Sen. Fred Jordan points to external conditions and states that “[many people] ... are not test takers...” Norman schools Superintendent Joe Siano points to the new Common Core standards about to be implemented, implying that they might result in lower passing rates.
However, these same tests will be used as over one-third of the evaluation measurement to determine employment and/ or wages for teachers under the new evaluation standards for the 2013-14 school year. If these tests are so unfair that we cannot hold the test-takers accountable, how then can teachers be judged by them?
Politicians have completely ignored the responsibility/contribution of parents and students in the educational process, laying all the blame on “bad teachers” and calling for “accountability.”
Right now, there are students who do not care about graduation (or have passed enough tests) and randomly pick answers or make patterns rather than trying to pass. What we need is more sharing of accountability, not less.
—Michael Dean, Norman
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