One the most unbelieveable facts of public education is that PhDs who work at the district level are some of the most gullible people on earth. Yeah, yeah, you have to supply them with facts garnered from data driven research and give them in-depth analysis that strokes their mighty egos but once you've hooked them they are fierce supporters of whatever they buy. The crop of PhDs down at Seattle Public's central office have sprung for one of the Snake Oil remedies to public education known as MAP testing. They've spent millions on it. The problems this generates are innumerable but today I'm thinking about a collegial argument over the utility of the results for a classroom teacher. Since the gullibility factor has already been engaged by the higher authorities this particular teacher was left with the argument, "I don't know...", in spite of being an ELL teacher who knows the flaws of MAP and that better assessments exist for his specific group of students.
My case had to do with giving our staff the choice to option out of the optional by district policy winter testing cycle but still on our school's Master Calendar with no discussion and thus as yet no possibility of optioning out until someone, namely yours truly, pushes back against the adminstrative oversight of not engaging the democratic process where it is needed. My case is made more difficult when the snake oil is potent and gullibility is high. It spreads confusion and misunderstanding.
We need assessments, people are willing to make and sell them because of this need and because that is what good businesses do, fulfill needs. The MAP remedy has some merit but the part that has been latched onto by the gullible is just the sizzle, the substance doesn't justify the expense. The problem is all of this makes the illusion harder to dispel.
My case had to do with giving our staff the choice to option out of the optional by district policy winter testing cycle but still on our school's Master Calendar with no discussion and thus as yet no possibility of optioning out until someone, namely yours truly, pushes back against the adminstrative oversight of not engaging the democratic process where it is needed. My case is made more difficult when the snake oil is potent and gullibility is high. It spreads confusion and misunderstanding.
We need assessments, people are willing to make and sell them because of this need and because that is what good businesses do, fulfill needs. The MAP remedy has some merit but the part that has been latched onto by the gullible is just the sizzle, the substance doesn't justify the expense. The problem is all of this makes the illusion harder to dispel.
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