adopted in Spokane Public Schools, not even by someone who says she understands the math problem. This, despite Saxon being one of the best elementary math series in the country. Supporting Saxon are solid research, student data, millions of happy homeschoolers, and the majority of math professionals I surveyed earlier this year. <br />
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Is <em>Saxon Math</em> the only math program currently available that's sufficient, efficient and effective? No. But the antagonism shown toward it by reformers is not about Saxon; it's about philosophy. Believers in reform math and student-centered learning will never want the same books as will believers in direct instruction to mastery of the most-efficient and most-effective algorithms.<br />
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<em>Saxon Math</em> and the kind of instruction within it have been caricaturized and demonized in Spokane by lovers of the current failed approach to math. So, now, the district is waiting for “Godot” – a math program that won’t upset those people; that hasn’t been written, properly researched or assessed; that’s “aligned” with the unproved Common Core; that 50 or so hand-picked people will collectively decide without proof is good enough; that’s supposed to make reformers <em>and</em> traditionalists happy; that will be mathematically sufficient; and that will get all kids on track for college. This is a fish-bicycle, an impossible thing. <em><strong>It can’t happen</strong></em>.<br />
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Whichever new materials they eventually look at will still have to go through another wasteful adoption process, and when adopted, will be yet another experiment on the children.</div>
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</div>
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I expressed concern about the 20,000 students who will be forced to suffer in math for another school year. It’s a lifetime to them, I argued. Don’t you feel a sense of urgency? I asked Dr. Redinger. They’re <em><strong>drowning</strong></em>. She said she feels that urgency. <br />
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Maybe. The proof is in the pudding. There’s been no proper assessment made of all students, no truth about their struggle made public, no solid math curriculum adopted, no community tutoring program begun, no opt-out offered for all-day kindergarten, and no district push-back made public on the Common Core. Dr. Redinger has made nearly a quarter of a million dollars since July 2012, yet the children still don’t have a good math curriculum. Board directors Bob Douthitt and Sue Chapin have been on the board since 2007. Rocky Treppiedi has been there since 1996, Jeff Bierman since 2009, and Deana Brower since 2011. This school board has spent years campaigning for more dollars, and the last two furiously trying to undermine the Public Records Act for all citizens in Washington State. Yet, Spokane children <em><strong>still don’t have a good math curriculum</strong></em>.<br />
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For years, I’ve asked the school district to help me begin a free community tutoring program in math so we can get these children to grade level. It would be <em>volunteering to help the children,</em> an offer I've made repeatedly. Former superintendent Nancy Stowell repeatedly refused to allow it. I was publicly criticized for suggesting it. <br />
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I began asking Dr. Redinger about it in September 2012. Finally, she invited me in last week to talk about tutoring. I was wary but hopeful. Had she begun a program? Did she want me to start one? Had someone else begun a program I could promote? Nope. None of the above. She handed me a fee schedule for renting a school building. I stared at the fee schedule, as I contemplated her quarter-million-dollar salary. What should I have said? What I thought was: “Seriously? Are you <em>kidding</em> me??”<br />
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Apparently, the wants of the monkeys still dictate how the zoo is run. <em>Saxon Math</em> could help fix Spokane’s math problem, but reformers don’t want Saxon, so it’s dead in the water. Instead, the leadership will allow 20,000 children to suffer every day in math while they all wait for a textbook that’s yet to be published. Reformers also don’t want citizens tutoring in proper math, and they don’t want at-grade-level assessments, but they do want the Common Core. Clearly, dealing with their hates and wants still takes priority over the children’s needs.<br />
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There’s so much arrogance and self-interest in public education, many adults now seem money-blind and power-blind to the children. I’ve begged them: Please <em><strong>care</strong></em> about these children. In return, many of them - including members of the board - call me names. The latest pejorative, so I hear, is “gadfly.” It isn’t the worst name they’ve called me.<br />
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I don’t know how to make selfish people care more about the children than about themselves. It’s probably another fish-bicycle. They should be ashamed, but they aren’t. They do, however, want you to give them more money and to vote some of them back in. Please don't.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><br />Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (May 2013). "How we could fix public education, and why it won't happen." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This article was published May 28, 2013, on Education News at:</strong></span><a href="http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-how-we-could-fix-education-and-why-it-wont-happen/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-how-we-could-fix-education-and-why-it-wont-happen</strong></span>/</a><br />
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Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-19727269904967164572013-05-06T22:19:00.001-07:002013-05-24T11:56:08.427-07:00Legislature and lawsuit help public education go in exactly the wrong direction. Again.<u><span style="color: purple;"></span></u><strong><em></em></strong><br />
By Laurie H. Rogers<br />
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I was asked recently to articulate to a legislator my thoughts and concerns about public education funding and accountability. Ah, so much to say ... about funding; accountability, the Common Core initiatives, and the McCleary Decision on education funding.<br />
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Legislators love to give more of our tax dollars to K-12 education, but they aren’t good at pursuing accountability or transparency from administrators and school boards. That’s partly because they listen too much to the Edu Mob, and not enough to <em>We, the People</em>.<br />
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What legislators hear from the Edu Mob is usually contrary to what actually needs to be done <em>for the children</em>, so we advocates have little hope of ever nailing down solutions. After six+ years of advocacy, I’m profoundly tired of hearing legislators state, year after year, “Education needs more money!” <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
FUNDING:</div>
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<strong><em>Question #1: What basis do legislators have for saying that K-12 education is underfunded, or that funding has been cut, or that more money will produce a better education system?</em></strong><br />
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Does anyone in the legislature know how much money is spent on K-12 education, including the school districts, the Educational Service Districts (ESDs), and the state education agency (OSPI)? Does anyone know how much is spent on capital costs and technology? Can anyone provide a comparison of how much was spent for all of K-12 education in 2002 vs. 2012? No? <em>Then why are legislators so sure that districts need more money?</em><br />
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When we ask OSPI for the total costs of K-12 education in Washington State, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhX2pLVlF1eEtXT2c/edit?usp=sharing">the numbers we get likely won’t include capital costs or the costs to run OSPI</a>. We might have to ask a few times for a total cost, and even then, we’ll probably have to dig out the truth ourselves. It's a pile of money, even accounting for inflation, and 40-50% of it does not go to the classroom.<br />
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<strong><em>Question #2: Does anyone in the legislature intend to find out where the money is going?</em></strong><br />
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Do legislators plan to hold administrators accountable for expenditures, seek transparency for outcomes, or ensure that those who lied to the people about expenditures or outcomes are forced out, and that those who violated open-government laws (i.e. regarding public meetings, campaigning, and public records) are held legally accountable? I ask because I see very little legislative interest in any of this.<br />
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<strong><em>Question #3: Does anyone in the legislature care that the recent “McCleary Decision” on school funding was based on an undefined word? </em></strong><br />
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The McCleary Decision resulted from a lawsuit filed against the State, which argued that the State is failing to live up to its obligation for “ample” funding of K-12 education. Driving this lawsuit was an organization called NEWS (Network for Excellence in Washington Schools). NEWS says it represents “students, parents, teachers, administrators and other citizens who are united in advocacy for public school funding.” (Obviously, the folks behind NEWS believe that increased public school funding will bring excellence in the schools.)<br />
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NEWS is <a href="http://waschoolexcellence.org/about/news-members/">largely made up of school districts and their unions</a> (which would be happy financial beneficiaries of any decision <em>for</em> the plaintiffs). The <a href="http://waschoolexcellence.org/about/leadership/">president and former president</a> of NEWS are, respectively, school superintendents Nick Brossoit, Edmonds; and Mike Blair, Chimacum. <br />
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In 2010, a Superior Court judge ruled for the plaintiffs, and in <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhbmpNbE1faXpQaXM/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">January 2012</a>, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decision. In an unusual move, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuheTZpV1Z6Wl9TMm8/edit?usp=sharing">the Supreme Court also retained jurisdiction </a>over the case as a way to ensure that legislators would cough up the money.<br />
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The argument behind the lawsuit doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the funding situation, however. What does “ample” mean? School districts across the state have wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on layers of administration, academically useless “professional development,” never-ending purchases of unproved or deeply flawed instructional materials and supplementary materials, techno toys, contracts, legal advice, food for adults, travel, consultants, new systems and programs, new assessments, administrative raises, and a plethora of other things that don’t help academic learning one bit. And when we try to find out exactly where the money went, <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/06/school-district-budget-forums-showcase.html">some of them don't want to tell us</a>.<br />
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Just one legal firm, for example, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhQlR5T2w2VEJDbDQ/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">has received millions of taxpayer dollars</a> from Spokane Public Schools, and this district uses several legal firms. Those legal expenses aren't itemized in the publicly released budget. School districts also are allowed to report expenditures <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhbjBaTnFGZzRaZWc/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">within the intended program, not as a line-item expense</a>, so they can throw all sorts of things into program categories, and they do. Expenditures for "instruction," therefore, include non-instruction items such as professional development, administrator salaries, travel and food. I requested a list of expenditures by line item, and I was told they “don’t break it down that way.”<br />
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There is a huge amount of waste in public education, much of it hidden from the public. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
ACCOUNTABILITY:</div>
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<strong><em>Question #4: Has anyone in the legislature attempted to hold education administrators accountable for their decades-long failure to produce well-educated students?</em></strong><br />
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In education, failure begets more money. Administrators therefore have a perverse incentive to not succeed. I'm not saying they deliberately try to fail, yet there are few consequences for failure, and there are huge financial gains resulting from failure, so they have little motivation to weed out incompetent administration, eliminate bad programs and curricula, or install products, people and programs that are PROVED to succeed. They don't have to police themselves, and there is no way for the public to police them. They seem to feel no sense of urgency to get it right. They just keep failing our children, patting themselves on the back for their "hard work," while fueled by an increasing number of taxpayer dollars.<br />
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<strong><em>Question #5: Are any legislators well versed on what a successful academic program looks like? Or, are they all taking as gospel what they're told by administrators, unions, policy makers, pro-money groups and the federal government?</em></strong><br />
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Do legislators listen to parents? Do they listen to math advocates? Do they not realize that children are NOT coming out of the K-12 system well educated, despite all of the fake numbers produced by officials every spring and fall? Do they not see the physical and emotional toll on the children from not having enough academics to progress, graduate, go to college, get a job, join the military, or even fill out a job application? Do legislators not feel a sense of urgency to fix this problem now? If they feel the same urgency I feel, they certainly don't show it.<br />
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<strong><em>Question #6: Does anyone in the legislature care about district accuracy in reporting, with consequences for those who don't engage in it?</em></strong><br />
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In 2012, <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/01/yes-vote-for-kids-by-asking-adult.html">local administrators told the public</a> (while promoting their upcoming levy) that their operating budget had been cut over 10 years by just more than $45 million, while the truth -- <a href="http://www.k12.wa.us/safs/reports.asp">easily located on the OSPI Web site</a> -- is that the operating budget had grown by about $80 million over that decade. The difference is massive. How do they get away with it?<br />
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It's <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/10/accountability-transparency-desperately.html">hard for citizens to know where public dollars go</a>, when expenditures are allowed to be shoved into dark recesses of the budget or hidden in the category of "instruction," and when so much money every year is hidden, not reported or misspent.<br />
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As for academics, state and local reporting on student academic outcomes is annually preposterous. <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/07/does-school-district-suffer-from-lake.html">Happy numbers are reported with breathless, self-congratulatory enthusiasm each year</a>, always on the rise, always worth celebrating -- and awards are handed out for amazing improvements -- yet little of it bears any resemblance to what we see in the children’s actual levels of academic capability.<br />
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The overall deceit is so huge, most people refuse to believe it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
THE COMMON CORE INITIATIVES:</div>
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<strong><em>Question #7: Has anyone in the legislature initiated opposition to the prospect of spending at least a billion taxpayer dollars on the Common Core initiatives -- an arguably illegal takeover of public education by the federal government?</em></strong><br />
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The Common Core initiatives are unproved. There are no student data behind them to support them; they are national pilots of unknown and politically biased products. They were adopted in Washington State <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/ccss-and-rttt-national-agenda.html">under a shady process</a>, and they will cost Washington taxpayers at least a billion dollars and the nation at least a trillion dollars. They’ve already removed much local decision-making power, pushing parents farther out of the process, while promoting a biased political agenda and still not providing students with sufficient academics. They’re already leading many districts back to more math programs that lack direct instruction or standard algorithms, and to more English programs that lack sufficient grammar or classic literature.<br />
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As everyone complains about money, why are legislators spending a billion taxpayer dollars on unproved, unnecessary and politically biased products? Sorry to be blunt, but this is not bipartisan leadership; it’s bipartisan foolishness. No successful business would operate like this.<br />
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And by the way, the coming charter schools in Washington State will be using Common Core products. How does that represent academic “choice” for parents and students?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
THE MCCLEARY DECISION ON EDUCATION FUNDING:</div>
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<strong><em>Question #8: Do legislators realize that no one involved with the <a href="http://waschoolexcellence.org/the-mccleary-case/">McCleary lawsuit</a> had to explain where the previous money went, or why it failed to produce well-educated students?</em></strong> <br />
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I can efficiently teach my daughter algebra at the kitchen table with a used textbook, a piece of paper and a pencil. Why can’t schools do the same with $12,000 per student? No one involved in the lawsuit had to itemize district, ESD and OSPI expenditures, or explain the academic failures.<br />
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No one is to be accountable for how the new money will be spent, either, or for any new failures in academic outcomes. Instead, the McCleary Decision means many of these failed administrators will get a financial windfall. Some are already counting it, preparing to spend money on things that have little or nothing to do with the classroom.<br />
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<strong><em>Question #9: Did anyone in the legislature question why the Supreme Court retained jurisdiction over the funding of education, essentially replacing the role of the legislature?</em></strong><br />
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Legislators now must answer to the <em>Supreme Court</em> on funding, and they must do what the <em>Supreme Court</em> has decided, rather than answer to the people and do what the people have decided. As NEWS puts it, the Supreme Court ordered the State to “make annual progress reports to the court” and allowed “NEWS to respond to each of the State’s reports to inform the Court of the accuracy of the State’s claims.”<br />
