[As the site administrator, I want to let the responses here speak for themselves. (I post my own feelings about education on my other blog.) But I can’t resist commenting on the underwhelming response my questionnaire received, and what it says about democratic control over education policy.]
Has any experiment ever failed so miserably as my education questionnaire to state legislative candidates?
I asked every candidate seven short questions about the effect of state education laws on day-to-day life in the public schools. Of two-hundred and twenty-seven candidates, only thirteen were willing to respond. No one on the legislature’s Education Committee responded. One legislator helpfully explained that “our candidates have been encouraged not to respond to these types of surveys.”
Yet (as I wrote back to that particular legislator) if the candidates answer the questions, we learn something, and if they don’t, we learn something else. The experiment helps confirm that the education policies that govern our kids’ schools are almost entirely divorced from any meaningful democratic control.
I can understand if candidates are too busy to answer every email they receive. But search in vain for any other way to determine these candidates’ stances on education. For a real kick, check out the empty platitudes about education on their campaign websites. (Examples – all from Education Committee members – here, here, here, and here.) Even if you wanted to disregard all the other state issues and engage in one-issue voting based solely on education (which almost nobody does), it would be impossible, since the candidates won’t reveal their positions.
The central feature of public education today is high-stakes testing. Yet neither party has any incentive to talk about that issue, because both parties are culpable for imposing the regime of high-stakes testing on our schools. Since all of my questions were ultimately about the effect of high-stakes testing on our kids’ education, it’s unsurprising that they were met with near total silence. Teachers, administrators, and schools, we’re constantly told, must be held accountable. Elected officials, not so much.
Of the few responses I did get, I disagree with about ninety percent of what the candidates had to say. I don’t want to focus my criticism on the people who responded, though; it’s the ones who didn’t respond who most deserve criticism, and there’s no reason to think their answers would be any better, anyway. So readers can judge the responses for themselves. Suffice to say that it’s hard to detect any special expertise inherent in our state-level candidates that would justify imposing policies on local school districts against their will.
When I asked similar questions to our local school board candidates, more than half of the candidates, including all of the eventual winners, responded. Their answers were at least as informed and competent as the few I received from legislative candidates. Because school board elections are necessarily confined to educational issues, they offer a much better opportunity for voters to express their educational values, and it is harder for the candidates to avoid revealing their positions on at least some school issues. Yet on issues at the heart of education – such as whether high-stakes testing should drive the curriculum – the state dictates the policy. Why is it a better idea to vest those policy decisions in state legislators, whose elections are largely focused on other issues, and who won’t even tell us what they think about educational policy issues?
There are lots of good reasons to vote in next week’s election (if you haven’t already). Changing education policy isn’t one of them. Apparently public education is too important to entrust to, you know, the public.
(Cross-posted at A Blog About School.)
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Lyn Tackett, Republican, House District 61
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: I support any parents right to make choices for their child's education. If a parent wishes to opt their child out, they should be able to and yes without reprocussions. Education begins in the home.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: My husband was a teacher both at parochial and public schools. He first informed me of the shortened lunch as did our daughters when they were in school. Fifteen minutes is not nearly enough time. Other countries give at least an hour to eat. I was schooled in California and we always had 55 minutes for lunch and two 15-20 minute breaks. It took time for children who purchased lunch to get theirs, sit down, eat, and then get to class. If we don't give children enough time to eat and rest, they will burn out and retain less. I'm seeing it already with the students we work with now. We need to allow a minimum of a half-hour for lunch and two 15 minute recess breaks.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Certain standards should be across the board, such as the expectation that children should be proficient in reading, writing, essential math skills, be provided with physical education & exercise programs and exposed to the arts & humanities (i.e. music, literature, art, etc.). How that is accomplished should be left up to individual districts and the choices of parents, especially in the case of homeschooling. I'm in favor of options instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: I did some research on this and compared our school year with other countries, such as Australia, Russia, China, England, and others who scored at the same level, or higher, than ours. All of them except for the U.S., had a 200 day school year. We have 180 days. I'm willing to look at if this is something that would benefit students. The goal is to provide a child with the opportunity for a good education, not simply copy what other countries are doing. We need to do what works best for us.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I visited the PBIS homepage to learn more about this program. When I took my certs to teach in CA, we learn positive behavior techniques that were based on Erikson and Piaget. The PBIS system sounds fine at face value. Views on tolerance, appropriateness & respect tend to be subjective. I would like more time to visit with educators and study more on how this program would be initiated and implemented in schools.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Smaller class sizes work better, especially with younger children. When I was in school in CA, my average class size from grade school through high school averaged between 25-35 and sometimes as high as 45. There were no student teachers or assistants unless they were high schoolers correcting papers in the corner. You either kept up or suffered academically. Classroom sizes higher than 20 tend to be harder to manage on several levels. Behavior, ratio of learning materials per student, student participation, etc.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I agree with the premise that we need to make sure our children are getting a good education. Passing children to the next level when they have not learned the material isn't helping them and affects our communities as well. Too many are graduating who can't read well, spell, do simple arithmetic, understand history or been properly exposed to the cultural humanities. That affects our labor force, increases dependence on government assistance, and diminishes the hope of attending the college or university of their choice to be whatever it is they dreamed of doing. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and it begins at home. Until we face the reality that our families - the core of every society - are collapsing and address that problem, I'm afraid there are no solutions available until we strengthen where education begins: in the home and with the family.
Lyn Tackett's initial comments on the questionnaire appear here.
