I have deliberately kept my big mouth shut refrained from addressing the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal for many reasons.
I really don’t live IN Atlanta, I’m OTP, or outside the perimeter, i.e. I live in the Burbs, Tammy Gwinnett County to be exact. I was in education, some might say too briefly, some might say too long. Frankly, it was implied, early on in my education career, by others that I was offering too much help to some of my students. Having had my own 30 second cheating scandal, (which came out in my favor) and having what little integrity I have my integrity questioned, I can feel for the teachers in APS who are under the gun, losing their certification, and being pilloried in the square.
I do not condone their deeds in any way. You know, testing parties with pizza where the answers were read aloud, crossword puzzles with the questions from the standardized tests and things like that are just plain wrong.
I do not excuse them either.
But, I can see how it happened.
Administrators with pressure on them, put pressure on the teachers to get the kids UP to standards. The big scandal here and in many other places across the country is the CRCT. It tests the kids and therefore, tests the school, teachers and administrators.
Parents, thinking their tax dollars cover making the kids learn as well as having their kids taught, add pressure…on the teachers.
There are many to blame, administrators who crossed the line, teachers who had test parties and gave the answers, teachers and assistant Principals who changed test answers; it goes on and on.
But no one is blaming the multi-billion testing INDUSTRY.
The College Board raked in a huge bundle last year and the years before.
The College Board and other like them set the “standards” to which Colleges, Universities, and Private For Profit Technical Schools have bought into.
Each and every PSAT costs the school district, i.e. YOU the tax-payer, cold hard cash. Each test that isn’t used and is sent back has a return fee.
Teachers who mess UP in testing, albeit by hook or by crook, are subject to decertification, loss of professional license, fines, and, yes, even jail time.
And the College Board and others like them are calling the shots.
You may wonder if I am advocating the demise of standards. Not really. I don’t want a med student who can’t pass a test as my physician nor do I want a mechanic who isn’t ASE certified working on my car.
Outside of the law and the Eyes of God, we’re not all created equal; some have talents , abilities, gifts, and prowess others don’t.
I just want the schools, administrators, and University Admissions folks to get real, be honest, and stand UP to those who think, but can’t prove they know best.
I want the people who set these standards to get real.
I want parents to get real, and realize that Johnny may not ever be the President of UGA, nor the the CEO of Georgia Power.
And I want the standards to be realistic, and I really want standardization and testing to be completely NON-Profit.