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The fox now guards the henhouse – NEWS officials advised the Supreme Court on how much more money they want. You won’t be surprised to know that – on behalf of school districts and unions –<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhcDZ3eDY4anpPT2M/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1"> NEWS decided that education requires billions more dollars</a>, increasing each year. Legislators were ordered to pay up.<br />
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Thomas Ahearne, a lawyer for NEWS, reportedly suggested that <a href="http://www.king5.com/news/education/COURT-COULD-DOCK-LAWMAKER-PAY-FOR-INACTION-ON-EDUCATION-190315611.html">the Court could punish legislators for not coming up with the money</a>, by “imposing fines, cutting utility service to the legislative building or docking the pay” of legislators. What’s next? Cement shoes? An “offer they can’t refuse?” Meanwhile, <em>We the People</em> don’t count at all. We have nowhere to go for help or recourse.<br />
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This Supreme Court decision to retain jurisdiction over funding is a bad precedent, a vast overreach, and it must be appealed. Legislators must not allow it to stand. In Tunstall v. Bergeson (2000), the Supreme Court itself <a href="http://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-supreme-court/1018304.html">expressly warned against judicial overreach into education decision-making</a>. <br />
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Does this country still have a Constitution and a governing system of checks and balances, or doesn’t it? <br />
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<strong><em>Question #10: Does anyone in the legislature know that the lawsuit resulting in the McCleary Decision was funded in part by district dollars – by taxpayer dollars?</em></strong><br />
<strong><em><br /></em></strong>When school districts wish to become a NEWS member, NEWS asks them to "make a public statement of support by passing a resolution" and <a href="http://waschoolexcellence.org/get-involved/become-a-member/">by providing "a financial contribution to NEWS."</a> NEWS helpfully "invoices" school districts for this "contribution."<br />
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Taxpayers therefore unknowingly helped pay for a lawsuit against the state – which is publicly funded – resulting in forcing more taxpayer dollars from taxpayers. How much money did this lawsuit cost taxpayers, not including the McCleary Decision itself? Where in district budgets are these costs? That’s a true pile-on – public agencies, their unions, their money advocates, their lawyers, and their multitude of quasi-public associations ... And now the Court... Who was there to speak up for the <em>taxpayer</em>?<br />
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Citizens in other states have attempted to get legislation written to outlaw being able to lobby like this with taxpayer dollars. This should happen in Washington State.<br />
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Much of the leadership in K-12 public education has repeatedly proved itself to be self-serving, unsuccessful, certain it’s brilliant, mostly deaf to the public, overpaid, overfunded, not transparent and not publicly accountable. When will the legislature stop chasing after failure, wasting gobs of taxpayer dollars on those who care mostly about money, ego and power – and who don’t even produce well-educated graduates?<br />
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This is the end of my rant. Public education, structured as it is, will never result in well-educated students. The Edu Mob’s list of priorities begins and ends with money and power, and the legislature has tended to cater to those priorities every legislative session. Things will continue this way until enough of us have a) left the broken system, and b) voted for legislators who care more about student academics and district accountability than about getting more votes and donations from the Edu Mob.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (May 2013). "Legislature and lawsuit help public education go in exactly the wsrong direction. Again." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This article also was published May 10 at Education News at this address: </strong></span><a href="http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-ten-hard-pressing-questions-for-public-education/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/laurie-rogers-ten-hard-pressing-questions-for-public-education/</strong></span></a><br />
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<br />Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-7446301349177434622013-04-24T20:02:00.001-07:002013-05-24T11:56:57.597-07:00High school math teacher exposes the high-stakes testing myth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG-LkWvSMPx3_kEjnwkhDJazGUTgS3IGXuUGm0qE_gRroGfwqDL9G9xvhjoQtNLERJzuOF1BkvHSJ2ixsmdM7_zMd3WsUDvyfUJ-BZXplpqcQ8Kzz1pMdY356DPJLmla1CF4tUyLB-dZ2/s1600/common-sense-300x195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" lwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG-LkWvSMPx3_kEjnwkhDJazGUTgS3IGXuUGm0qE_gRroGfwqDL9G9xvhjoQtNLERJzuOF1BkvHSJ2ixsmdM7_zMd3WsUDvyfUJ-BZXplpqcQ8Kzz1pMdY356DPJLmla1CF4tUyLB-dZ2/s1600/common-sense-300x195.jpg" /></a></div>
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By Bob Dean<br />
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The belief that high-stakes testing will bring any improvement to our public schools is built on an ounce of wishful thinking, a pound of good intentions and a ton of ignorance.<br />
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Consider the recent history of high-stakes testing in the State of Washington. We spent more than a decade and a billion dollars on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) only to find that the test was deeply flawed. The WASL didn’t align with college or career readiness, and it basically tried to measure student achievement of standards that were so poorly written they were impossible to measure by any kind of assessment.<br />
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Despite these major flaws, legislators, the public, business leaders and most of the media ignorantly assumed that something meaningful was happening by requiring students to pass this bogus exam. Unfortunately, the only meaningful thing that was happening was teachers throughout our state were forced to try and teach to this test despite the fact that it didn’t align to anything that was important for students to know. The WASL was a test built around standards that de-emphasized student content knowledge and supposedly would teach students to think more deeply and become expert problem solvers. In the end, the main problem that many students now have to solve is how to go through life being mathematically illiterate.<br />
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Teachers were forced to follow this WASL nonsense even though it was against their better judgment. Even worse, despite the misgivings and resistance by many, it is the teachers who were left holding the bag when students didn’t perform well on the WASL exam. Despite the money spent by the state on this test, no more than 50% of the students ever passed the math portion, and the scores went down each year during the last few years the exam was given.<br />
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What unmasked the deep flaws of the WASL? The first year that the new End of Course (EOC) assessment was given, the state saw a 50% jump in the student scores across the state. This jump couldn’t be attributed to any improvement in what was happening in classrooms; it simply came because the EOC exams aligned more closely to what was actually being taught and the test was based on new standards which were clearer and far better defined than the old WASL standards.<br />
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So again, the legislature, the public, business leaders and most of the media hailed the passing of the EOC’s as a standard that would drive improvement in our schools and would finally hold teachers accountable to do a job they surely were not doing. Can we consider that passing the math EOC ensures that students are learning something meaningful and will be prepared to enter college or the work world? Only if you are ignorant of what is on the exams. Unfortunately that ignorance would describe the legislature, most of the public, and those in the business world and media who by “blind faith” continue to exalt these exams as the “savior” of our educational system.<br />
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The facts are that the EOC 1 doesn’t align to college readiness, and it contains numerous irrelevant topics like “box and whisker plots” and “recursive arithmetic sequences” which have no place in Algebra 1 -- while it leaves out numerous traditional topics like “simple rational expressions” and “quadratic equations” that are necessary for moving on in Algebra. The EOC 2 is even worse because the nonsensical narrow standards it measures are in a portion of Geometry that was created by unintended legislative consequences, not by any thoughtful analysis of what students should know after two years of mathematics. Despite these flaws, the passing of these exams is being used as the measure of a quality education system…….Not!<br />
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But no worries, government has come to the rescue again. The governor and the legislature decided without one shred of empirical evidence that we should discard our newly written state math standards (rated as some of the best in the nation and which cost $100 million to develop and implement) and adopt the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), along with the much hailed national assessments that would follow. Again, they made this decision based on “blind faith” because neither the standards nor the assessments were even written when this decision was made. But don’t worry; the new assessments that Washington students will take starting next year are being created under the direction of some of the same important people who gave us the WASL.<br />
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It is ironic that all of these exams are purported to increase the depth of student thinking and problem solving even while they have been implemented, designed and sold to the public with some of the shallowest logic that is possible to imagine. It is this same shallow logic that believes that holding teachers accountable based on the student scores of these flawed examinations will have any positive impact on student learning.<br />
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It’s not that I am against accountability or having to meet a standard. It’s just that, thus far, I have not seen any evidence that the current education leadership is capable of designing an assessment system that will bring any improvement to our schools. Instead of sound education principles, these tests are being used to push agendas from both the left and the right. The truth is that as long as we try to force every kid through a one-size-fits-all system, we will never see improvement. No other country in the world is running an education system on the pretense that all students are the same, and as long as we pursue that folly, we will continue to waste precious resources and fall farther behind our competitors.<br />
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<em>Bob Dean is a high-school math teacher in Vancouver, WA. He has served as math department chairman of Evergreen High School, as a State Board of Education Math Advisory Panel Member, as a member of the OSPI Standards Revision Team, and as a member of the Where's the Math Executive Committee. This article was previously published on <a href="http://blogs.columbian.com/bob-dean/2013/04/20/the-high-stakes-testing-myth/">Bob Dean's blog</a>.<br /></em><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Comment from Laurie Rogers: If you would like to submit a guest column on public education, please write to me at wlroge@comcast.net . Please limit columns to about 1,000 words, give or take a few. Columns might be edited for length, content or grammar. You may remain anonymous to the public, however I must know who you are. All decisions on guest columns are the sole right and responsibility of Laurie Rogers. </span></strong><br />
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<em><br /></em>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-65350491292745674312013-03-20T11:25:00.003-07:002013-05-24T11:57:40.111-07:00Are grading trends hurting socially awkward children?By Katharine Beals<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>[This article was originally posted on <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/03/are-grading-trends-hurting-socially-awkward-kids/273759/">The Atlantic</a>. It is reprinted here with permission from the author.]</strong></span><br />
<em><br />Eccentric children -- including those on the autism spectrum -- often have unique academic abilities. But today's teaching philosophies are making it hard for them to shine.</em><br />
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Children have long been graded not just for academics, but also for elements of "character" -- particularly behavior and emotional maturity. However, in the last few decades, socially eccentric children have seen their awkwardness or aloofness factored into their grades in math, language arts, and social studies. Ironically, this trend has coincided with a rise in diagnoses of autistic spectrum disorders.<br />
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For children on the autism spectrum, new social studies curricula pose a particular challenge. Once restricted to readings, worksheets, and essays on history, government, and politics, the subject increasingly requires students to reflect on their connections within their local communities. They are asked to present projects to their classmates (even in primary school), spend much of class time working in groups, and evaluate scenarios such as this one, from a worksheet for 3rd graders:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YlH3ep4getDB8551FZK9-yXSP_04p8z7Ct8kwnHGSg3cdZyVwxEesxUkhoitCN3cIMMdaa38xriUjVXaKrLy3u8uIe6U3Z3dUgjhgCr7gxaaWMxS2Jvwc_7U6v16VkyuRSz8JarCHMsc/s1600/cartoon-social-studies-thumb-450x435-115081.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YlH3ep4getDB8551FZK9-yXSP_04p8z7Ct8kwnHGSg3cdZyVwxEesxUkhoitCN3cIMMdaa38xriUjVXaKrLy3u8uIe6U3Z3dUgjhgCr7gxaaWMxS2Jvwc_7U6v16VkyuRSz8JarCHMsc/s320/cartoon-social-studies-thumb-450x435-115081.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fulfilling this assignment means reading the characters' faces, deducing the social dynamics, and assuming multiple perspectives -- tasks that amount to an informal screening test for the core social deficit of autistic spectrum disorders. Fail this assignment, and chances are you're somewhere on the spectrum.<br />
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Language arts classes, meanwhile, tend to favor books by authors like Judy Blume and Jerry Spinelli: realistic fiction starring recognizable school-aged peers in social settings. To the socially adept, these books are highly accessible. But the socially oblivious might find themselves unable to answer the reading comprehension questions, many of which require social inferences similar to those in the social studies sheet.<br />
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In writing assignments as well, today's language arts classes favor realistic fiction (often explicitly disallowing fantasy) along with personal accounts of everyday life. For the autistic child, written expression might already be difficult; assignments that presuppose an ability to articulate personal feelings or create psychologically realistic characters, dialogue, and social interactions, can be tremendously bewildering and frustrating.<br />
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Some of these writing challenges extend to today's math classes. To earn full credit on math problems, students often must verbally explain the thought processes behind their mathematical solutions. But one common characteristic among people on the autism spectrum is a nonverbal approach to mathematics, Many autistic children have mathematical skills that far exceed their verbal skills. But even when their verbal skills are on par with their math skills, they tend to solve problems nonverbally, performing much of the work rapidly and automatically in their heads. When they're asked to explain their answers, they not only might struggle to put their thoughts into words, they might have actually bypassed the thought processes that could be verbalized by their peers.<br />
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For the same reason, autistic children struggle with the kind of group work required at many schools, particularly those with smaller classrooms, better-behaved students, and better reputations. As in other subjects, math teachers assess students, in part, on their ability to cooperate with their peers. But working in math groups is challenging for autistic children, not only because of their deficient social skills, but because they can often do the math tasks entirely on their own -- and faster than their group mates can. When they're expected to help their peers, or at least to wait for them to finish, they might become impatient and irritable, or bored and tuned out. Either way, they will lose points for cooperation.<br />
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Meanwhile, the kind of challenging solo work in which mildly autistic students have excelled is becoming less and less common. Across the curriculum, the traditional essay or problem set has been upstaged by group projects and multimedia presentations. Consider, for example, how many points in this popular science evaluation rubric come from skills in oral presentation:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT3MPve-jelaqFRGHjW4N_DKSiqiGJHHEx9PT2vuLN2xOqgnjVsDqqNLZ0zIr3WqieeHT3glfgKYNzxhEGXTRSYxxg0L5OA_XZVvV8UVcsx-I0sxfemb5TxXOUtw4yKUTJieDc2AYTZGS/s1600/eval-form-thumb-615x519-115079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT3MPve-jelaqFRGHjW4N_DKSiqiGJHHEx9PT2vuLN2xOqgnjVsDqqNLZ0zIr3WqieeHT3glfgKYNzxhEGXTRSYxxg0L5OA_XZVvV8UVcsx-I0sxfemb5TxXOUtw4yKUTJieDc2AYTZGS/s320/eval-form-thumb-615x519-115079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One might argue that the new emphasis on sociability is precisely what autistic spectrum students require. Don't they, more than anyone else, need to develop their communication and collaborative skills? And in our increasingly social 21st century, aren't these skills more important than ever before -- both for life in general, and for jobs in particular?<br />
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The problem is that the kinds of jobs that autistic students aspire to -- for example, computer programming, engineering, writing, and the visual arts -- tend not to involve the sorts of group dynamics that occur in K-12 classrooms. And the social skills training that they do indeed require are best left to trained professionals. Well-run social skills groups for children on the autism spectrum are out there -- just not in most K-12 schools.<br />
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By traditional academic standards, children with the mild form of autism currently known as Asperger's syndrome are often exceptionally gifted. They tend to have unusual numerical and spatial reasoning skills that lead to superior achievement in math and science. Many also have large vocabularies, encyclopedic knowledge, and strong analytical abilities, making them exceptional writers of social studies essays. Some have imaginations that lead to unusual creativity in fantasy or science fiction writing.<br />
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A generation ago, before current trends in K-12 education took hold, many Asperger's children would have sailed through school without being downgraded for their social deficiencies. Nowadays, even in subjects where they used to excel, their grades are declining. And so are their prospects for appropriately challenging and rewarding education -- and careers -- in the future.<br />
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Thanks to the official Asperger's diagnosis, some parents of these students have managed to secure accommodations that exempted them from many of these new requirements. But in May, when the 5th edition of America's official manual of the psychiatric disorders comes out, the syndrome won't be there. Instead of receiving an Asperger's diagnosis, those with milder symptoms will simply be classified as having an autism spectrum disorder. <a href="http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=1367813">Some studies have suggested</a> that under the new system, the milder cases may go unidentified -- a result that could further impede those students' ability to thrive in today's classrooms.<br />