A: I support any parents right to make choices for their child's education. If a parent wishes to opt their child out, they should be able to and yes without reprocussions. Education begins in the home.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: My husband was a teacher both at parochial and public schools. He first informed me of the shortened lunch as did our daughters when they were in school. Fifteen minutes is not nearly enough time. Other countries give at least an hour to eat. I was schooled in California and we always had 55 minutes for lunch and two 15-20 minute breaks. It took time for children who purchased lunch to get theirs, sit down, eat, and then get to class. If we don't give children enough time to eat and rest, they will burn out and retain less. I'm seeing it already with the students we work with now. We need to allow a minimum of a half-hour for lunch and two 15 minute recess breaks.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Certain standards should be across the board, such as the expectation that children should be proficient in reading, writing, essential math skills, be provided with physical education & exercise programs and exposed to the arts & humanities (i.e. music, literature, art, etc.). How that is accomplished should be left up to individual districts and the choices of parents, especially in the case of homeschooling. I'm in favor of options instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: I did some research on this and compared our school year with other countries, such as Australia, Russia, China, England, and others who scored at the same level, or higher, than ours. All of them except for the U.S., had a 200 day school year. We have 180 days. I'm willing to look at if this is something that would benefit students. The goal is to provide a child with the opportunity for a good education, not simply copy what other countries are doing. We need to do what works best for us.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I visited the PBIS homepage to learn more about this program. When I took my certs to teach in CA, we learn positive behavior techniques that were based on Erikson and Piaget. The PBIS system sounds fine at face value. Views on tolerance, appropriateness & respect tend to be subjective. I would like more time to visit with educators and study more on how this program would be initiated and implemented in schools.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Smaller class sizes work better, especially with younger children. When I was in school in CA, my average class size from grade school through high school averaged between 25-35 and sometimes as high as 45. There were no student teachers or assistants unless they were high schoolers correcting papers in the corner. You either kept up or suffered academically. Classroom sizes higher than 20 tend to be harder to manage on several levels. Behavior, ratio of learning materials per student, student participation, etc.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I agree with the premise that we need to make sure our children are getting a good education. Passing children to the next level when they have not learned the material isn't helping them and affects our communities as well. Too many are graduating who can't read well, spell, do simple arithmetic, understand history or been properly exposed to the cultural humanities. That affects our labor force, increases dependence on government assistance, and diminishes the hope of attending the college or university of their choice to be whatever it is they dreamed of doing. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and it begins at home. Until we face the reality that our families - the core of every society - are collapsing and address that problem, I'm afraid there are no solutions available until we strengthen where education begins: in the home and with the family.
Lyn Tackett's initial comments on the questionnaire appear here.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Mark Riley, petition candidate, House District 90
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: No I support a two track educational path as in Europe and Asia. One path being college prep and the other a general education/vocational path. After 8th grade I purpose that testing for college be optional for Gen Ed and mandatory for College prep.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Get out of mandates and allow local districts full control, or take control at all levels and make education a state function. I follow a philosophy of limited resources and that College should be available to everyone Qualified and that it is a minority education for professionals. I subscribe to the philosophy that we all deserve a living wage regardless of education and that education for the non-professional class should be at the community college level. Mobility between Educational classes must be with out restriction other than intelligence or choice. If we take that approach we come to a rational position with regard to recess and lunch breaks and unrealistic expectations of our schools.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Answered in Question 2 if we are going to give local control to Districts then we need to allow them to shed education standards and develop the two track path of working class and professional of education. We need to stop open enrollment and mandate class attendance for state aid such as food stamps medical and such from the state to families, If you have a child and he is not in a school you do not receive any state aid.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: Length of school day is a babysitting policy. You can only learn for so long as adults understand when it comes to the length of a work day.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Faith based or private schools are always in the top 19 of 20 schools in performance. Why? they have less educated teachers, less money and less resources. The simple fact is that they have parents who will not tolerate their failure while paying for education. They do not go to a private school teacher and argue why their little snow flake is failing Algebra. The teacher is presumed right in private education and little Johnny is required to conform to the class discipline of the teacher.
We need a path of behavioral reform that includes being sent to a institution that may or may not be staffed by teachers to modify student behavior of derelict parents. Once the child is socialized he may return to the public education system. This institution should not be 100% from the school district. The problem with education systems today is that they are tasked with missions that are outside of the realm of Teachers.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Yes. Some classes should be large and efficient and some classes should be small and teacher intensive. The small class size is a teacher union "red Herring" for more teachers. They don't tolerate that increased cost in Colleges.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: Its a terrible idea and should be dumped.
A: No I support a two track educational path as in Europe and Asia. One path being college prep and the other a general education/vocational path. After 8th grade I purpose that testing for college be optional for Gen Ed and mandatory for College prep.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Get out of mandates and allow local districts full control, or take control at all levels and make education a state function. I follow a philosophy of limited resources and that College should be available to everyone Qualified and that it is a minority education for professionals. I subscribe to the philosophy that we all deserve a living wage regardless of education and that education for the non-professional class should be at the community college level. Mobility between Educational classes must be with out restriction other than intelligence or choice. If we take that approach we come to a rational position with regard to recess and lunch breaks and unrealistic expectations of our schools.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Answered in Question 2 if we are going to give local control to Districts then we need to allow them to shed education standards and develop the two track path of working class and professional of education. We need to stop open enrollment and mandate class attendance for state aid such as food stamps medical and such from the state to families, If you have a child and he is not in a school you do not receive any state aid.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: Length of school day is a babysitting policy. You can only learn for so long as adults understand when it comes to the length of a work day.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Faith based or private schools are always in the top 19 of 20 schools in performance. Why? they have less educated teachers, less money and less resources. The simple fact is that they have parents who will not tolerate their failure while paying for education. They do not go to a private school teacher and argue why their little snow flake is failing Algebra. The teacher is presumed right in private education and little Johnny is required to conform to the class discipline of the teacher.
