Test Scores and Reality

There was an article in the Sunday Star about the quality and success of various charter schools in the city. I skimmed through it, but started paying attention when the writer began making comparisons - via test scores, of course - to different IPS schools. IPS in general looked worse than even the unsuccessful charter schools. But this type of comparison makes me really angry. First of all, why are the results of one yearly standardized test deemed the primary method of evaluating education? Isn't education supposed to be much more than merely teaching to a test? Unfortunately, that is what it has become. What it fails to provide anymore is teaching kids to develop higher level thinking skills and to develop a love for learning. But, more importantly, my frustration stems from the comparison itself. Charter schools don't have to take everybody; they can choose their students. IPS cannot. Just this past year I received a call from a charter school principal about a student they were letting go who was returning to Harshman because it was her boundary school. This student's mother was causing "difficulties," the school had already been in touch with CPS concerning this student, and her academic performance was very poor as well. Of course, we enrolled her; we have to. As it turns out, she failed 7th grade with us, and more than likely failed the ISTEP as well. This is just one example - there are countless others who come back from charter or township schools during the year. And, what comparison charts also fail to mention, is the type of kids who make up our student population. First of all, the percentage of Special Education students is disproportionately high. Secondly, most of our children come from difficult family situations and certainly depressed economic ones. One student I talked with this past year indicated during our conversation that they were out of food and it would be a few more days until mom got the next food stamps. She was eating at grandma's. Add things like this to the proportion of single parent (mostly moms) families, and the level of stress and distress in their lives, like a cousin getting gunned down on the street. These children live lives we middle class people can't even imagine. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, education come along way after safety and getting enough to eat. Yet our kids scores are compared to others as if it is a level playing field. It's infuriating.

Tarot Reading Widget

free tarot readings

Eating Rice Krispies in the Middle of the Night

That's what I was doing at 3:00 am, eating a bowl of Rice Krispies and checking my email. Couldn't sleep. Knowing how lazy my summer has been, you would think I was awake because I've slept way too much. Not so. I happen to be a gifted sleeper. I was a nervous wreck last night after missing a call from Human Resources, and not getting the message to call them until after they had closed for the day. The message simply said they had something important to discuss with me. All sorts of dire possibilities crowded my mind, starting with they had re-assigned me to another building for this coming school year. I spent the evening trying to distract myself with phone calls and rarely watched TV (The Bachelorette - getting hooked, I think). Even my Klonopin wasn't helping much! And then there was the foray to the kitchen in the wee hours.

I called HR first thing this morning with my heart in my throat and my stomach churning. Then - sudden relief. It turns out they simply needed permission to give my contact information to an attorney because I was a witness last February to a fight between two of our students which has gone to court. I gave the permission, but the fight was in February and my memory is hazy. I'll simply have to tell him to refer to the statement I wrote immediately after the incident and gave to the assistant principal. If he doesn't have it, I'm going to have to contact IT about printing it from my work computer, which is stored downtown for the summer. Small problem. All that worrying! I called my sister and just started laughing with the absurdity of where my thinking had taken me!

Monday, Monday

Well, it's 1:40 in the afternoon and I am still in my pajamas. A phone call from my sister Jane woke me up at 10:30. We talked for 2 hours and then I dallied on email and Facebook for awhile . . . I have no need right now to really accomplish anything, which should worry me, I think. But it doesn't. I rather like being indolent, as it turns out.

I went and played volleyball last evening, even though the last time I played was in high school gym class and I received a "D." Not too great on that eye-hand coordination thing and I'm definitely not the athletic type. But it was a lot of fun. No one was an expert player, and many of my friends skills were not much more honed than mine. Besides, I don't mind being the comic relief. A thunderstorm interrupted play, however, and we ended up sitting it out in the shelter house, which was fun in it's own way. Friends and companionship are great any way they come!

I Have All the Luck?!

So, I've been dating Mike for about a month. This is the longest I've seen someone since my last relationship ended nearly two years ago. Mostly, I'll have to admit, because the guys I met were, well, not worth the time. Or they thought I wasn't . . . Anyway, I really like Mike - he's sweet, considerate, easy to be with, and there are a few other great attributes I'll not go into here! AND, I think he likes me, too, which is always a plus. I'm determined to do things right this time: 1. Find a great guy (check); 2. Develop a healthy relationship (in process). I'm happy with the way things are going. Okay, so far, so good. Then today, he moves to Cleveland. Really. The roofing and siding company he works for has more work in Cleveland than they do here, and need to send him up there! I'm not liking it, but I'm handling it. He says he will be back here periodically to check on the jobs that are here, but mostly now this is going to be a long distance relationship. I can't wait to make a road trip to Cleveland in my 1994 Safari van with 165,000+ and no air conditioning! Oh, well, as my sister says, if it's meant to be it will last. I'm hoping.