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Either way, brightening the prospects of our official or unofficial "Aspies" isn't difficult. It means restoring traditional, academic pathways through school, and allowing them, wherever possible, to work independently. And it means leaving the social skills training -- along with the autistic spectrum screening tests -- to the professionals.<br />
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<em>Katharine Beals is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and an adjunct professor at the Drexel University School of Education. She is the author of <u>Raising a Left-Brain Child in a Right-Brain World: Strategies for Helping Bright, Quirky, Socially Awkward Children to Thrive at Home and at School</u>. </em><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Comment from Laurie Rogers: If you would like to submit a guest column on public education, please write to me at </span></strong><a href="mailto:wlroge@comcast.net"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">wlroge@comcast.net</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"> . Please limit columns to about 1,000 words, give or take a few. Columns might be edited for length, content or grammar. You may remain anonymous to the public, however I must know who you are. All decisions on guest columns are the sole right and responsibility of Laurie Rogers. </span></strong><br />
<br />Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-21190535697364381552013-02-16T17:18:00.004-08:002013-05-24T11:58:34.895-07:00Public Records Act: Speak up for your rights now, before they're gone<div>
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By Laurie H. Rogers</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">“The school board made us many promises, more than I can remember. They only kept one. </span><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">They promised they would take away our right to know what they’re doing. And they did.”</span></div>
</em><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- (A rephrase of a famous comment from Sioux Chief Red Cloud)</span>
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The Washington State <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.56">Public Records Act</a> allows citizens to obtain records from government agencies. It’s a critical aspect of open and transparent government. <br />
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<a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1128&year=2013">House Bill 1128</a>, however, would gut the Public Records Act, making it ineffective and useless. HB 1128 is currently before the <a href="http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/RUL/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx">House Rules Committee in Olympia</a>. It's supported by a glut of public officials and <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRF9aTkZidUYwajQ/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">ten associations for public officials</a>. It’s also supported by legislators from both parties, in what amounts to a bipartisan shellacking of citizens.<br />
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Government officials are telling legislators that records requesters are being abusive, making excessive requests and diverting valuable resources away from the agencies’ primary purpose. Unreasonable requests are costing countless dollars, they claim, and something must be done to stem the tide.</div>
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But while some individuals do make abusive requests, <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1128&year=2013">HB 1128</a> punishes everyone – similar to restricting cars because a few drivers crash, or restricting swimming pools because a few swimmers drown. Part of what agencies <em><strong>are there to do</strong></em> is provide records to the public when asked. And almost all of the problems cited in <a href="http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2013011138">testimony to legislators</a> refer to former employees, not to the public at large. <br />
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A more productive, cost-effective, cooperative solution would be to expand the authority of the open-government ombudsman, or some other independent authority, to review requests and provide objective guidance to agencies and citizens. Such a solution was <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2011&bill=1044">proposed by the Attorney General</a> in 2011. But promoters of HB 1128 instead want authority to rest with public agencies and the courts. <br />
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HB 1128 would: Allow agencies to decide unilaterally if requests are burdensome; allow agencies to file for injunctions against the requests; eliminate penalties to agencies for operating in bad faith; and force requesters to argue their case in court (thus identifying themselves) or hire a lawyer to do it for them. It also can eliminate a citizen's right to future requests from a particular agency.<br />
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Even if a citizen has the money, time and willingness to battle a government agency and its army of publicly funded lawyers, it’s already difficult to find a lawyer who knows the Public Records Act (PRA), who doesn’t work for the agency in question, and who’s willing to take on such a case. HB 1128 would make finding that lawyer next to impossible. These concerns and others have so far fallen on deaf ears.<br />
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Supporters of HB 1128 say they won’t use the bill to obstruct or intimidate requesters, and that they will release records to “well-intentioned” citizens. But HB 1128 <strong><em>allows</em></strong> agencies to delay and obstruct requests and to withhold records from “well-intentioned” citizens. It <strong><em>allows</em></strong> agencies to intimidate citizen requesters through legal action. This makes assurances from supporters, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhVDMzMko4Rlo3MVk/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">such as the Washington State Association of Counties</a>, specious and illogical.<br />
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HB 1128 is a very bad bill. It’s designed to protect the government from citizens, while doing nothing to protect citizens from the government. Worse, it allows agencies to use public dollars to stymie full disclosure to the public.<br />
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<strong><em>Here is just one example of why the Public Records Act is critically important to citizens, and why it must be retained for all the people of Washington State.</em></strong><br />
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Board directors of Spokane Public Schools have been trying for more than a year to undermine the Public Records Act – first with their <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhYjkwMDYwZWQtYmE0Yi00Mjg1LWEyMTctNmFjZjE0YzNjZTY5/edit?pli=1">2012 Legislative Priorities</a>, and then with their <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRnU1b0hnVGNralU/edit?pli=1">2013 Legislative Priorities</a>. They’ve spent a lot of time and effort trying to modify the PRA, when their real mission is to <strong><em>oversee the education of 27,000+ children</em></strong>.<br />
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In December 2012, I asked the directors to explain their latest attack on the PRA. Four refused to answer my questions, deferring to the board president, who said he would answer for all. <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhbnVnM3lRUW54V0U/edit?pli=1">Bob Douthitt’s response</a> suggests that no board director showed the slightest interest in obtaining citizens’ perspective on the matter before they all charged ahead with undermining the PRA for all of us. <br />
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Last week, I did a little more research.<br />
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The Spokane school board passed their 2013 Legislative Priorities unanimously on <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhSFJUSjNmcWpleEE/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">October 24, 2012</a>. But that isn’t when their latest attack on the PRA began.<br />
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Early in 2012, the board had failed in its first effort to undermine the PRA, with Senator Lisa Brown’s <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2011&bill=6576">SB 6576</a>. Brown’s legislative aide, Marcus Riccelli, told board directors to start earlier in the year if they wanted to get a bill passed. Directors indicated in a board meeting that they would.<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhb3ZEdVpJZHJodnc/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">On April 25</a>, two weeks after the legislative session ended, board director Jeff Bierman asked other directors for ideas for new legislative proposals. Just 28 days later, their 2013 Priorities were finished and <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuha0xDMmhGT0Y0TEk/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">unanimously adopted</a> (with one director absent). The Priorities were steered to completion by Bierman, co-legislative liaison Deana Brower, and the superintendent and her cabinet. They include:<br />
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<li>eliminating the right of records requesters to remain anonymous</li>
<li>forcing an “in-house” appeals process on records requesters (thus forcing requesters to appeal to employees of the same agency that refused to provide records) </li>
<li>double-charging taxpayers for certain salaries associated with records requests. </li>
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This board wanted to adopt their 2013 Priorities early so they could <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhbENoMExubVVBckk/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">push them with legislators</a> over the summer. They also wanted time to <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhSUxDYlRzVGxtYXM/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">persuade the Washington State School Directors Association</a> (WSSDA) to make the Priorities part of WSSDA’s platform. <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhWHpKYmJsQ2RWS3M/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">WSSDA agreed</a>, making undermining the Public Records Act a priority for all school boards that acquiesce to WSSDA.<br />
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Spokane Public Schools’ board president now is on WSSDA’s “legislative team.” WSSDA now is an official supporter of the execrable HB 1128.<br />
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Why would these five school board directors fight so hard to undermine the Public Records Act? They’ve had a huge head start, campaigning hard for the Priorities the moment the ink was dry. Board directors claim they don’t <strong><em>intend</em></strong> to undermine the PRA, but that assertion isn’t believable, considering their Priorities and the way they’ve gone about pushing them. Why are they so intent on limiting public access to public records? I don’t know, but I can guess. Read on.<br />
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<strong>Open public meetings:</strong></div>
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Under Washington State law, government agencies must make decisions in public and after public notice. This is known as the <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.30">Open Public Meetings Act</a>. But these directors didn’t put their 2012 Priorities or their 2013 Priorities before the public. They didn’t place them on the district Web site until after I asked about them. At no point was there a discussion with any records requester, no discussion <strong><em>with the people</em></strong> about their determination to help rip a people’s law from the people’s hands.<br />
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Douthitt said the board “discussed and approved” the 2013 Priorities “at a board business meeting,” but I looked in vain for a pre-adoption discussion in all of their 2012 minutes. I see brief procedural comments, but <strong><em>no discussion or airing in public</em></strong> about the specific Legislative Priorities that were being considered. When and where were the discussions held?<br />
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Some records show board directors <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhb1NuY1Q4RGJNbUE/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">communicating by email about the PRA to all other board directors</a> – so, <strong><em>in a quorum</em></strong>. Records show other topics being discussed by email between all members of the board. By law, discussions constituting a board quorum <em>are supposed to be held in public</em>.<br />
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<strong>PDC Complaint:</strong></div>
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According to Washington’s <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.17A.555">Public Disclosure law</a>, public officials are not allowed to use public resources to promote ballot propositions or elective campaigns. In 2011, based on the results of two records requests, I filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) regarding Spokane Public Schools’ 2009-2011 election activity. The PDC elected to <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhMTkwNzllZTMtOGJjZC00N2U4LTlmMzItOWFhZDE0ZDAzZDdh/edit?pli=1">formally investigate</a>, and that investigation is ongoing.<br />
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<li>Part of the PDC complaint has to do with board and district activity regarding the district’s promotion of its levy and bond in 2008/2009. Associate Superintendent Mark Anderson and Superintendent Nancy Stowell ran that campaign and figure prominently in the complaint.</li>
<li>Part of the PDC complaint has to do with Director Deana Brower, who in 2011 was a board candidate, and who now is the board’s legislative co-liaison. She <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhZmUxZDI5MjUtNTI4NC00OTA2LTkyZmMtNzI0NDhmMDY5NTc0/edit?pli=1">campaigned for the seat on district property</a> and was touted as the preferred board candidate in materials that were <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhZjFiOGM2M2MtNmFiZC00ZWQwLThhMDItODg3MDBhNmI3YzU0/edit?pli=1">distributed throughout the district using public resources</a>.</li>
<li>Part of the complaint has to do with the district’s <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhZjU3ZTk1MWQtMDkwZC00MjJhLTg5MTQtMmI3YTVlMjhmYWJj/edit?pli=1">close relationship with Citizens for Spokane Schools</a>, which works to secure “yes” votes on district levies and bonds.</li>
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<li>Records show that Stowell and Anderson <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRThTUm9IdUNmZW8/edit?pli=1">worked with CFSS to “promote” the bond and levy</a>.</li>
<li>Brower was a member of CFSS, and <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhMThjNWU0NTgtMTQ3NC00YmZiLWE5NzEtOTZkMWE2MDRlN2Qy/edit?pli=1">records show her meeting with Stowell and Anderson</a> to discuss an upcoming levy campaign.</li>
<li>After I repeatedly asked Brower in September 2011 about the relationship between her and the school district, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhUlFxTzVoc0wzR1U/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1">Brower said she had resigned her seat with CFSS</a> and refused to answer further.</li>
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Almost immediately after Brower took a seat on the board in 2011, after the PDC complaint was filed, and after the PDC announced its investigation – the first board attack on the Public Records Act began.<br />
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<strong>Lawsuit:</strong></div>
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Mark Anderson, who handles the district’s records requests, has delayed providing records to certain requesters, refused to provide certain records, and refused to fulfill certain requests. (See<a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/p/by-laurie-h.html"> this article for a list</a> of various district responses to certain requests.) He did not provide all of the responsive records for a request of mine from January 2011, and a lawsuit was filed early in 2012 to obtain the missing records. After this lawsuit was filed – the outcome of which is not yet resolved – the district released to my attorney and me thousands more records and several indexes of exemptions and redactions.<br />
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<strong>Anonymous Requests:</strong></div>
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The PRA does not prohibit the filing of anonymous requests. However, Anderson refused to provide records for two anonymous requests from last June. The requests pertain to these board directors – to a) <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhVndQdlRTaHhjZEU/edit?pli=1">their first attempt to undermine the PRA</a> and b) <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuheTMxMVBJUjI1SzA/edit?pli=1">their communications while they ran for the school board</a>. Despite directions from the new superintendent to fulfill the requests, they remain outstanding.<br />
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Another requester was accused last year of using a pseudonym and was told to provide proof of identity before records would be released. That records request, regarding the school board’s performance assessment of Superintendent Nancy Stowell, was ultimately denied.<br />
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The school board now is attempting to eliminate the public’s right to file anonymous requests, claiming that communicating with anonymous requesters is difficult. Email records I’ve been sent don’t indicate that. However, emails between requesters and Anderson do suggest that communicating with <strong><em>Anderson</em></strong> can be difficult. Some requesters have been repeatedly criticized in the community and the press.<br />
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<strong>In-House Appeals Process:</strong></div>
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The school board’s 2013 Priority of forcing requesters to go through an “in-house” appeals process means requesters would have to appeal to employees of the same agency that refused to provide records. Who would speak up in that “appeal” for the requester? A lawyer? And who pays for that lawyer?<br />
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This “in-house” appeals process could easily be used to intimidate requesters, to financially punish requesters, to force requesters to identify themselves, to delay the production of records, and to put off the application of fees and penalties for a district’s failure or refusal to produce records.<br />
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Similar kinds of behavior would be allowed – perhaps even encouraged – by the passage of HB 1128. On Jan. 25, one of the public officials speaking for HB 1128 was Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke, president of the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). WSAC is a vocal supporter of HB 1128. At about 56:10 <a href="http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2013011138">in this TVW video of that hearing</a>, Mielke responds to a legislator’s question about how HB 1128 might affect the media:
<dir>I will tell you that, it’s not just me as an elected official, but every one of us, who, like you, are hypersensitive to the press. We know that they can kill us, frankly, if they want to, and we’re going to do everything we can not to be on their bad side and to accommodate. We have a rapport. …As an elected official, my advice is always, ‘Don’t pick a fight with the media.’… And (HB 1128) would actually give us more time to respond to (media requests) and be sensitive to those needs because of the public’s need to know.</dir>Gag. (Mielke omitted the fact that in March 2012, Spokane County <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/23/settlement-lays-ron-steve-to-rest-for-now/">settled a public records lawsuit</a> for about $400,000 because the County didn’t provide certain records to the Neighborhood Alliance.)