We need a path of behavioral reform that includes being sent to a institution that may or may not be staffed by teachers to modify student behavior of derelict parents. Once the child is socialized he may return to the public education system. This institution should not be 100% from the school district. The problem with education systems today is that they are tasked with missions that are outside of the realm of Teachers.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Yes. Some classes should be large and efficient and some classes should be small and teacher intensive. The small class size is a teacher union "red Herring" for more teachers. They don't tolerate that increased cost in Colleges.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: Its a terrible idea and should be dumped.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Carolyn Grimes, petition candidate, House District 98
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: While students and teachers both need to be evaluated, putting too much emphasis on standardized testing is unfair to both. Teaching to tests fails to teach our children to think and learn to love learning and evaluating teachers based on student test results fails to take into consideration societal factors that might have an impact on student test performance. The answer, however, is not in legislation at the state level. Opting out should be up to the local school board.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Again, while I agree that 15 minutes is not long enough for lunch and that students need recess to reset their minds, these issues should be addressed first with the school administration and then the school board.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: From my first two answers, you can guess that I am in favor of local control. I think parents should have the ultimate control over their children, and they should be able to express those concerns to their local school boards.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: State law may require a minimum amount ot time to be spent in school, but beyond that, I think it should be left to the individual school districts.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Concerned parents teach positive behavior in the home with or without rewards, so for the children of those parents, PBIS in not necessary. For some others, however, it may be exceedingly useful. Like any other tool, it should be used when necessary but not mandated.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: It depends on how much larger. Two or three students can probably be added without much difficulty as long as the physical space and the teaching materials are available. Some subjects, by their very nature, are better taught in smaller groups, but with today's technology, a creative teacher can usually find ways to keep students engaged in varying tasks while giving special attention to a smaller group.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: It is my understanding that the state of Iowa is trying to opt out of No child Left Behind, and I hope that their second attempt will be successful. The program was well-intentioned as is Race to the Top, but neither is effective in all situations.
Thank you for caring about your children's education. I wish all parents were as concerned. Since my daughter has been out of school for several years now, if I am elected, I will need concerned parents to let me know what is going on in the classrooms.
A: While students and teachers both need to be evaluated, putting too much emphasis on standardized testing is unfair to both. Teaching to tests fails to teach our children to think and learn to love learning and evaluating teachers based on student test results fails to take into consideration societal factors that might have an impact on student test performance. The answer, however, is not in legislation at the state level. Opting out should be up to the local school board.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Again, while I agree that 15 minutes is not long enough for lunch and that students need recess to reset their minds, these issues should be addressed first with the school administration and then the school board.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: From my first two answers, you can guess that I am in favor of local control. I think parents should have the ultimate control over their children, and they should be able to express those concerns to their local school boards.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: State law may require a minimum amount ot time to be spent in school, but beyond that, I think it should be left to the individual school districts.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Concerned parents teach positive behavior in the home with or without rewards, so for the children of those parents, PBIS in not necessary. For some others, however, it may be exceedingly useful. Like any other tool, it should be used when necessary but not mandated.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: It depends on how much larger. Two or three students can probably be added without much difficulty as long as the physical space and the teaching materials are available. Some subjects, by their very nature, are better taught in smaller groups, but with today's technology, a creative teacher can usually find ways to keep students engaged in varying tasks while giving special attention to a smaller group.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: It is my understanding that the state of Iowa is trying to opt out of No child Left Behind, and I hope that their second attempt will be successful. The program was well-intentioned as is Race to the Top, but neither is effective in all situations.
Thank you for caring about your children's education. I wish all parents were as concerned. Since my daughter has been out of school for several years now, if I am elected, I will need concerned parents to let me know what is going on in the classrooms.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Dave Jacoby, Democrat, House District 74
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: To produce accurate information we need all students to be tested. Tests should not be stand alone evaluations of the student or teacher.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Students need 1/2 hour for lunch. The scheduling is a local decision.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Yes, especially with STEM initiatives. Allowable growth should be set at 2 percent per year plus 1 percent for STEM (for ALL students). Next year may require 3 to 6 percent due to the Governor and House republicans slashing of K-12 funding.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: We should had one to two weeks and the hour count should be a local decision.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: No.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Absolutely not. New methods of instruction via electronics is exciting new territory, but one constant remains the same-smaller class sizes produce the best results.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: While small portions of each have addressed changing needs, they both were conceived without adequate parent and teacher input.
A: To produce accurate information we need all students to be tested. Tests should not be stand alone evaluations of the student or teacher.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Students need 1/2 hour for lunch. The scheduling is a local decision.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Yes, especially with STEM initiatives. Allowable growth should be set at 2 percent per year plus 1 percent for STEM (for ALL students). Next year may require 3 to 6 percent due to the Governor and House republicans slashing of K-12 funding.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: We should had one to two weeks and the hour count should be a local decision.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: No.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Absolutely not. New methods of instruction via electronics is exciting new territory, but one constant remains the same-smaller class sizes produce the best results.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: While small portions of each have addressed changing needs, they both were conceived without adequate parent and teacher input.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Craig Clark, petition candidate, House District 52
