Oklahoma A-F School Grading System

[Okie Boarder]

It seems there is a good amount of review of this plan being talked about on our local news. Our governor and state superintendant seem to support it, with the Governor being the most outspoken of the two.

This doesn't seem like a very good system to me and it tying right in with Core curriculum, NCLB, etc.

Any thoughts?

http://www.news9.com/story/23772473/oklahoma-school-administrators-remain-critical-of-a-f-grading-system

http://ok.gov/sde/f-grading-system

http://www.ktul.com/story/23872315/governor-defends-a-f-grade-system-while-debates-continue

http://kfor.com/2013/10/18/a-f-school-grade-changes-upsetting-oklahoma-educators/

[Aubs]

CCS are going to ruin education. There are multiple articles out there published about the problems with Common Core. I hate adopting them for my classroom. I follow some, but not all because they simply are making me a bad teacher if I follow them all how they want us to. CCS takes the emotion out of everything. They want us to do all informational text, practically removing literature from the English classroom. Yes, I understand informational text is important (reading newspaper articles, following instruction manuals, etc.) but there is NO emotion in that. Allow students to read some interesting stories, let their imagination run, and ENJOY education. If they hate it, they won't come to school, and they won't do well.

Two towns in Connecticut don't allow teachers to give a student a grade below a 50 because their graduation rates are so bad. And giving a student a '0' ruins their average too much, thereby not allowing them to "have the opportunity to succeed."

Society is getting too soft. Accept that not everyone is meant to graduate from high school. Accept that not everyone is meant to go to college. If students are under-achieving, train teachers better, help students become INTERESTED in education, and have parents that are actively involved in the future of their kids. Lowering test requirements, decreasing graduation requirements, and pushing more kids through every year is NOT helping the future of America.



/rant

[Okie Boarder]

I think that was well said, Aubs. We're seeing firsthand what the CC is doing to education and it doesn't seem like it is effective.

By the way, the grades came out for our schools and many in OKC are D's and F's. Our state superintendant made a comment to the effect of: don't think of this as a bad thing, teachers, use it as an indicator of how you can improve.

[Aubs]

They often send untrained teachers into the worst areas (Teach for America programs, etc.) when in reality, it needs to be the opposite. *sigh*

[eeven73]

[goofyboy]

They need to put trades back in high school. The wife and I are looking at how to save for college for the 2 year old. We honestly believe that unless he's going to be in a science field or a lawyer, we won't pay for a 4 year university. The ROI is no longer worth the investment. I'm not going to pay $150,000 for an english degree. He can community college it for a couple of years and then transfer.

Also, if he does decide to get a liberal arts degree, I'm going to make him learn a trade or computer skills of some kind. I work with guys that are Piping Designers (they layout chem plants and route the piping) that pull $175k a year and have an associates.

[eeven73]

If you are just a smidgen above average intelligence 6 figures as an electrician is very, very doable.

[ryan351w]

Anyone see this kid?
If so, my apologies

[Okie Boarder]

ryan351w, yep. Wise beyond his years, IMO.

[ryan351w]

Okie Boarder, know whats really sad and scary? I have two people close to me that are teachers, one is my sister one is a close friend of 18 years, one thought common core is a good idea, the other had no idea what it even entailed. I will say one has been teaching 10 years the other 1. Still.
Educate yourself on what is happening within your field, especially if it could direct how you actually do your job.

That kid is brilliant. Put him on the ballot. Too bad he makes to much common (see what I did there) sense to win anything in the public realm.

[Okie Boarder]

My wife is in her last semester of classes, then a semester of student teaching and she will be in the field. She is seeing the problems with common core and the grading system already. It will be interesting to see what she is able to do once she is in the classroom.

[Aubs]

Okie - Tell her to implement some, but use cautiously. It was NOT created by teachers and it is getting a lotttttt of kick back.

[Okie Boarder]

She wants to implement none...lol. I'm sure she will comply as little as possible. There is definitely a lot of kick back and it is pretty strong here. One thing that is interesting is as more is being implemented, more of the seasoned teachers are just going ahead and retiring.