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Another WSAC official immediately followed Mielke by saying WSAC would consider incorporating an exemption for the media. And they did. HB 1128 now contains an exemption for the media – a blatant attempt to mute dissent from who they see as their biggest opposition.<br />
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Now we see their Priorities. Not you. Not your children. Not tax savings. Not open government. With HB 1128, these officials are not operating in the public’s best interests. <br />
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How do ordinary citizens fight off these attacks on the Public Records Act from self-centered officials, myriad associations that lobby for government interests, hundreds of publicly funded agencies, and all of their publicly funded lawyers? This effort to undermine open government in Washington State must be stopped. Please call legislators today and tell them to vote NO on HB 1128.<br />
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Please also forward this article to other like-minded citizens and ask them to do the same.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (February 2013). "Public Records Act: Speak up for your rights now, before they're gone." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong> </strong></span></div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-59214000125401156282013-01-23T23:09:00.000-08:002013-05-24T12:00:27.263-07:00Common Core leading districts to adopt unproved math programs and failed approaches<div>
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<strong>By Laurie H. Rogers</strong></div>
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Many of America’s public schools have incorporated “student-centered learning” models into their math programs. An adoption committee in Spokane appears poised to recommend the adoption of yet another version of a “student-centered” program for Grades 3-8 mathematics.<br />
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It’s critically important that American citizens know what that term means. Aspects of the Common Core State Standards initiatives are leading many districts to adopt new curricular materials that have “student-centered learning” as a centerpiece.<br />
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In Spokane Public Schools, student-centered learning (also known as “inquiry-based” learning or “discovery-based” learning or “standards-based” learning) has been the driver of curriculum adoptions for nearly 20 years. This approach has not produced graduates with strong skills in mathematics. Spokane now suffers from a dearth of math skills in most of its younger citizens.<br />
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Nor is Spokane alone with this problem. Student-centered learning has largely replaced direct instruction in the public-school classroom. It was pushed on the country beginning in the 1980s by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the federal government, colleges of education, and various corporations and foundations. Despite its abject failure to produce well-educated students, student-centered learning is coming back around, again pushed by the NCTM, colleges of education, the federal government and various corporations and foundations.<br />
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Despite the lack of supporting research for the approach, trillions of taxpayer dollars were spent on implementing it across the nation. Despite its grim results, trillions more will be spent on it via the Common Core initiatives. But what is student-centered learning, and why do people in public education still love it?<br />
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Student-centered learning is designed to “engage” students in discussion, debate, critical thinking, exploration and group work, all supposedly to gain “deeper conceptual understanding” and the ability to apply concepts to “real world” situations. New teachers receive instruction in student-centered learning in colleges of education, and their instruction in the approach (i.e. their indoctrination) continues non-stop at state and district levels.<br />
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The popularity of student-centered learning in the education community rests on: a) constant indoctrination, b) ego, c) money, and d) the ability to hide weak outcomes from the public.<br />
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<strong>Ask yourself this</strong>: How does one actually quantify “exploration,” “deeper conceptual understanding” and “application to real world situations”? How do we test for that? We can’t, really, which helps explain why math test scores can soar even as actual math skills deteriorate.<br />
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With student-centered learning, teachers are not to be a “sage on the stage” – they are to be a “guide on the side.” Students are to innovate and create, come up with their own methods, develop their own understanding, work in groups, talk problems out, teach each other, and depend on their classmates for help before asking the teacher. Student-centered learning is supposed to be a challenge for teachers, whereas direct instruction is considered to be too easy (basically handing information over to students on a silver platter).<br />
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<strong>Ask yourself this</strong>: How much learning can be done in a class with 28 students of different abilities and backgrounds, all talking; a teacher who guides but doesn’t teach; and classmates who must teach each other things they don’t understand? How do students get help with this approach at home? What happens to students who don't have a textbook, don't have proper guidance, and don't have any help at home? Direct instruction does make learning easier; that’s a positive for it, not a negative. Learning can be efficient and easy. How is it better to purposefully make children struggle, fail and doubt themselves? <br />
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But adult egos can be stroked by the enormous challenge of making student-centered learning work, even as it utterly fails the children.<br />
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In student-centered learning, student discussion and debate precedes (and often replaces) teacher instruction. “Deeper conceptual understanding” is supposed to precede the learning of skills. But placing application before the learning puts the “why” before the “how,” thus asking students to apply something they don’t know how to do. How does that make sense?<br />
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In student-centered learning, it’s thought to be bad practice to instruct, answer student questions, provide a template for the students, teach efficient processes, insist on proper structure or correct answers, or have students practice a skill to mastery. It’s OK for a class to take all day “exploring” because exploration supposedly promotes learning, whereas efficient instruction is supposedly counterproductive. Children are supposed to “muddle” along, get it wrong and depend on classmates for advice and guidance. Struggling is seen as critical to learning. Getting correct answers in an efficient manner is seen as unhelpful.<br />
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<strong>Ask yourself this</strong>: How can “efficient” instruction be counterproductive? Math is a tool, used to get a job done. Correct answers are critical, and efficiency is prized in the workforce. Quick, correct solutions reflect a depth of understanding that slow, incorrect solutions do not. Students do not enjoy struggling and getting things wrong. For children, struggle and failure are motivation killers.<br />
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The focus of a student-centered classroom is on supposed “real-world application.” (My experience with “real-world application” is that it’s typically a very adult world rather than a child world, and that now, it’s also a political world with a heavily partisan focus.)<br />
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<strong>Ask yourself this</strong>: How does it help children to be enmeshed in an adult world of worries, prevented from learning enough academics, and basted in a politically partisan outlook? (It doesn’t help them, but it suits adults who want a certain kind of voter when the students turn 18.)<br />
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<em>All of this is at the expense of learning sufficient skills in mathematics.</em><br />
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Here is one example of an adult perspective of student-centered learning. We can only guess whether students would enjoy this lesson or learn from it. The article is called <a href="http://larrycopes.com/papers/monk.pdf">“Messy monk mathematics: An NCTM-standards-inspired class session.”</a> It’s dedicated to Stephen I. Brown, who is said to be “an inspiration for inquiry-based teaching and learning.” The author, Larry Copes, has a doctorate in <em>mathematics education</em> (not in mathematics). His doctoral work was on the ways math instruction can “encourage intellectual, ethical, and identity development.”<br />
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After reading Copes’ article, did you say: “Wow! I love the method! The students were so engaged!” Or, did you say: “What a waste of time! The ‘lesson’ was obviously designed to stroke the teacher’s ego and not to provide students with the math concept.”<br />
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I see the teacher in that anecdote as egotistic, holding knowledge over the students’ head, refusing to give it to them, making them jump for it over and over. It seems selfish. The students didn’t appear to ever understand the concept. What’s the point of tossing in the name of a Theorem (the Intermediate Value Theorem) without ever explaining it? Although the students wrote down the name, they didn’t pursue it, and the anecdote ended without a resolution or proof that they learned anything. I wonder if the teacher cared whether they learned the Theorem, or if his little game and his complete focus on himself were what mattered to him.<br />
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My daughter read Copes’ article, and she wrote (as if the author were speaking): “I am an individual afflicted with an extraordinary amount of hubris, which has affected my research.”<br />
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My daughter is funny, but it does seem impossible to bridge these gaps in perception:</div>
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<li>Proponents of the “student-centered” approach see themselves as hard workers, suffering with opponents who are stuck in the 18th century. The “deeper conceptual understanding” that they believe they foster in students seems more important to them than building math skills that consistently lead to correct answers.</li>
<li>Proponents of direct instruction see the students’ weakening self-image and poor skills, and we view the student-centered approach as limiting and even unkind. Math skills and correct answers are the point of math instruction, and we don’t believe students can have “deeper conceptual understanding” if they lack procedural skills.</li>
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Proponents of student-centered learning like to call their approach “best practices,” “research-based,” “evidence-based,” and so on, but no one has ever provided verifiable, replicable proof that student-centered learning works better than direct instruction as a method for teaching math. There is actually a wealth of solid evidence to indicate the <strong><em>contrary</em></strong>.<br />
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Unfortunately, the pushing of the Common Core on states has encouraged many districts to pursue “student-centered learning” models all over again, as if they were required to do so. Some folks are already making pots of money off the Common Core and the new, unproved materials that are supposedly aligned with the Common Core. But student-centered learning hasn’t worked for the children in the last 30 years, and it won’t work in the next 30.<br />
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Nevertheless, the <a href="http://www.spokaneschools.org/Page/20064">stated mission of Spokane’s adoption committee</a> is to “deeply” align to the Common Core. (Not to choose a curriculum that will – oh, I don’t know – lead students to college or career readiness?) In supporting their stated mission, committee members asserted that the Common Core was vetted by “experts,” so they believe the initiatives will produce internationally competitive graduates. They provided no data, no proof, no solid research or studies for their belief. And they can’t because there aren’t any. The Common Core initiatives are an obscenely expensive, <em><strong>nation-wide pilot of unproved products</strong></em>.<br />
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Welcome to public education: Another day, another experiment on our children, except that this time, there is strong evidence that this experiment – a rehashing of the last experiment – will again fail. Try telling that to education and political leaders. No one seems to see the evidence. When you tell leaders about it or show it to them, no one seems to care. Meanwhile, many of those leaders get tutoring or outside help for their own children. (FYI: I have never seen a professional tutor use the “student-centered” method to teach math to any child.)<br />
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The Spokane adoption committee’s mission of “deep” alignment to the Common Core has caused them to choose to pilot – you guessed it – several sets of new (and unproved) materials that are distinctly more “student-centered” in their approach, heavy on words and discovery, and light on actual math.<br />
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Kicked to the bottom of their preferences were proved and rigorous programs favored by homeschooling parents and tutors, including <em>Saxon Mathematics</em> and <em>Singapore Math</em>. Saxon got my own daughter almost all of the way through Algebra II by the end of 8th grade, most of that without a calculator. When I asked my email list and various online contacts for their preferences, the majority picked Saxon over every other math program, and by a wide margin.<br />
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But a member of the Spokane adoption committee – a district employee – told me the <strong><em>Saxon representative</em></strong> called Saxon “parochial” and that the publisher initially refused to send Saxon to Spokane because it was unlikely to be adopted. (“Parochial” means provincial, narrow-minded, or “limited in range or scope.”) Do you believe the Saxon rep would call his product narrow-minded and limited in scope? Saxon is efficient, thorough, clear and concise. If there is a stronger K-8 math program out there, I don’t know of it. Naturally, the Spokane adoption committee does not want Saxon.<br />
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One of the programs the committee did choose to pilot is <em>Connected Mathematics</em>, a curriculum already being used in Spokane, one of the worst programs on the planet, excoriated for decades by mathematicians from border to border and from coast to coast. The district employee assured me the committee is hiding nothing from the public, but the committee didn’t mention to the public that it is again piloting <em>Connected Mathematics</em>. They don’t seem to see its failure. They love its focus on student-centered learning. The devastation it wreaks on math skills appears to matter naught to them.<br />
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There is one more community meeting for this adoption committee, on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane. Whether you can attend or not, please take a moment to fill out the <a href="http://www.spokaneschools.org/Page/20064">district survey</a> – either the <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QBD2VP6">short version</a> or the <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYPP5XQ">long version</a>. Tell the Spokane superintendent what you want in a math program. If we want Spokane teachers to ever be allowed to actually teach mathematics to the children, we’re going to have to say so.<br />
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I know district administrators and board directors have not been good about listening to community wishes on math, and that it seems pointless to talk to them. But for the good of the children, please try. Perhaps this time, someone will listen.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:</span></strong> <br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rogers, L. (January 2013). "Common Core leading districts to adopt unproved math programs and failed approaches." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</a> </span></strong></div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-50210234910947661422013-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:002013-01-10T15:10:13.106-08:00Fatal flaws in Common Core standards for ELA beg the question: Which way for Indiana and other states?<br />
<strong>By Sandra Stotsky</strong> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">-- originally posted on the </span><a href="http://inpolicy.org/2012/12/common-core-standards-which-way-for-indiana/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Indiana Policy Review</span></a><br />
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The defeat of Tony Bennett as Indiana’s State Superintendent of Education was attributed to many factors. Yet, as <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/11/indiana_supes_defeat_what_role.html">one post-election analysis indicated</a>, the size of the vote for his rival, Glenda Ritz, suggests that the most likely reason was Mr. Bennett’s support for, and attempt to implement, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Core_State_Standards_Initiative">Common Core’s</a> badly flawed standards.<br />