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: Parents need the power over their children's education. I have a 4 and 2 year old. As a parent I am worried about what will be taught and how my children are taught in school. Personally I would love to have a voucher system for my children. While opting out would be good as I could see as a parent, ok I want my child to be taught subjects and skills not test taking. However, unless I had some assurances that my child will not face the test taking culture I can not see how a decent way to implement this unless we have a voucher system that removes the money with the child. Right now I would say I would need more details to support this unless it was a voucher system then I would say yes.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Childhood is fleeting and treating children like cattle does them no good. I have 2 sisters that teach and the subject of lunch came up. As a parent I believe there are certain life lessons we need our children to face and learn. One of those is how to handle money and what to do when you loose it. I want to have my children handle money and see how much things cost. A credit system denies children of that experience and money becomes and intangible. One of my sisters said "Craig, we have to have the credit/charge system otherwise we can not get the children through lunch in the 25 minutes we get." I was appalled 25 minutes to obtain, eat and cleanup. No wonder we have a childhood obesity issue. Our children are herded into a lunch room, fed and moved back to the classroom all in order to pay homage to the almighty Standardized test. Our Children have lost their playtime the chance to be just kids. No wonder they are stressed and bored they are placed in a system at age 5 that focuses on results of tests not the complete development of children. So yes, I would support efforts to give children proper time to relax and play.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: As a parent I am worried about one size fits all education system. A national standard should never come into existence as each State and each Community is unique and has unique needs. I would only want to see universal standards go only as high as the State level but in very limited role. The reason is as I stated before I would as a parent love to have vouchers for my children and under a voucher system with local control we would create a very strong consumer model that allows schools to adapt the best teaching techniques to draw the students into their schools. So yes I would be willing to support more local control but still keep the State involved and the Federal level completely out.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: As I mentioned above in lunch and recess I would like to see children have the time to relax and play during the school day. My sister's who are teachers say they are under pressure to teach materials and subjects on Standardized tests. More school could be beneficial if we had more days to school year to allow for the longer lunch and recess. We could also use extra days as prep days for Standardized test thus returning the regular school year to instruction of subjects and eliminating some of the pressure on students and teachers. This could also be a means to allow a parent to opt their child out of the testing by allowing the parents to place their child in an elective subject during the extended school days. I am not against a longer school year but it must add value to the total education system.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I had to talk with my sisters about this and how it affects them in the classroom. They were telling me it is necessary in order help a special needs child develop while in the classroom as they are sometimes not getting basic skills such as hand washing taught at home. I can see how that would be beneficial in that situation. However having PBIS being used on all children then in the long run probably does not help our children and most likely will hurt them. I have worked as a Manager in retail I have had employees that expect only praise and do not have the ability to handle negative feedback. While we all do work better with praise there are times that negative feedback must be give. It is how you handle and deliver negative feedback is a skill children need to learn. Basically its development of proper manners that PBIS would hinder. Therefore as a parent if PBIS would be used to manipulate my child into perfect behavior as the school determines then I would not want it. I want my children to behave with proper manners and using PBIS to elicit proper behavior is denying children the chance to implement proper manners and instead dehumanizes them by turning them into a Pavlov dog. So based on my information of PBIS I would not want this in the schools system and probably would not support any law that allows such method into the school system.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Our children are more wired than any generation before them. Their means of socialization has adapted and changed due to being wired. As such we should be reaching out to our children in a means that they are comfortable with. That is increase class size could be used if we use more online instruction in the class room. Rural schools are shrinking and using online methods where the students take their lecture and home online would allow more students to be taught at the same time and more detailed instruction would be given to students as a group only on the areas they are weak in. Thus a child that understands adding fractions but struggles with multiplying fractions would only go to the multiplying fractions group. Thus multiple Rural schools could pools resources and have the lecture given to their students and say the Math teacher at each school would guide the groups. This could allow for larger class sizes while still giving small group instruction. I would support methods that use more technology and bring our schools out of the 20th century and into the 21st century.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: It is no secret Left no child behind is a failure. I would like to see it out of the school systems and considering the recent Supreme Court ruling on health care that says the Federal government can not force the State to expand Medicaid or face financial penalties. Then the State might have a way by using that ruling to opt out and not loose federal money. I would like to see left no child behind taken out and if Iowa could fund its school system without Federal money then I would not be opposed to that either.
A: Parents need the power over their children's education. I have a 4 and 2 year old. As a parent I am worried about what will be taught and how my children are taught in school. Personally I would love to have a voucher system for my children. While opting out would be good as I could see as a parent, ok I want my child to be taught subjects and skills not test taking. However, unless I had some assurances that my child will not face the test taking culture I can not see how a decent way to implement this unless we have a voucher system that removes the money with the child. Right now I would say I would need more details to support this unless it was a voucher system then I would say yes.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Childhood is fleeting and treating children like cattle does them no good. I have 2 sisters that teach and the subject of lunch came up. As a parent I believe there are certain life lessons we need our children to face and learn. One of those is how to handle money and what to do when you loose it. I want to have my children handle money and see how much things cost. A credit system denies children of that experience and money becomes and intangible. One of my sisters said "Craig, we have to have the credit/charge system otherwise we can not get the children through lunch in the 25 minutes we get." I was appalled 25 minutes to obtain, eat and cleanup. No wonder we have a childhood obesity issue. Our children are herded into a lunch room, fed and moved back to the classroom all in order to pay homage to the almighty Standardized test. Our Children have lost their playtime the chance to be just kids. No wonder they are stressed and bored they are placed in a system at age 5 that focuses on results of tests not the complete development of children. So yes, I would support efforts to give children proper time to relax and play.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: As a parent I am worried about one size fits all education system. A national standard should never come into existence as each State and each Community is unique and has unique needs. I would only want to see universal standards go only as high as the State level but in very limited role. The reason is as I stated before I would as a parent love to have vouchers for my children and under a voucher system with local control we would create a very strong consumer model that allows schools to adapt the best teaching techniques to draw the students into their schools. So yes I would be willing to support more local control but still keep the State involved and the Federal level completely out.