While
the New York State Education Department has had its’ share of criticism over
the years; there was unprecedented backlash last year in New York State around
Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), the 3 through 8 State Assessments tied
to those standards and the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) system
for teachers and principals which incorporate student performance on those
assessments as part of the evaluation process. You couldn’t turn on the news, open
the paper or spend any time on social media without reading about it. Everyone
has an opinion, some more informed than others, and unfortunately most of the
recent initiatives in public education have been lumped by many into one big
negative mess giving the impression that everything going on is a disaster. Now
I’m not going to defend the rollout of CCLS, the current assessment system or
every component of the evaluation system used for our teachers and principals.
But with the release of the 3 through 8 State Assessments and the debate now
shifting to include commentary on what the assessment results mean about our
kids and our schools, we need to acknowledge that while aspects of the latest
educational reform of public education need serious attention (and attention
from people who have spent their careers in public education teaching and
leading teachers, not politicians), what is happening instructionally in our
classrooms and schools has never been better, regardless of what the assessment
results show.
In my 16 years at West Genesee, as a teacher and
administrator, there has never been a time with more productive and focused
conversations around curriculum and instruction, pinpointed research-based instructional
practices embedded into our daily routines, and a student centered culture of
continuous improvement built into all that we do. We still have a lot of work
to do, and there are areas that need significant attention as we move forward.
But we are doing great things with a driving desire to do what is best for our
students in order to maximize their achievement and learning while preparing
them for their future.
State
Assessments are part of the current reality, but I do not believe that any one
assessment over a three day period gives an accurate and reliable measure of
student achievement and learning. What we hang our hat on at West Genesee (and
every district should for that matter) are the essential skills and knowledge
that we have identified in each grade and curricular area as most important for
our students and incorporate them into meaningful, relevant and rigorous
learning opportunities. Nobody should have the State Assessments or the results
of those assessments as their primary focus.
If
nothing else, the ‘perfect storm’ of reform within public education, regardless
of what you think about it, has created an opportunity for educators to engage
in serious reflection on our practices and has led to important conversations
that have been long overdue.
While rational
discourse continues around the current reform agenda in public education, we
will remain committed and focused on preparing students for their future, which
is worlds apart from the past that we experienced. We need to think about
education in a completely different way if we truly want our kids to be ready
for the world that is significantly changing every day. With that said, it is
an exciting time to be in education, and I believe that our best days are ahead
of us.
At West
Genesee our teachers reflect a culture of continuous improvement. This summer they
have been involved in extensive professional development and have put in
countless hours preparing for the year ahead. I am so excited to start the
2014-2015 school year and have our building come alive again with the
enthusiasm, curiosity and creativity of both our students and staff.
Continued Success,
Steve Dunham
Email: sdunham@westgenesee.org
Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms