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Common Core’s English language arts standards don’t have just one fatal flaw, i.e., its arbitrary division of reading standards into two groups: 10 standards for “informational” text and nine for “literature” at all grade levels from K to 12. That’s only the most visible; its writing standards turn out to be just as damaging, constituting an intellectual impossibility for the average middle-grade student — and for reasons I hadn’t suspected. The architects of Common Core’s writing standards simply didn’t link them to appropriate reading standards, a symbiotic relationship well-known to reading researchers. Last month I had an opportunity to see the results of teachers’ attempts to address Common Core’s writing standards at an event put on by GothamSchools, a four-year-old news organization trying to provide an independent news service to the New York City schools.<br />
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The teachers who had been selected to display their students’ writing (based on an application) provided visible evidence of their efforts to help their students address Common Core’s writing standards — detailed teacher-made or commercial worksheets structuring the composing of an argument. And it was clear that their students had tried to figure out how to make a “claim” and show “evidence” for it. But the problems they were having were not a reflection of their teachers’ skills or their own reading and writing skills. The source of their conceptual problems could be traced to the standards themselves.<br />
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At first glance the standards don’t leap out as a problem. Take, for example, Common Core’s first writing standard for grades six, seven and eight (almost identical across grades): “Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.” This goal undoubtedly sounds reasonable to adults, who have a much better idea of what “claims” are, what “relevant evidence” is and even what an academic “argument” is. But most children have a limited understanding of this meta-language for the structure of a composition.<br />
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So I explored Common Core’s standards for reading informational text in grades three, four and five (and then in grades six, seven and eight) and discovered nothing on what a claim or an argument is, or on distinguishing relevant from irrelevant evidence. In other words, the grades six, seven and eight writing standards are not coordinated with reading standards in grades three to eight that would require children to read the genre of writing their middle-school teachers are expecting them to compose. Middle-school teachers are being compelled by their grade-level standards to ask their students to do something for which the students will have to use their imaginations.<br />
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Do elementary and middle-school teachers need this problem spelled out for them? Yes, I also discovered in talking to several of the teachers at this event. They apparently knew nothing about the research on — and value of — prose models, a well-known body of research just a few decades ago.<br />
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This raises a common-sense question: How can middle-grade children be expected to understand how to set forth a “claim” and provide “relevant evidence” to support it if they haven’t been taught (and won’t be taught) how to identify an academic argument, a claim and irrelevant evidence in what they have read? No wonder New York City teachers are spending an enormous amount of time creating worksheets to structure students’ writing, and their students are spending an enormous amount of time filling these worksheets in.<br />
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One teacher, for example, admitted spending a lot of time trying to help her students come up with a topic sentence (it is close to a “claim” but is also not mentioned in Common Core’s reading or writing standards). And her worksheets showed the dutiful efforts of a few children to do this. A topic sentence doesn’t come easy to many middle-school students, especially if they haven’t read a lot of well-written articles with topic sentences that the children have been asked to identify until they really know what one is and what one does for the rest of the paragraph.<br />
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Two other teachers had first assigned some short stories (maybe to engage their students?) before asking their students to come up with a “thesis” or a “claim” and produce “evidence” for it. Needless to say, the children’s writing didn’t show a “claim.” Not surprising. The only prose models the children had been given were two- to three-page stories.<br />
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But some teachers were forging ahead despite the conceptual difficulties their students were encountering. Another teacher, for example, acknowledged the lack of a visible “literary thesis” or “claim” in her middle-school students’ writing (most were not strong students). She was pleased they were learning to cite page numbers for the location of their “evidence,” even though their “thesis” or “claim” had to be “inferred.”<br />
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The problem deepened when I examined another writing standard for middle school. Common Core’s architects did suspect that writing was related to reading. They just didn’t know how it was. The ninth writing standard for grades six, seven and eight asks students to apply grades six, seven and eight reading standards as they “draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.”<br />
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What are these reading standards? Here are the first two:<br />
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<li>“Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.”</li>
<li>“Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.”</li>
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The problem here is that the reading standards are almost identical in grades six, seven and eight for both literature and informational text. It seems that children are also being expected to analyze literary and non-literary texts as if they are both genres of expository prose. No well-trained English teacher would expect children reading a short story or novella in grade six to figure out first its “theme” and then “analyze its development over the course of the text.” That’s something one would do with children with a controlling idea in the introductory paragraph of an informational piece. The architects of these standards don’t seem to have a firm grasp on the differences between literature and informational texts.<br />
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Years ago, it was common practice for English teachers to introduce students to the art of the essay in grade nine. Now students in grade six are to attempt composing an essay with a thesis or a claim. One New York City teacher saw this as a healthy “challenge” for her weak students. Others might see this challenge as a Utopian expectation, with teachers the ultimate scapegoat.<br />
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Some children, already strong readers, are, of course, going to get it. Their English teachers will eventually figure the problems out, or their parents will. But guess which children are going to be the most confused? Probably the least able readers and writers, the very ones Common Core wants to make “college-ready.”<br />
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It’s time for the standards that the National Governors Association and the Council for Chief School State Officers have copyrighted to be drastically revised. The problem here is: Who is to do the revisions? And what should Indiana be doing while the legal issues get sorted out?<br />
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Here is my two-cents worth: 1) The Indiana state board of education should re-adopt its own, first-class English Language Arts standards (with perhaps minor changes), as well as its own first-class math standards (which the latest Trends in Mathematics and Science Study results suggest are working well in Indiana); and 2) label them Indiana “college-readiness” standards just as other states have labeled their own standards.<br />
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<em><em><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Sandra Stotsky is professor of education reform emerita at the University of Arkansas, where she held the 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality. She is a well-known evaluator of states’ standards, and she served on the Common Core Validation Committee. </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://hoosiersagainstcommoncore.com/sandra-stotskys-testimony-before-indiana-senate-education-commitee/"><em><span style="color: #336699; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">She has provided testimony</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> about the Common Core Standards before the Indiana Senate Education Committee. She is an authority on curriculum standards, having helped many states (including Massachusetts and Texas) to write their own. She received her doctoral degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Professor Stotsky wrote this article at the request of the </span></em><a href="http://inpolicy.org/2012/12/common-core-standards-which-way-for-indiana/"><em><span style="color: #336699; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Indiana Policy Review Foundation</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">.</span></em></span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Comment from Laurie Rogers: If you would like to submit a guest column on public education, please write to me at <a href="mailto:wlroge@comcast.net">wlroge@comcast.net</a> . Please limit columns to about 1,000 words, give or take a few. Columns might be edited for length, content or grammar. You may remain anonymous to the public, however I must know who you are. All decisions on guest columns are the sole right and responsibility of Laurie Rogers.</strong></span> </div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-69205880726578412762012-11-25T19:56:00.001-08:002013-05-24T12:01:50.112-07:00Political indoctrination replacing academics as the mission of K-12 public education<br />
By Laurie H. Rogers <br />
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What’s the mission of any school district? Most parents seem to agree that it’s <strong><em>academics</em></strong>. Schools should prepare students <strong><em>academically</em></strong> for postsecondary life – whether it’s college, a trade, a career, the military or some other endeavor.<br />
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Alas, many public schools don’t focus on college or career readiness, and their mission statements don’t say they have to. Instead, other, more nebulous goals are their stated priorities, such as turning students into global citizens, “challenging” them, helping them develop “supportive relationships,” and having them engage in “relevant, real-life applications.”<br />
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“Equity” and “social justice” also are emphasized in many districts. Some districts have created new departments, applied for <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/programs/equitycenters/index.html">federal grants</a> or hired $100,000+ personnel – supposedly to foster equity and social justice. But what’s behind the terminology?<br />
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<strong><em>Actual</em></strong> equity and social justice entail providing ALL students with the <strong><em>academic</em></strong> skills they need to lead a productive postsecondary life. But in public education, the terms tend to be ambiguous and politically laden, focusing instead on perceived unfairness. In the typical social-justice curriculum, America frequently is portrayed as the bad guy.<br />
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At the Fifth Annual <a href="http://nwtsj.org/">Northwest Conference on Teaching for Social Justice</a>, academics were not the theme. Instead, teachers learned how to encourage and train students to become activists. They challenged what they perceive to be America’s history of power, white privilege and oppression; supported myriad alternative lifestyles; discussed issues of race, gender, class and undocumented status; challenged “ableism” (discrimination by the able-bodied and able-minded); and learned how “oppression affects the lives of students marginalized by race, class, language, gender, and sexual orientation.”<br />
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There are schools purely devoted to issues of social injustice, such as the <a href="http://sj.lvlhs.org/">Social Justice High School</a> in Chicago: “Project based and problem based learning that addresses real world issues through the lenses of race, gender, culture, economic equity, peace, justice, and the environment will be the catalyst for developing our curriculum.”<br />
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There is the <a href="http://www.whiteprivilegeconference.com/">White Privilege Conference</a>, an ironic concept considering that many dedicated education advocates are Caucasian. (Actually, what I’ve seen over six years of advocacy looks more like Union-Administrator-Media Privilege. Maybe we could have a conference on <em>that</em>.)<br />
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There is <a href="http://www.teachersforjustice.org/">Teachers for Social Justice</a>, where teachers learn about “adultism” (i.e. adults who “use their position of power to affect the youth”); about integrating LGBTQ content into the curriculum; and about challenging gender norms with <em>first-graders</em>.<br />
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There is <a href="http://www.welcomingschools.org/">Welcoming Schools</a>, “an LGBT-inclusive approach to addressing family diversity, gender stereotyping and bullying and name-calling in K-5 learning environments.” Did you notice that it’s directed at <em>kindergartners</em>?<br />
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Look into your district’s sex-ed program. These programs used to focus on preventing teen pregnancy. Now, see what the little ones are learning about sex, abortion, contraception and homosexuality. Students aren’t being taught long division, but they’re learning about alternative lifestyles. Last year, one 4th grader watched a district sex-education video and subsequently made a related joke to a friend – as young boys will do. This boy was disciplined, his parents were notified, a letter was sent home, and the entire class heard about his “bullying.”<br />
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Nowhere in this social-justice agenda do I see anyone standing up for the military and veterans, who have suffered much discrimination and prejudice. Or for police. Or for firefighters. Or for anyone who died in service of the country. Or for the four Americans who were murdered on Sept. 11, 2012, in Libya (although I suspect schools are OK with standing up for the Libyans).<br />
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The social-justice agenda is not about equity or justice. It’s about complaining, accusing, rebelling, changing society and forcing extreme progressive viewpoints on captive children. And how tolerant is this community to dissenting viewpoints? Not very. It questions traditional American values, faults American history, paints parents as old-school and unknowledgeable and views Americans as prejudiced and selfish. Even young students are fed a diet of progressivism, weighty and depressing socio-political issues, a cynical view of their ancestors, and antagonism toward conservative thought. They’re taught to reform, transform and “fundamentally change” America, with little appreciation for what America does for the world; its role in keeping the world relatively stable; its superlative generosity to other countries; the sacrifices made by its Armed Forces; and how its system of government made it rare and great.<br />
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Some programs show students how inequity and social injustice span the globe, with slavery, sex trafficking and brutality. The students – <em>still just children</em> – are to take ownership of this brutal, unfair world and try to change it. (No wonder so many students become anxious or depressed.)<br />
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How will districts know when they’ve achieved their social-justice goals? (Never.) When can the programs be disbanded? (Never.) Do the programs result in well-educated students? (Frequently not.) The programs just grow ever larger, sucking up dollars and destroying learning time. <br />
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It won’t be long before children will be unable to escape this depressing, politically biased agenda. It drives the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhaThDV0pBOVpVRG8/edit">Barack Obama/Arne Duncan/United Nations</a> education plan. This plan is ensconced in the Common Core initiatives, now federally mandated (in contravention of the U.S. Code (20 USC 3403).<br />
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The social-justice agenda apparently does <em><strong>not</strong></em> demand sufficient student academics. As the Edu Mob hustles after agenda-based grants and programs, I see no urgency regarding student academics or the truth. The Mob seems content to side-step the students’ misery as it accepts promotions, takes home $100,000+ salaries, and trots out fake numbers showing imaginary improvement. <br />
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In 2012, for one example, Spokane Public Schools congratulated itself over a <strong>near-80% pass rate in math</strong> for its 10th graders. This pass rate bears no relation to what our 10th graders actually know in math. Just two years prior, our 10th graders posted a <strong>41.7% pass rate in math</strong> on a low-level test that required just 56.9% to pass. There had been no substantial change in the district’s math curriculum except to possibly become worse. Who in Spokane publicly questioned this magical improvement?<br />