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: As I mentioned above in lunch and recess I would like to see children have the time to relax and play during the school day. My sister's who are teachers say they are under pressure to teach materials and subjects on Standardized tests. More school could be beneficial if we had more days to school year to allow for the longer lunch and recess. We could also use extra days as prep days for Standardized test thus returning the regular school year to instruction of subjects and eliminating some of the pressure on students and teachers. This could also be a means to allow a parent to opt their child out of the testing by allowing the parents to place their child in an elective subject during the extended school days. I am not against a longer school year but it must add value to the total education system.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I had to talk with my sisters about this and how it affects them in the classroom. They were telling me it is necessary in order help a special needs child develop while in the classroom as they are sometimes not getting basic skills such as hand washing taught at home. I can see how that would be beneficial in that situation. However having PBIS being used on all children then in the long run probably does not help our children and most likely will hurt them. I have worked as a Manager in retail I have had employees that expect only praise and do not have the ability to handle negative feedback. While we all do work better with praise there are times that negative feedback must be give. It is how you handle and deliver negative feedback is a skill children need to learn. Basically its development of proper manners that PBIS would hinder. Therefore as a parent if PBIS would be used to manipulate my child into perfect behavior as the school determines then I would not want it. I want my children to behave with proper manners and using PBIS to elicit proper behavior is denying children the chance to implement proper manners and instead dehumanizes them by turning them into a Pavlov dog. So based on my information of PBIS I would not want this in the schools system and probably would not support any law that allows such method into the school system.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: Our children are more wired than any generation before them. Their means of socialization has adapted and changed due to being wired. As such we should be reaching out to our children in a means that they are comfortable with. That is increase class size could be used if we use more online instruction in the class room. Rural schools are shrinking and using online methods where the students take their lecture and home online would allow more students to be taught at the same time and more detailed instruction would be given to students as a group only on the areas they are weak in. Thus a child that understands adding fractions but struggles with multiplying fractions would only go to the multiplying fractions group. Thus multiple Rural schools could pools resources and have the lecture given to their students and say the Math teacher at each school would guide the groups. This could allow for larger class sizes while still giving small group instruction. I would support methods that use more technology and bring our schools out of the 20th century and into the 21st century.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: It is no secret Left no child behind is a failure. I would like to see it out of the school systems and considering the recent Supreme Court ruling on health care that says the Federal government can not force the State to expand Medicaid or face financial penalties. Then the State might have a way by using that ruling to opt out and not loose federal money. I would like to see left no child behind taken out and if Iowa could fund its school system without Federal money then I would not be opposed to that either.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
David Scott Edwards, Republican, Senate District 16
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: I don't think that students should be able to opt out of testing. The problem with testing is that it has become such an area of emphasis in the public school realm that teachers can no longer teach the curriculum they are hired to teach, but instead must "teach to the test." I believe that students should be tested, but I don't believe the results should be used to evaluate the teacher, rather, they should be used to evaluate holes in the students' learning. Certainly, negative trends that seem to follow a particular teacher would need to be evaluated, but for the most part, I believe if teachers were given the freedom to actually teach to the curriculum, without all the pressure of requirements coming from outside of the local district, then test scores would naturally rise.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Well, Chris, with the implementation of the new USDA Nutritional Guidelines for school lunches, it will probably take a kid only about 5 minutes to finish his/her school lunch! Talk about ludicrous! Two ounces of meat at lunch for a middle school boy? Just another in a long list of areas where the federal government has no business being involved. But back to your question, I think it is very unrealistic to expect a kid to take only a 15 minute lunch break. Most working adults get a minimum of a 30-minute break. How much more must a child need that break? But again, I believe there is too much pressure from requirements coming from outside of the local district. Districts should refuse the funding that brings along these requirements, and the pressure would be alleviated on everyone.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I absolutely believe that local school districts should have more control over educational policy. I believe the federal government has no business telling the states what they must teach. But, schools have become so dependent upon that funding that they are now caught between a rock and a hard place. Districts have the right to say "no" to that funding, and thereby say "no" to the educational policies that go along with the funding. It would probably take a revolution from the parents in a district to force schools to stop accepting federal funding. Until such day that districts are ready to put a stop to this outside interference, I believe parents should be given true educational choice through the use of education vouchers.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: No to both. The school day and the school year both keep getting longer; schools keep getting more money; but student performance keeps declining. Lengthening the school day is not the key to improving performance.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: This whole philosophy is ludicrous. I think all we need to do is look back to the past to what worked in days gone by to find the solution to school discipline problems. There was a time when disrespectful, disruptive and aggressive behavior was not tolerated and there were negative repercussions for those who chose to misbehave. Working in the schools, I see firsthand that current philosopy has teachers' hands tied - they effectively have no recourse when students misbehave. I believe students, and ultimately their parents, should be held accountable for their negative behaviors. Most importantly, the state DOE has no business regulating districts' behavior policies.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: No, I do not think this is good tradeoff. Again, because I work in a school district, I see firsthand that there is so much inefficiency in my local school district. I am sure it is probably the same everywhere. School districts need to get more money into classrooms and less in the form of supervision and administration. I am sure that parents would rather see another teacher hired at their school to alleviate crowded classrooms than they would see more administrators hired, or increases to administrator pay as was proposed here in Des Moines this summer. I don't think we should tolerate any attempt to increase class sizes.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: Again, I am against federal intervention in K-12 education. I do think these programs have done more harm than good in that they take away the autonomy of the local school district. Yes, I believe Iowa should opt out of NCLB.
