"We're understandably disappointed after having three years of all 'excelling,' but we're aware of where our focus needs to be," Superintendent Debbi Burdick said. "Everyone will have a laser focus on the classroom and student achievement, and we're going to put all of our efforts there."
Hey, we mentioned that 'laser like' focus on achievement here and here. Nice to see that the super is a reader.
And WOW we finally get an admission that Everyday Mathematics is failing our students. Too bad you did not heed our advice long ago.
Burdick cited the tougher math standards for AIMS as one reason for the slip in ratings at the middle schools, as well as outdated math teaching materials. The district will begin a math textbook adoption process this year, she said.
Regardless, tougher math standards are not an excuse. The district has known about the new standards for three years when the process to revise them began. In fact we warned the district about the new math standards but the district chose to focus on writing instead. The joke here is that written on inside cover of the new Arizona State Math Standards issued in 2008 you find this...
So CCUSD was a participant in developing these new standards but the district leadership did little to prepare our students or make any efforts to improve the curriculum to meet these standards and the governing board sat by satisfied that our district is a jewel in the desert and our teachers and leaders are nothing but the best.
So where is the accountability? Who is being held responsible for this? Who is making sure that we get back on track? Sadly the answers are no where, no one, and no one.
But back to the textbooks. We have been saddled with those books since 2001. EM even replaced the program in 2007 realizing that the old edition was flawed, but CCUSD failed to even upgrade to new version of EM, getting by on the backs of our students demographics. Well, with the new state standards, that free ride has ended and look for the CCSS to be even tougher. And what about the money. With all the money spent year after year on EM workbooks and consumables, we could have replaced the math textbooks twice over, but instead we kept the status quo and focused on Smartboards, a Mega High School, swimming pools, electronic billboards, and to save administrator and teacher jobs while enrollment declines. If anybody had bothered to do some research they would have found that EM is one of the more expensive programs and switching programs alone would have saved money.
We can't say that we are optimistic about the district making a good choice on new textbooks given its track record, but at least it is a tiny, tiny start.
The true price will likely be paid this fall in the form of lower enrollment but don't count on that changing anything.
So Burdick is blaming a math curriculum that made the schools "excelling" four years in a row but now knocked them off the top of the heap. Of course it couldn't be the poor, ineffective leadership at the middle schools, the arrogance of many of the middle school teachers who believe their own hype, or that there was a lack of focus on teaching this year on both campuses.
ReplyDeleteWell, now the test scores speak for themselves.
The question is what will Burdick do?
She got rid of Ann Orlando, which is something she has wanted to do for years but only now found the loophole to kick her out because she closed her school - and I do call DAMS HER school because Ann ruled it with an iron fist.
Will she look at Bill Dolezal's leadership and how it had an impact on the school's performance? STMS was never ranked so low in the past. Dolezal the Boy Wonder comes in, throws a great party, but lowers STMS's achievement. Is Burdick brave enough to give him his papers and realize this isn't working?
And what about BMES? Talk about a dysfunctional school! The staff can't stand Ellie Gaines, and now their test scores show they're slacking in performance.
My answer - Burdick won't do anything because she's just as ineffective as these other "leaders".
Dolezal has only been the Principal at Sonoran Trails for one school year. How can you blame the test scores on him? He was a very effective teacher at STMS, I think we should give him a chance as the Principal.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. In the one year he has been principal, STMS's label dropped to performing plus. Just because he was an effective teacher doesn't mean he's a good principal - and popularity does not make one "effective". He needs to be sent packing just like Ann Orlando was and Debbi Burdick should be.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter who the principal is, falling test scores in any given year would be attributed to prior years. Where did the word popular come from? I certainly didn't say anything about him being popular. I used the word effective. Both of mu kids had him and he was an excellent teacher. I think it's too soon to tell what kind of Principal he is going to be. Give the guy a chance.
ReplyDelete