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Spokane isn’t alone with its implausibly high numbers. College remedial rates (such as <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhMzJlZGZlNzItNDYyZS00NzdkLWIxOWYtNWEwMzUzMTZiNDI3/edit">these from Spokane</a>) suggest that if Washington’s 10th graders were given an actual “at-grade-level” math test, without calculators and controlled for those who received outside instruction, <em>many district pass rates would be in the teens or lower</em>.<br />
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How does one obtain equity or social justice without academic skills? Why do districts expect small children to teach math to themselves? Why do adults ignore poor academic outcomes, desperate parents and anxious students? I’m often asked: Why do schools persist in these failing approaches? Why isn’t there enough math or grammar in our schools? Why do materials contain a political agenda? Why don’t we have textbooks? Why can’t I see my child’s math work? Why can’t I help out with math in the schools? Why do teachers say, “Don’t help your children with math; it will only confuse them”?<br />
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Now you know why. An inadequate education system = more issues = more need for help = more need for money = more government intervention = more government intrusion = more government control. Much of public education now focuses on: 1) more tax dollars for the Edu Mob, 2) more pro-Edu Mob voters, 3) less transparency or accountability, 4) more power to squish out dissent, 5) more administrative control, 6) heavy promotion of the socio-political agenda, and 7) maintaining (already failed) teaching approaches and curricular materials.<br />
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If you read what I read every day, you’d be deeply alarmed. To have what they want, they must have it all. And they’re getting it. Here’s just a tiny snippet of what I've seen.<br />
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<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxLxpFDtzkuha2I2bTN1ZVN4N00">A Spokane teacher advocating in the classroom for revolution</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/09/politics-driving-math-classes-not.html">Politics permeating the math curriculum</a>.</li>
<li>A Chicago school telling parents <strong><em>they are not allowed</em></strong> <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-school-lunch-restrictions-041120110410,0,4567867.story">to send lunches with their children</a>.</li>
<li>A Texas student being <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/texas-school-district-rep_n_1949415.html">browbeaten for refusing to wear a district microchip</a>.</li>
</ul>
Parents are purposefully kept at arm’s length from the truth – about the schools, budget, curriculum, agenda, and actual outcomes – because <strong><span style="color: red;">No Truth = No Parent Dissent</span></strong>. Those few of us who dare to ask questions are diverted, mollified, ignored or – if we persist – attacked.<br />
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A battle is on for our children, and we have nearly lost. Public schools have been “training” people for a while. Students learn to reject their parents’ influence and guidance (<strong><em>especially if the parents prefer less government</em></strong>), to question traditional American values, to fundamentally reform America in a “progressive” image, and to vote progressive. Even Republicans vote progressive on education. Pushing the social-justice agenda is as easy as stealing from a baby.<br />
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Where is all of this taking us? The only place it can. Before, parents taught morals and acceptable behavior, and schools taught academics. Now, schools push a progressive view of acceptable behavior, and parents are forced to fill in the academics. But there aren’t enough of us doing that, and we aren’t powerful enough to overcome the social-justice agenda.<br />
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See it for yourself. Google “social justice” and “education” together. See how little the Edu Mob cares about academics or the welfare and future of the country (especially as a democratic republic). See how mocking and antagonistic it is toward dissenters. See its determination to push a globalist agenda and an angry, antagonistic, shrill view of America and its founders and defenders. There will come a point at which a conservative-minded person will not be able to win any leadership seat.<br />
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America is a “<a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html">constitution-based federal Republic, with a strong democratic tradition</a>.” It was founded on the idea of checks and balances – that no entity should have excessive power. A one-party system removes our ability to maintain balance. But many in the media, courts and other groups are politically active for the progressive cause. The U.S. Constitution and the law now are flouted regularly and without media pushback or legal consequence.<br />
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In 2010, <em>The New York Times</em> published <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/obama-should-focus-on-executive-powers-liberal-group-says/">an uncritical piece that advised President Obama to lead by Executive Order</a>. <strong><em>And he is</em></strong>. What is the difference between a president who leads by Executive Order and a dictator? The Times has continued to discuss <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/executive-orders">Obama’s Executive Orders</a>, but minus the outrage one should expect from the media regarding a president who abuses the administrative process. Imagine if a Republican president behaved similarly. There would be passionate editorials, a push for congressional investigations and calls for impeachment. And rightfully so. But for Obama – near silence. A casual discussion. No big deal.<br />
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We’re in a dangerous place. The country now is run by government/media/corporate “partnerships” that are neither open nor accountable to the people. Instead of open government and privacy for the people, we now have secretive government and diminishing privacy for citizens. Mainstream media don’t investigate the government; they investigate dissenters. Our citizen rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights are being eroded. Our right to privacy is being <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/04/education_department_proposes.html">minimized through federal “rule-making</a>,” and our personal information is being shared without our knowledge or permission. <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/06/technocratic_expansion_of_educ.html">The whole package looks disturbingly Orwellian</a>.<br />
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And yet, the people are increasingly ignorant of what it all means. Who in the next generation of voters will stand up for privacy, the individual, the Constitution, or the rule of law? Most graduates will lack the academics they need to properly run the country; the knowledge or perspective to critically assess what they’re being told; and enough understanding of the U.S. Constitution to know they must stand up for it. They will have energy and motivation, however, to agitate and rebel against their oppressors. (That’s us, in case you’re wondering.)<br />
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Welcome to the new mission of public education: Social upheaval – <strong><em>an American Spring</em></strong> – fomented by the social-justice crew, supported by the Edu Mob, praised by those who would do America harm, and paid for with our children and our tax dollars.<br />
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This great Republic is not yet finished, but it’s looking pretty grim out there.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (November 2012). "<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Political indoctrination replacing academics as the mission of K-12 public education."</span> Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong> </strong></span>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-3747728430788156102012-11-05T09:32:00.000-08:002013-05-24T12:02:51.056-07:00In defense of direct instruction: Constant constructivism, group work and arrogant attitude are abusive to children<br />
By Laurie H. Rogers<br />
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"<em>Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. … Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."</em></div>
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-- C.S. Lewis</div>
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Many educators believe children should learn math by struggling and failing, inventing their own methods, drawing pictures and boxes, counting on fingers, play-acting, continually working in groups, and asking several classmates for help before asking the teacher. This process of learning is called constructivism (also known as “discovery” or “student-centered learning”). Developed in the early 1900s, it was foisted on the country about 30 years ago, along with reform math curricula.<br />
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Proponents call constructivism “best practices” (as if calling it that can make it so). The supposed value of heavy constructivism is one of the most pernicious lies told today about education. Having listened now to students, parents, teachers and proponents of reform, I’ve come to see heavy constructivism as abusive to children. I don’t choose the word lightly.<br />
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I’ve heard proponents say outrageous things rather than acknowledge that children <em>don’t</em> prefer constant discovery and group work. At a 2010 math conference, a presenter said that children <strong><em>must</em></strong> learn in groups (“We <strong><em>know</em></strong> that,” she said), and that students who don’t want to do that fall into one of four categories: Bad apple, jerk, slacker or depressive. I was the only one in the room to challenge this; everyone else got into their little groups and prepared stupid skits about bad-apple children.<br />
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Welcome to the arrogance of public education. In the midst of “It’s all for the kids” and “We really care about those little kiddoes,” math class has become brutal and cruel.<br />
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My teenager said: “Educators talk as though students refuse to be taught, like we’re a dog that can’t be potty trained to use the outdoors. I mean, it’s not like we want to remain uneducated. It’s not like we want to be stuck in high school forever. We want to escape. We want to learn. When we say that we want something, we’re not trying to keep ourselves uneducated. So if we don’t want to work in a group, there’s probably a good reason. Maybe one of us has had a bad day, and we just don’t want to deal with other people. I mean, we all have those days. Maybe two of the people in the group are having a fight and you know that the whole day is going to be more about the fight than it is about the homework. There are so many reasons to not work in groups, besides issues with concentration and work level.”<br />
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Younger children don’t necessarily <em>know</em> why they don’t like something. Games can be fun, and reform classes are full of games. Some games are fun for a while; others are confusing; none leads to math proficiency. But students must play games, work in groups, explain things in several different ways, invent and discover, write paragraphs about math, draw boxes and circles, discuss math at length with classmates, play-act, use manipulatives, and take all day to get practically nowhere. The process can be excruciating, not just for natural leaders and quick learners, but also for children who are slower to learn; who feel sad, angry, shy or troubled; who are autistic, English-language learners or newer readers; who have behavioral issues; or who just don’t enjoy working in groups.<br />
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When did it stop being OK to be an individual?<br />
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Children who learn an efficient method at home and who pass it on to classmates also can find themselves being reprimanded. In today’s constructivist class, children must not deny their classmates the chance to struggle and fail. Students often aren’t even allowed to use the efficient methods their parents taught them, not even if those methods work better for them. They <em>must</em> suffer and fail along with everyone else. Naturally, they can come to resist the constructivist approach, whereupon they will be blamed for lacking motivation. Parents who resist it are seen as problems.<br />
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Parents know about connections between student frustration and deteriorating motivation, but proponents of reform are trained to not listen to parents. They say to parents: “You want those methods because they’re what <em>you</em> had as a child, but please don’t teach them to your children. It will confuse them.” Later, those parents will be blamed for their lack of involvement.<br />
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After a few years of reform math, many children decide they hate math. I’ve seen this attitude in second graders, third graders, fourth graders, and students from fifth grade on up. They’ve forgotten that they used to like math, that math is cool, that they used to be good at it. Suddenly, math is a huge problem. They need special help, intervention, a special ed program, counseling, drop-out prevention programs, and meetings with parents, teachers, a tutor or a mentor. Their life is spiraling out of control in front of their eyes, but in constructivist classrooms, there is nowhere to hide. Any problems are in plain sight, in front of every classmate.<br />
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I asked my daughter what effect it can have on students, to be failing a basic math class. She said:<br />
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“It can either have the effect of ‘I’m not good enough.’ You know, ‘The teacher’s spending all of this time on me, and I’m still not good enough.’ And kind of a depressing effect. Or it can be ‘Well, I’m bad at this, so who cares. I might as well skip school.’ Either way, very few students would thrive under that.”<br />
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About the idea that students <strong><em>must</em></strong> struggle and fail in order to learn math, she said:<br />
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“If 99% of the adults who said that were reversed back in time and put in a discovery classroom, they would have the same opinion that 99% of the kids do. …Saying that kids need to learn in groups and saying that kids need to struggle is so absolutely ridiculous and cruel to kids. School is supposed to be a refuge. It’s supposed to be the place where dreams come true and you can do anything. And it’s the start of your dreams. If you’re going to be an astronaut, if you’re going to be a lawyer, or change the world, school is where it starts. And you’re crushed before you even get half-way in the door.”<br />
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Children won’t typically say to adults, “I don’t like reform math” or “I don’t like constructivism.” Children tend to internalize problems and to blame themselves. They take their cues from the adults around them. So, they might say, “I’m not very good in math.” “I’ve never understood math.” "Math is hard." “Math isn’t my thing.” And I have heard that repeatedly, from an alarming number of students of all ages. What’s actually a failure in K-12 education has turned into a self-esteem problem for the children, to a point at which they literally panic over simple calculations. Their self-doubt and lack of skills can follow them forever, limiting them in innumerable ways – dark shadows on their life.<br />
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“I don’t get it” can quickly turn into “I hate math,” which can turn into “I hate school” which can turn into “I don’t want to go to school today,” which can turn into illness, dropping out, or behavioral or emotional issues. You’ve heard of “early warning signals” for dropping out? A known warning signal is failed math classes. But many schools gloss over that fact, while obstinately refusing to do the one thing that needs to be done: Allow the teachers to directly teach sufficient math to the students.<br />
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You don’t have to take my word for it. Ask the children. Take their difficulties to the district and listen to those adults blame everything on you, your children, your children's teachers, social issues, money, evolving standards, or some other stray-dog excuse. Then, fume just as I do, as those adults turn a blind eye to your children’s misery.<br />
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A mom wrote to me last week: “The reform math is tearing my child's self confidence, and her second-grade teacher told me last week that she sees the instant terror or fear on my daughter’s face when she asks them to bring their math materials up for their lesson. I can’t imagine feeling this way in school. … I never have felt so fearful of a subject as I see in my daughter’s face when I say let’s do math homework. Math to her is like a plague and she very easily starts crying because it is so puzzling in her mind. She is a very bright girl and makes straight As in every other subject.”<br />
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In constructivist classes, group work is the name of the game. Some math classes are taught entirely through group work. My daughter explained the problem she had with constant group work:<br />
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“The leader of the group has the responsibility of keeping everyone in line and on task, and making sure everyone in the group learns. And generally, the leader is going to be someone who cares about whether everyone learns. But the leader has no ability to make the end result happen, and no authority, and <strong><em>everybody knows it</em></strong>. You’re trying to teach people who know they’re not going to remember it or understand it, so they don’t see a point. And when people get frustrated with it, it feels like a personal failure. And through all this, you’re still not getting the math concept down.<br />