A: I don't think that students should be able to opt out of testing. The problem with testing is that it has become such an area of emphasis in the public school realm that teachers can no longer teach the curriculum they are hired to teach, but instead must "teach to the test." I believe that students should be tested, but I don't believe the results should be used to evaluate the teacher, rather, they should be used to evaluate holes in the students' learning. Certainly, negative trends that seem to follow a particular teacher would need to be evaluated, but for the most part, I believe if teachers were given the freedom to actually teach to the curriculum, without all the pressure of requirements coming from outside of the local district, then test scores would naturally rise.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Well, Chris, with the implementation of the new USDA Nutritional Guidelines for school lunches, it will probably take a kid only about 5 minutes to finish his/her school lunch! Talk about ludicrous! Two ounces of meat at lunch for a middle school boy? Just another in a long list of areas where the federal government has no business being involved. But back to your question, I think it is very unrealistic to expect a kid to take only a 15 minute lunch break. Most working adults get a minimum of a 30-minute break. How much more must a child need that break? But again, I believe there is too much pressure from requirements coming from outside of the local district. Districts should refuse the funding that brings along these requirements, and the pressure would be alleviated on everyone.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I absolutely believe that local school districts should have more control over educational policy. I believe the federal government has no business telling the states what they must teach. But, schools have become so dependent upon that funding that they are now caught between a rock and a hard place. Districts have the right to say "no" to that funding, and thereby say "no" to the educational policies that go along with the funding. It would probably take a revolution from the parents in a district to force schools to stop accepting federal funding. Until such day that districts are ready to put a stop to this outside interference, I believe parents should be given true educational choice through the use of education vouchers.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: No to both. The school day and the school year both keep getting longer; schools keep getting more money; but student performance keeps declining. Lengthening the school day is not the key to improving performance.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: This whole philosophy is ludicrous. I think all we need to do is look back to the past to what worked in days gone by to find the solution to school discipline problems. There was a time when disrespectful, disruptive and aggressive behavior was not tolerated and there were negative repercussions for those who chose to misbehave. Working in the schools, I see firsthand that current philosopy has teachers' hands tied - they effectively have no recourse when students misbehave. I believe students, and ultimately their parents, should be held accountable for their negative behaviors. Most importantly, the state DOE has no business regulating districts' behavior policies.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: No, I do not think this is good tradeoff. Again, because I work in a school district, I see firsthand that there is so much inefficiency in my local school district. I am sure it is probably the same everywhere. School districts need to get more money into classrooms and less in the form of supervision and administration. I am sure that parents would rather see another teacher hired at their school to alleviate crowded classrooms than they would see more administrators hired, or increases to administrator pay as was proposed here in Des Moines this summer. I don't think we should tolerate any attempt to increase class sizes.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: Again, I am against federal intervention in K-12 education. I do think these programs have done more harm than good in that they take away the autonomy of the local school district. Yes, I believe Iowa should opt out of NCLB.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Greg Nepstad, Democrat, House District 20
These are all good questions worth discussing. I don't have many answers for you, but my thoughts in brief are 1. Fewer tests but no opt-outs. 2. Not sure these cuts are a problem. 3. "Lack of local control" is exaggerated. Local school boards have tons of latitude - yet few exercise any. The problem with parental say-so in school policies is that for every parent with a good idea there is another who is a lunatic. 4. I don't know. A much-debated topic nationally. 5. No. 6. No. 7. The only thing I like about No Child Left Behind is the name.
Thanks for the questionaire,
Greg Nepstad
Thanks for the questionaire,
Greg Nepstad
Jane Jech, Republican, Senate District 36
Educating our students is extremely important to me and will be my personal top priority to work on if I am fortunate enough to be elected to the Iowa Senate.
I'm really glad that you have the same concerns and you have some very important questions. As I read through them I am certain it could take me a couple of hours to thoroughly answer your questions and I'm afraid I do not have that amount of time right now. I'm very sorry! I try to talk about education every chance I get and to learn from others that I meet at events and at their doors. In general, I can tell you I believe we have to remove the influence of both government bureaucracy and the Teachers' Union bureaucracy to get down to what is really the best way to educate our kids and I am very much in favor of returning many dollars and decisions to parents and local school boards.
I need to research the organization even more to be definitive, but at this time, I think the philosophies of an organization called Students First would pretty well describe my own. You can find them on the web at www.studentsfirst.org
Hopefully we can talk more in the future.
I'm really glad that you have the same concerns and you have some very important questions. As I read through them I am certain it could take me a couple of hours to thoroughly answer your questions and I'm afraid I do not have that amount of time right now. I'm very sorry! I try to talk about education every chance I get and to learn from others that I meet at events and at their doors. In general, I can tell you I believe we have to remove the influence of both government bureaucracy and the Teachers' Union bureaucracy to get down to what is really the best way to educate our kids and I am very much in favor of returning many dollars and decisions to parents and local school boards.
I need to research the organization even more to be definitive, but at this time, I think the philosophies of an organization called Students First would pretty well describe my own. You can find them on the web at www.studentsfirst.org
Hopefully we can talk more in the future.
Dan LeRette, Republican, House District 33
Thanks for your survey, answers below:
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: I would not support "opting-out" of testing. The measurement of results of each student and teacher is important. If we are to improve our schools we can best do so by having a uniform assessment of performance from which real conclusions can be drawn.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: This issue should be taken up at the local school board level rather than through state mandate. Lunch time required would vary at the local level, for example a large urban school has a much different set of challenges just getting 100's of students through a cafeteria line as opposed to a small rural school, where less time may be needed.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I favor more control to the local level in as many ways as we practically can. I attended a parochial school which focused on students and results rather than red tape. It was the best school in the city and spent the least $ per student. Public education could benefit in both efficiency and results by taking a page from the parochial school's best practices.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: No. Making the school day longer and making the school year longer is not necessary. If our results are slipping, spending more time doing the same things will not help much. Iowa was #1 in education in the past, but our classroom time was not longer then.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: No. I think this should also be a local decision.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: No. "Increasing educator effectiveness" might be something we should consider as part of the continuing education requirements for teachers.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: We need to reduce Federal level involvement in all our state and local issues, this includes the education system. We should not allow the Federal government to use our tax dollars to push its agenda to the state level.
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: I would not support "opting-out" of testing. The measurement of results of each student and teacher is important. If we are to improve our schools we can best do so by having a uniform assessment of performance from which real conclusions can be drawn.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: This issue should be taken up at the local school board level rather than through state mandate. Lunch time required would vary at the local level, for example a large urban school has a much different set of challenges just getting 100's of students through a cafeteria line as opposed to a small rural school, where less time may be needed.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I favor more control to the local level in as many ways as we practically can. I attended a parochial school which focused on students and results rather than red tape. It was the best school in the city and spent the least $ per student. Public education could benefit in both efficiency and results by taking a page from the parochial school's best practices.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: No. Making the school day longer and making the school year longer is not necessary. If our results are slipping, spending more time doing the same things will not help much. Iowa was #1 in education in the past, but our classroom time was not longer then.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: No. I think this should also be a local decision.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: No. "Increasing educator effectiveness" might be something we should consider as part of the continuing education requirements for teachers.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: We need to reduce Federal level involvement in all our state and local issues, this includes the education system. We should not allow the Federal government to use our tax dollars to push its agenda to the state level.
Susan Judkins, Democrat, House District 43
You have prepared an interesting list of questions. My answers are based on my experience as a parent, service as a school board member in Indianola (I now live in Clive and am running in HD43, which includes the Polk County portion of Clive, Windsor Heights, and northern West Des Moines), school-related volunteer work, reading on school-related topics, and many recent conversations with educators and administrators. Thank you for all you are doing to encourage conversation about education, which has proven to be the #1 issue in my district as I have talked with voters over the past months. - Susan Judkins
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: NO - While I agree that we should stop using standardized testing as a primary means of evaluating teachers and comparing schools, I believe that tests such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (grades K-8) and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (grades 9-12) are important evaluation tools and their value would erode if the tests became optional. There is great value for students in learning to take a battery of tests; it is something that they will likely experience throughout their lives starting with college entrance exams or vocational testing and later with licensure requirements for numerous careers. I do realize that many parents worry that the tests will discourage their child if they score lower than their peers. However, I think it would help if more parents learned to utilize the test results as an indicator of interest and aptitude. My younger daughter scored lower overall than her sister, but her good scores in math and science allowed me to encourage her to pursue those areas. Today, she is in the second year of residency after receiving her MD from the Carver College of Medicine at the U of I. Regarding use of the exams to evaluate schools and teachers, I believe their value is too heavily weighted and there are insufficient mechanisms to account for societal impacts such as poverty, demographics and transience. Even in my suburban district, there are many families moving in and out which can impact benchmarking based on the tests.
As Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This is a reason that standardized tests should only be a portion of the evaluation process for any student, their teacher, their school and their district. I remember hearing in the late 90's from Ted Stilwell, who at the time was director of the Iowa Department of Education, that the single greatest indicator of a student's future success was not their grades, not their test scores, but the level of difficulty of classes they chose to take. I was able to use this information to influence my daughters' class choices and would say that it proved to be successful for them as they are now in professional careers. I also took this information to the Indianola School Board, where we discussed the fact that students and their parents thought they should be focused upon gradepoint as they prepared for college, many times avoiding advanced classes where they might not be guaranteed a high grade. After much input from faculty and the community, we implemented a "weighted grades" program that allowed a higher point value for certain classes, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes. It worked -- enrollment in those classes expanded immediately. I thank Ted Stilwell for that encouragement, and would like to see us focusing on rigor as part of the conversation about education reform today.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: I too have been very surprised to hear of compacted lunch and recess schedules, but don't have a good answer on the role that the state should play here beyond leading a discussion on the best possible uses of time in a school day and school year. I explore this further in the response to #4 below.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I think it is good to regulate educational policies to ensure that all students have access to a reasonable level of educational programming no matter where they attend school. I realize that for years, Iowans valued their schools' independence in curriculum planning. As rural schools declined in enrollment, however, it became more difficult to ensure their students were receiving appropriate instruction to prepare them for college or careers. It was a factor in our family's choice to move from a small rural district to a larger, urban one. On another note, the standardization of educational requirements has enabled some cost savings across districts that previously spent significantly more funds in developing independent curricula. Lastly, I would try to discourage parents from feeling that they have "little to no say over what goes on in their kids' schools." Teachers and administrators say they want those conversations with parents, and also welcome it when parents ask how they can provide reinforcement for, and supplements to, their child's education from home.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: I think questions about how time is spent in a school day, and what school calendar would best foster student learning, should be the primary focus of any conversation about education reform. Early reform discussion focused too heavily on teacher evaluation, in my opinion, and I hope we will now move to the important issue of how to best use education time. I expect there will be a lot of discussion and argument about this topic, including how to pay for any changes. I can't pretend to be an expert or to have the answers, but I'll provide a bit of insight from my own experience.
I served on the school board in Indianola, which for years has offered a calendar alternative in one of the elementary schools, described as follows:
Irving Elementary runs on an alternative calendar, also called Year Round Education. Classes start in mid-July and end with the rest of the students in Indianola who are on the traditional calendar. The students have classes for nine weeks and then have a three-week break. The students at Irving have the option of taking classes for an additional 20 days during the breaks. These breaks are called intersessions. They may attend morning only, afternoon only, all day, or not at all. They also may attend for one or both weeks during these times. Everyone in the program has two common weeks of vacation. Breaks are scheduled to coincide with the traditional calendar whenever possible.
A lot of research has been done over the years to evaluate the effectiveness of this program which can inform the current conversation, and it would be better to review current data on this and other year round schools (see the 2006 article for a discussion http://www.nayre.org/Des%20Moines%20Register%20July%2013.pdf) than for me to describe what we knew eleven years ago when my tenure on the school board ended. I can say that families who opted into the Year Round program were very pleased with it and the progress their students made while participating in the program. My daughters were in middle school by the time we moved to Indianola, so our family did not personally experience the Year Round program -- but I would have chosen it if I'd had the option.
Recently, new ISU President Steven Leath told my Rotary club that the demographic group that is failing to meet their potential among students is white males. He didn't offer an explanation. But it offered an opportunity to reflect upon my conversation with Sheng Peng from China, for whom my family served as a local contact wile he was attending Drake University. Sheng recently graduated with high honors, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and is now attending graduate school at George Washington University. He had a very strong study ethic. I remember picking him up one Christmas Eve to drive to my parents' home in Vinton for the holiday. I asked what he'd been doing that day, and he said he'd been reading up on calculus so he'd be prepared for a class that began after the break. That prompted conversation about his schooling in China. One thing that really struck me was the length of their school day, which began at mid-morning and ran until a lengthy lunch break (most students went home for this) then ran until a dinner break (again the students would return home) and the students had the option of returning in the evening for study and tutoring. He said there is such a competitive sense that education is the ticket to a better future that most students opted to return for the tutoring, which could last until 10 PM. There were many factors that interest me about this schedule, including the time allowed for interfacing with families at meal time and the commitment of teachers to stay involved in their students lives until up to 10 PM. There are many reasons that a schedule like this would be difficult in Iowa's schools, but I've seen firsthand what can be fostered in a student....