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“If you’re in the middle, then you’re just trying to get by. You’re just trying to survive around the mix of the two extremes. It’s more of a busywork, and if you’re asked in three or four days what you were working on, then you probably won’t remember.<br />
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“And if you’re on the lower end, then it just sucks. You’re so embarrassed that somebody has to teach you, you’re probably not paying attention at all. And you’re going to pass off your ‘not paying attention’ as you being deliberately so. You’ll just write down what you’re told, depending on how many problems and how short of a time you have.<br />
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“I mean, I love how the schools keep saying, ‘Don’t plagiarize, don’t cheat,’ but they practically force half the kids in their classes to do it, to get something down before the time to turn in worksheets is up. If they were going to give us a terrible method of solving stuff, they could have at least told us how to use that terrible method. And they never taught us how to work in a group.”<br />
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Where is the teacher in all of this, I asked her? Teachers are to be a “guide on the side,” she said, not a “sage on the stage.” Many pro-reform teachers have rules like “Ask three (classmates) before you ask me.” This means children must always admit to several classmates that they don’t understand. It can change the nature of relationships and cause children to become resentful or dependent on others.<br />
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I’ve heard adults call children who are having trouble in math “the low group,” “unmotivated,” “selfish,” “dummies,” “typical teens,” “lazy,” “problems for teachers,” or students of “low cognitive ability.” I’ve known children who were assessed as special ed, but when their parents got them direct instruction from someone, the children suddenly stopped being special ed.<br />
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I’ve known Honors students who didn’t know basic arithmetic. Last year, I called every middle school and high school in my city to find out how to help a specific student who was in that position. Only one person in 12 schools criticized the curriculum -- but just lightly and only after first suggesting that the student be tested for a disability. Instead, I was told that the student couldn’t be real, probably should be tested for learning disabilities, likely forgot what she was taught, must have lied or cheated, or perhaps fell on her head and developed brain damage. <br />
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Ponder that for a moment. <strong><em>Brain damage</em></strong>. Are you angry yet? Are you seeing the abusive nature of this? I have long thought that proponents of reform would truly say and do anything rather than criticize their precious program.<br />
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I’ve seen high school graduates panic when asked what 6x8 is. I’ve seen children cry over math, and heard many students say that their math-inclined parents can’t help with math homework. In 2010, just 38.9% (later “scrubbed” to 41.7%) of Spokane’s 10th graders passed a simple state math test that required just 56.9% to pass. Local administrators dismissed what was obviously <strong><em>their</em></strong> failure with: “That number is irrelevant.” And to them, student outcomes <em>are</em> irrelevant. The real priorities in reform aren’t testable: Group work, struggling, failing, discovering and “deeper conceptual understanding.”<br />
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You’d think administrators would want to know the truth about the children’s math ability, and that they’d want us to know. You’d think when children are struggling and failing – they wouldn’t say, “Yes, that’s what’s supposed to happen.” You’d think they’d do everything in their power to kick out failed approaches and to buy a good curriculum <strong><em>RIGHT NOW</em></strong>. You would be wrong.<br />
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School districts love committees, so whenever there’s a change, they form a committee. It needs 60 people who aren’t you, plus sticky notes, Power Point presentations, butcher paper, highlighter pens and taxpayer-funded food. The committee takes six months to come to fake consensus, plus another six before a new curriculum arrives. Much professional development is required, and the new curriculum is reform and constructivist because that’s “best practices.” They just <em>know</em> that it works. (Well, not for your child, but that’s probably because your child’s in the “low” group.)<br />
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I asked my daughter how she thinks students learn math best. She said:<br />
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“I think we all have an individual way of learning best. I think that, in trying to create an individual way of learning, the schools have created an even smaller box. But I think kids want to be told what we’re supposed to do. We want to be given a set of parameters and a set of rules. I believe we want to be heard, because that’s the biggest thing. Whether or not we learn best with this format, we should be able to say that and tell that to our teacher or the principal or whoever would listen. But if nobody listens, then whatever way actually works, educators will never know.”<br />
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I asked her if groups of K-12 students really <em>can</em> “discover” good process and efficient methods. She said:<br />
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“I’m sure that at some point, some adult discovered good process because otherwise, we wouldn’t have it, but asking a child to do that, especially in a group, especially when we’re tired, and we don’t really care that much about it because we have homework, and it’s a sunny day outside, and it’s lunch, and especially if we’re only 10 or 11… You’re asking a child to essentially create a nuclear bomb with a marshmallow and a set of pliers and no instructions. It’s never going to happen.”<br />
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I asked what she would say about this approach to a room of educators, if she had the chance. My daughter was quiet for several seconds. Then she said softly and carefully:<br />
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“I would say that they have taken people who are my equal or better in how smart they are and how well they learn, and how nice they are and not as sarcastic. And they have screwed them over. And they have taken their futures and stomped them into the dust. It makes me really, really mad.”<br />
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Thank you for speaking up, daughter. It makes me mad, too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (November 2012). “In defense of direct instruction: Constant constructivism, group work and arrogant attitude are abusive to children." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: </strong></span><a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This article was published Nov. 6, 2012 on Education News at: </strong></span><a href="http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-in-defense-of-direct-instruction/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-in-defense-of-direct-instruction/</strong></span></a>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-53591306205835590712012-10-31T12:47:00.000-07:002013-05-24T12:03:54.248-07:00In defense of proper process: Reform methods lead to lost information and incorrect answers<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">
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By Laurie H. Rogers<br />
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<em>"Prior planning, plentiful preparation and proper process prevent poor performance."</em></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(modifed version of old military adage)</span></div>
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Whenever I tutor students who were taught math via reform-math methods, one of the first things they have to do is learn a structured and consistent way to write down problems and calculations. Their experiences with reform math have left them with poor habits, leading to many errors and muddied understanding.<br />
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Repairing poor process isn’t a small undertaking. By the time reform-math students get to middle school or high school, entire books of math content are missing and many poor habits are ingrained. Developing good habits, therefore, is Job One, and it takes months and months of reinforcement before an efficient process becomes habitual. (That’s in addition to the actual math procedures, which also must be taught and learned.)<br />
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It’s harder to “unteach” a poor process and replace it than it is to teach an efficient process from the beginning. The Law of Primacy says students tend to learn best what they learned first – even if what they first learned was wrong-headed. Once students learn something, they tend to go back to it, as a habit and an instinctive first reaction. This is one reason why proper process should be taught from the beginning. Unteaching requires extra dedication, patience, diligence and consistency. It’s hard work to change bad habits, but it can be done. And with mathematics, it <strong><em>must</em></strong> be done. It’s so important to instill good habits and efficient methods. Clarity is critical to accuracy; students who wish to be accurate in math must be focused on clarity as they write down their work.</div>
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<strong>How Things are Done in Traditional Programs</strong></div>
Traditional math methods tend to unfold vertically on the page because working vertically allows students to easily bring each aspect of an equation down to the next line. This is the clearest way to view work and to ensure that critical pieces are neither forgotten nor lost in a chunk of writing. The work is done incrementally to avoid confusion, just one or two steps per line. Mental math is done only for very basic calculations; other calculations are done on the paper so as to minimize error and allow for checking of work.<br />
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I teach students to solve math problems on the left side of the page and do calculations on the right. Space is left between problems so that we can clearly see the pairing of the problem and the work that went with it. We don’t try to squeeze it all into some arbitrary snippet of space.<br />
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Pencils are used, not pens, so that mistakes can be erased and corrected. Students learn to check their work and to catch their own errors before I do. I don’t allow a calculator until Algebra II because basic arithmetic skills should be practiced and reinforced. (If the textbook is good, with reasonable problems that focus on skills and not on excessively complicated problems, then calculators are largely unnecessary and can actually be counterproductive.)<br />
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The emphasis is on “showing work” in a tidy and clear manner so that students, parents and I can see how the answer was derived and where something might have gone awry. Like this:<br />
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As students progress, simple arithmetic and multiplying by -1 can be done in one’s head. This approach is crystal clear and easy to check. Naturally, reform math programs tend <strong><em>not</em></strong> to do it this way.</div>
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<strong>How Things Have Been Done in Reform Math</strong></div>
Besides the nature of reform math programs – inherently confusing, word-heavy, picture-heavy, game-heavy, time-and-labor-intensive, and ultimately limiting – students also are encouraged to adopt poor habits and ambiguous notation. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve seen.<br />
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Not only do students not know sufficient mathematics, but their work tends to be sloppy and riddled with errors. They aren’t taught to write neatly, check their work or correct as they go. Their attitude toward accuracy is casual; toward math in general, it's negative and stressed. Motivating them to replace bad habits with good ones is a challenge that takes time, positivity, creativity and much intensive labor.<br />
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I don’t blame the children. I’ve heard administrators, board directors and teachers do that by saying things like “They’re just not motivated.” Or “They don’t care about math.” Or even “This is a low group.” I see a lack of motivation, yes, but I don’t blame students for it. They learn what they’re taught. If what they’re taught is boring, incomprehensible, time-wasting, hard on their self-esteem, confusing, or stupid – they won’t be motivated. Sadly, although the situation isn’t their fault, it is their problem. For most of them, this early learning will haunt their lives forever. It’s our problem, too. Graduates who have poor habits and insufficient academics are not capable of picking up the reins of the country.<br />
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I’ve been able to correct some or all of the bad process in a handful of students, but I am only one tutor and there are about 28,000 students in this district. Most will go back to their regular classes, where good process is not allowed and is even criticized, and where bad process is reinforced.<br />
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Here’s what I’ve witnessed in students going through (or graduates of) reform-math programs.<br />
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<li>They lack nearly all critical arithmetic skills. Some can’t tell time or say how many days are in each month. They don’t know their multiplication tables, long division, the number line, how to subtract negatives, how to work with fractions, how to convert between decimals, fractions and percentages, how to isolate a variable, how to solve an equation, how to read a problem, or how to show or check their work. Many count on their fingers.</li>
<li>They're all pretty much math-illiterate and math-phobic. They don’t just lack skills; they also have zero confidence. One high school graduate panicked when I asked her to solve 6x8. Some cried over their math homework. They all tend to think the problem in math is them, and this embarrasses them. Some have actually apologized for taking up their teachers’ time.</li>
<li>Asked to do some math problems, these students will often just plunk down an answer with no attendant calculations.</li>
<li>If they do calculations, the work tends to be indecipherable – scribbled along the side, in a corner, or wandering around the page, in tiny print, too small for anyone – including the student – to read.</li>
<li>Some students will automatically erase their work so no one can see it, or do it on a different sheet that is to be tossed out.</li>
<li>Equations, if there are any, are often written horizontally (not vertically), with many “ = “ signs, sometimes with arcs, lines or arrows drawn to connect math terms.</li>
<li>Many pictures and boxes are drawn because, in reform math, one correct and efficient method isn’t enough and can actually lose the student points.</li>
<li>Because calculations often aren’t shown or aren’t done in a structured, vertical format, important pieces of an equation are neglected or forgotten, such as an all-important negative sign or a stray multiplier.</li>
<li>Incorrect answers tend to remain on the page alongside correct ones. Picking out the work and the answer is difficult.</li>
<li>Homework and worksheets often come from the teacher with no room for calculations because calculator use is expected. Extra worksheets often aren’t even to be graded. They're handed out for students to do if they want, but no one plans to review them.</li>
<li>Students tend to reach for their calculator for the simplest of calculations, but the calculators don't consistently bring them correct answers. Fantastically wrong answers aren't questioned; students seem to have no idea of what a reasonable answer would be.</li>
<li>Students are expected to “discover” important concepts – such as the slope of a graph, the point-slope formula or the Pythagorean Theorem – at home with their homework. “I can’t look for something if I don’t know what it is,” a student said to me, tearfully.</li>
<li>Students aren't taught to work vertically; show their work; check their work; or to value efficiency, logic, correctness, neatness or legibility. They're not taught to carefully assess the problem for what it's asking, or to see if their solution actually answers that question.</li>
<li>They're not taught to enjoy math, nor to enjoy the process of determining a correct answer. Instead, they learn to fret over math, to fudge answers, estimate, depend on the calculator, lean on “partners,” give up, get it over with, and accept whatever the “group” says is right, before blessedly escaping out the door.</li>
<li>Students are taught that “close enough” is “good enough.” One student said her teacher told the class that angles within five degrees of the correct angle were close enough. (But in the “real world,” a mistake of five degrees can send you in a wrong direction or even kill you.)</li>
<li>Last, but certainly not least, students are taught that their parents cannot help them. “Don’t teach your children traditional methods,” parents are told in open houses or on the first day of class. “It will only confuse them.” Imagine that – a failed education program actively interferes with parents helping their children. And then, that same program turns around and blames parents for not being involved enough.</li>
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Many people nowadays are dismissive of efficiency. I’ve heard that “Process doesn’t matter; it’s the results that count.” But one doesn’t consistently obtain good results without proper process. Those who prefer “deeper conceptual understanding” over correct answers have a flawed understanding of what math is and what it’s used for. In the “real world,” math is a tool used to get a job done. Correct answers are necessary. That means that proper process is necessary. In the real world, “deeper conceptual understanding” is reflected by being able to properly use a tool to get a job done correctly and efficiently. In math, that ability is gained through instruction, practice and mastery of sufficient skills.<br />
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Given proper instruction, a few people will come to love the field of mathematics and will want to delve more deeply into it, but for most of us, getting a deeper conceptual understanding of math is like getting a deeper conceptual understanding of a hammer. Math obviously is more complex than a hammer, but the principle is the same. For most of us, math will never be a philosophy; it’s a tool, and we need to learn how to use the tool. Once we know how to use the tool, then we go about using it.<br />
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Understanding the basics of math cannot come without proper process and correct answers. Reformers don’t appear to believe that statement, but their disbelief doesn’t change its truth.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Rogers, L. (October 2012). “In defense of proper process: Reform methods lead to lost information and incorrect answers." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com </a><br /><br />This article was published Nov. 1, 2012, on Education News at <a href="http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-proper-process-critical-to-effective-math-instruction/">http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-proper-process-critical-to-effective-math-instruction/</a></strong></span></div>
Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-65055020046350054212012-10-23T10:51:00.002-07:002013-05-24T12:06:32.091-07:00In defense of the number line: Reform methods for teaching negatives fail on decimals, fractions ... and negatives<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntKHG5DFMXACXuF7DyZguZmzTCdhS2Kqbi7pAMNaRugMKDt1IoXWPF7ycpThqo8OlNunPqeGsYS83RpEhB0P0fgGEwDdGX-S29lEXUWWzV2cKValJwnnT_RAy7iXl_jcz_3NircK_0qZ_/s1600/Jersey+Shore+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntKHG5DFMXACXuF7DyZguZmzTCdhS2Kqbi7pAMNaRugMKDt1IoXWPF7ycpThqo8OlNunPqeGsYS83RpEhB0P0fgGEwDdGX-S29lEXUWWzV2cKValJwnnT_RAy7iXl_jcz_3NircK_0qZ_/s1600/Jersey+Shore+photo.jpg" /></strong></a><strong>By Laurie H. Rogers</strong><br />
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<em>Because every time you use the Charged Particles Method to teach negatives, </em><em>a brain cell commits suicide.</em><br />
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It’s simple to teach mathematical positives and negatives to a child. It’s been done successfully with the number line around the world, in private schools, homes, tutoring businesses and online. Unfortunately, many schools in America no longer teach the number line, don’t teach it to mastery, or they cloud any fledgling understanding of it by emphasizing other, less-effective methods.<br />
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First, I’ll explain the number line. Then I’ll show you what’s being emphasized in its place. </div>
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Traditional Math Method Used to Teach Negatives</h3>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">The Number Line </span></strong></div>
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A number line is a straight line with a series of real numbers listed at intervals. Typically, "zero" is a point in the middle, negative numbers are listed to the left of zero, and positive numbers are listed to the right of zero. Arrowheads are placed at each end to show that the line and numbers continue indefinitely. Each point is assumed to correspond to a real number, and each real number corresponds to a point. Like this:</div>
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: A number line is flexible and comprehensive. It can be drawn with integers, fractions, decimals, irrational numbers or a combination thereof. It can illustrate zero, positive and negative numbers, and small or large numbers. It provides an effective visual for adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. It can be used to articulate changes in measurements, temperature, money, time or quantities. It’s clear, efficient and functional. It’s easy to draw, explain and understand.) </div>
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Naturally, people who love reform math prefer to not use the number line. Various alternate models are used that are not efficient and not comprehensive. Here are a few. </div>
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Reform Math Methods Used to Teach … <span style="font-size: small;">Uh</span> … </h3>
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These models (with myriad variations) are common to reform curricula. The examples illustrated below are quoted (with permission) from materials originating from two public entities: <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhWVZCaUQ2cVBZU3M/edit?pli=1">Henrico County Public Schools</a> and the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxLxpFDtzkuhRndRaEkxRFlQV1k/edit?pli=1">Georgia Department of Education</a>. The wording is theirs. Please notice that the Georgia materials are said to be based on the Common Core State Standards. </div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Story Model</span></strong></div>
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In this model, children are given a story that supposedly illustrates a mathematical calculation or equation. </div>
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<em>Example 1</em>: “If you have spent money you don't have (-5) and paid off part of it (+3), you still have a negative balance (-2) as a debt, or (-5) + 3 = (-2).” </div>
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<em>Example 2</em>: “Getting rid of a negative is a positive. For example: Johnny used to cheat, fight and swear. Then he stopped cheating and fighting. Now he only has 1 negative trait so (3 negative traits) - (2 negative traits) = (1 negative trait) or (-3) - (-2) = (-1)” </div>
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: Stories and problems do help to apply math skills <em>that have already been learned</em>, but - as a teaching method - the Story Model provides no real mathematical understanding. The story in Example 2 also attributes adverse characteristics to negatives. In mathematics, a negative is simply a lessening of a <em>quantity</em>, not an adverse characteristic.) </div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Charged Particles Model </span></strong></div>
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In this model, imaginary items are added to replace items that are already there: “When using charged particles to subtract, 3 – (-4) for example, you begin with a picture of 3 positive particles.”</div>
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“Since there are no negative values to ‘take away,’ you must use the Identity Property of Addition to rename positive 3 as 3 + 0. This is represented by 4 pairs of positive and negative particles that are equivalent to 4 zeros.”</div>
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“Now that there are negative particles, you can ‘take away’ 4 negative particles. The modeled problem shows that the result of subtracting 4 negative particles is actually like adding 4 positive particles. The result is 7 positive particles. This is a great way to show why 3 – (-4) = 3 + 4 = 7.”</div>
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: How does a child make the leap from 3 particles to 11 particles? Where is the explanation of what's actually happening? As I was typing in the Charged Particles Method, my brain felt like it was melting. Brain cells began to give up and die. My daughter had to rescue me with chocolate.) </div>
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The <strong><span style="color: red;">Stack Model</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color: red;">The Row Model</span></strong> </div>
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In the Stack Model, students draw boxes on top of each other in “stacks” and then count them. In the Row Model, students draw boxes in “rows” and then count them. Subtraction for the Stack and Row methods means creating pairs, as in the Charged Particles Method, then “adding zeroes,” crossing out items, and redrawing boxes over and over. This figure illustrates the solution to 3 - (-4) = ? </div>
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: The children will draw a lot of boxes, but they will not come to understand negatives.) </div>
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>The Postman Model </strong></span></div>
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In this model, a story is provided that supposedly leads students through understanding negatives. Children are to act out parts using manipulatives and props. The concept can be done with other scenarios, but this example from Henrico County School District is based on a mail carrier:</div>
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<dir>“A postman only brings financial mail. Sometimes she brings bad news, e.g., a bill for $5 = –5. Sometimes she brings good news - a check for $5 = +5. If she brings both you get two pieces of paper but zero dollars. You always start a zero with a cash drawer full of matching checks and bills that equal zero dollars. So if she brings me two checks for $5, no sweat, she helps me by $10, answer = +10. Similarly if she brings me 2 checks for $5 the result is 2 • –5 = –10. Now here is the tricky part: –2 • + 5 = ? Well the – sign means takes away from me. But if we start at zero how can she take anything away? This is where the cash drawer of matching checks and bills saves us. We just take away 2 checks and are left with 2 bills to pay. –2 • + 5 = –10. Similarly, if she takes away our bills, she helps us and the money we would have used to pay the bill can now be spent on bubblegum. –2 • + 5 = +10.”</dir>I think the second “2 <strong><em>checks</em></strong> for $5” is actually supposed to be two <strong><em>bills</em></strong> for $5. Please also remember that <em>young students</em> are the intended audience. The story suggests using a bag filled with Monopoly money and paperclips. Students pretend to deliver mail, cash checks at a bank and pay bills. At some point, however, the mail carrier makes a mistake, and the story goes on to say:
<dir>“If it was a check, that would be subtracting a positive. To get the check out of the bank, you would have to pay the bank (which would make you lose money). If it was a bill (taking away a negative), you can keep the money attached to the bill and give the bill back to the mail carrier. This would show that taking away a negative would give you more money.”</dir><strong>(Comment</strong>: There is so much wrong with this example, the explanation and the reasoning behind it, it's hard to know where to begin. The process is complicated; the financial philosophy is suspect. And what does that second paragraph even mean?)
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<strong><span style="color: red;">The Balloon Model</span></strong></div>
In the Balloon Model, things are moved up (added) and down (subtracted). This concept can be done with anything that moves up and down (airplane, elevator, swimmer, etc.), but in the Balloon Model, sand bags represent negatives, and air bags represent positives. This illustration shows -3 + 4 = 1.<br />
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: The Balloon Model is a vertical number line, but it labors to be more relevant by using a balloon (or elevator or airplane or the sea). Thus, the concepts don't match up with what happens in "real life." The biggest problem: "Up" and "down" is not equivalent to "more" and "less." <br />
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<em>Balloon Model</em>: In real life, subtracting a sandbag <em>lessens</em> weight, while adding a sandbag <em>adds</em> weight. In the model, however, subtracting a sandbag somehow makes a quantity larger, while adding a sandbag makes it smaller. In the <em>Building</em> and <em>Airplane</em> models, nothing is added or subtracted to make a quantity larger or smaller; the movement up and down is mechanically driven. In the <em>Sea Model</em>, you could say that blowing air out of one's lungs (subtracting air) makes a person sink, although the change in weight would be negligible. But how does one add air under water? <br />
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Where in these models is infinity? Where are fractions and decimals? Where is zero located? At ground level? If so, are negatives below the ground? Since when have balloons and airplanes flown, elevators descended, and swimmers paddled <strong><em>below the ground?)</em></strong><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">The (Hey, let's call them)</span> <strong>"Net Changes"</strong> </span><span style="color: black;">model</span></div>
In reform curriculum <em>Investigations in Number, Data, and Space</em> (aka TERC), students are taught to think of <a href="http://investigations.terc.edu/library/bookpapers/ins_and_outs.cfm">“net changes,”</a> rather than addition and subtraction. Students use manipulatives to act out the "changes." They count things and keep tallies.<br />
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If you search the term “negatives” on the TERC Web site, you'll have a difficult time finding actual negatives, but <a href="http://investigations.terc.edu/library/curric-gl/unit_summaries_g3_1ed.cfm">games</a> about <em>thinking</em> about negatives are explored. Actually, take a few minutes and skim through the <a href="http://investigations.terc.edu/library/curric-gl/unit_summaries_1ed.cfm">1st Edition units for TERC</a>. This is the approach to K-6 math that has helped to kill off math proficiency in the United States. <br />
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(<strong>Comment</strong>: Looking through the TERC Web site, you can see the end of mathematics ... and possibly all of life as we know it. The school district in my city still uses this curriculum, despite my best efforts to change that.)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></div>
Each of the reform math models illustrated here is missing one or more critical concepts, such as zero, negatives, fractions, decimals, large numbers, and/or infinity. They don’t adequately explain negatives, or show that the larger the negative number, the smaller the quantity. They don’t handle all scenarios. Perhaps some are “fun” for a very short while; others are probably no fun at all. Time spent on these models wastes time, builds frustration and creates misunderstandings. Instead of clearly cementing concepts about addition, subtraction and negatives, the children are filling paper bags or talking about “negative” traits.<br />
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<strong><em>Without an understanding of the principles behind the number line, students can’t add and subtract negative numbers with proficiency. Without that capability, algebra, geometry and calculus will be beyond them.</em></strong><br />
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I don’t know why so many people in public education seem not to respect the need for efficiency, effectiveness, sufficiency or student proficiency. Math is a tool, used in the "real world" to get a job done. Time is important; efficiency is vital; correct answers are critical. Those who can use math properly will be hired over those who can’t. There is no time in the “real world” to discover methods, struggle with basic math, or constantly ask a “partner” for help. But math reformers seem to think they have all the time in the world. To them, math isn’t about efficiency and correct answers; it’s about struggle, failing, striving and playing games. Many reformers truly believe that if the teaching was efficient, the lesson failed. Thus, they’re motivated to not just <strong><em>prefer</em></strong> the inefficient models, but to actually eliminate efficient models, to mock them and to label them as counterproductive. <br />
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Help your children gain a solid grounding in math by teaching them the traditional methods, such as <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-defense-of-long-division-pro-reform.html">long division</a>, <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-defense-of-vertical-multiplication.html">vertical multiplication</a> and the number line. Traditional methods were developed and honed over thousands of years by very clever adults <em><strong>so that they would be efficient</strong></em>. More-efficient models will be developed, no doubt, but the reform models I've described are not better models. <br />
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Don’t let anyone convince you that efficiency and effectiveness in math are unnecessary or counterproductive. People who actually use math (outside of a K-12 classroom) don't believe that.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note: The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is:<br />Rogers, L. (October 2012). “In defense of the number line: Reform methods for teaching negatives fail on decimals, fractions ... and negatives." Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: <a href="http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/">http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com</a> /.<br /><br />This article was republished October 25, 2012, on Education News: <a href="http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-in-defense-of-using-the-number-line-to-teach-negatives/#comment-19236">http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/laurie-rogers-in-defense-of-using-the-number-line-to-teach-negatives/#comment-19236</a></span></strong>Laurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.com10