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I support programming that encourages positive behavior. While I have no experience with the PBIS program, I have volunteered with the Character Counts program and believe it has had a very positive impact in schools. Student behavior is an issue that has come up a lot as I have been knocking on doors throughout the spring and summer, ranging from parents whose children have been bullied to teachers talking about how disciplinary issues can distract from teaching time. Just yesterday, a teacher told me about a little girl who joined her class who is so polite that she worries about how the other students will accept her. To me, these stories beg for inclusion of a positive behavioral program in schools -- too many students are just not getting this training at home. But, based on review of your blog posts, it appears that implementation of the programs varies in effectiveness among schools. That could use some focus.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: NO - I realize there is data indicating that class size is not a dominant factor in student success. We also need to think about what it does to the teacher when size is increased. The best teachers will continue to try to give the same feedback to students on class assignments, but it can prove to be too much. This was the case with my friend Barbara Mack, a journalism professor who recently passed away at the age of 59. I'm not saying that the extra work of her increasing class size killed her. But I will say that it caused her to be ready to leave the teaching career that she loved. The number of students attending a lecture is not the issue; it's the interface that students have with that instructor, the personalized instruction that makes the greatest impact on any student's growth. This should not be overlooked.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I believe the mandates of the No Child Left Behind program have done more harm than good. The Race to the Top program is a competitive grant opportunity that supports innovative efforts for education improvement. Although funds are involved with both, a mandate is far different than a funding opportunity. I do believe the state should opt out of No Child Left Behind, Here's a good article on the status of that: http://thegazette.com/2012/07/02/iowa-gets-one-year-waiver-on-no-child-left-behind/
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: NO - While I agree that we should stop using standardized testing as a primary means of evaluating teachers and comparing schools, I believe that tests such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (grades K-8) and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (grades 9-12) are important evaluation tools and their value would erode if the tests became optional. There is great value for students in learning to take a battery of tests; it is something that they will likely experience throughout their lives starting with college entrance exams or vocational testing and later with licensure requirements for numerous careers. I do realize that many parents worry that the tests will discourage their child if they score lower than their peers. However, I think it would help if more parents learned to utilize the test results as an indicator of interest and aptitude. My younger daughter scored lower overall than her sister, but her good scores in math and science allowed me to encourage her to pursue those areas. Today, she is in the second year of residency after receiving her MD from the Carver College of Medicine at the U of I. Regarding use of the exams to evaluate schools and teachers, I believe their value is too heavily weighted and there are insufficient mechanisms to account for societal impacts such as poverty, demographics and transience. Even in my suburban district, there are many families moving in and out which can impact benchmarking based on the tests.
As Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This is a reason that standardized tests should only be a portion of the evaluation process for any student, their teacher, their school and their district. I remember hearing in the late 90's from Ted Stilwell, who at the time was director of the Iowa Department of Education, that the single greatest indicator of a student's future success was not their grades, not their test scores, but the level of difficulty of classes they chose to take. I was able to use this information to influence my daughters' class choices and would say that it proved to be successful for them as they are now in professional careers. I also took this information to the Indianola School Board, where we discussed the fact that students and their parents thought they should be focused upon gradepoint as they prepared for college, many times avoiding advanced classes where they might not be guaranteed a high grade. After much input from faculty and the community, we implemented a "weighted grades" program that allowed a higher point value for certain classes, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes. It worked -- enrollment in those classes expanded immediately. I thank Ted Stilwell for that encouragement, and would like to see us focusing on rigor as part of the conversation about education reform today.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: I too have been very surprised to hear of compacted lunch and recess schedules, but don't have a good answer on the role that the state should play here beyond leading a discussion on the best possible uses of time in a school day and school year. I explore this further in the response to #4 below.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: I think it is good to regulate educational policies to ensure that all students have access to a reasonable level of educational programming no matter where they attend school. I realize that for years, Iowans valued their schools' independence in curriculum planning. As rural schools declined in enrollment, however, it became more difficult to ensure their students were receiving appropriate instruction to prepare them for college or careers. It was a factor in our family's choice to move from a small rural district to a larger, urban one. On another note, the standardization of educational requirements has enabled some cost savings across districts that previously spent significantly more funds in developing independent curricula. Lastly, I would try to discourage parents from feeling that they have "little to no say over what goes on in their kids' schools." Teachers and administrators say they want those conversations with parents, and also welcome it when parents ask how they can provide reinforcement for, and supplements to, their child's education from home.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: I think questions about how time is spent in a school day, and what school calendar would best foster student learning, should be the primary focus of any conversation about education reform. Early reform discussion focused too heavily on teacher evaluation, in my opinion, and I hope we will now move to the important issue of how to best use education time. I expect there will be a lot of discussion and argument about this topic, including how to pay for any changes. I can't pretend to be an expert or to have the answers, but I'll provide a bit of insight from my own experience.
I served on the school board in Indianola, which for years has offered a calendar alternative in one of the elementary schools, described as follows:
Irving Elementary runs on an alternative calendar, also called Year Round Education. Classes start in mid-July and end with the rest of the students in Indianola who are on the traditional calendar. The students have classes for nine weeks and then have a three-week break. The students at Irving have the option of taking classes for an additional 20 days during the breaks. These breaks are called intersessions. They may attend morning only, afternoon only, all day, or not at all. They also may attend for one or both weeks during these times. Everyone in the program has two common weeks of vacation. Breaks are scheduled to coincide with the traditional calendar whenever possible.
A lot of research has been done over the years to evaluate the effectiveness of this program which can inform the current conversation, and it would be better to review current data on this and other year round schools (see the 2006 article for a discussion http://www.nayre.org/Des%20Moines%20Register%20July%2013.pdf) than for me to describe what we knew eleven years ago when my tenure on the school board ended. I can say that families who opted into the Year Round program were very pleased with it and the progress their students made while participating in the program. My daughters were in middle school by the time we moved to Indianola, so our family did not personally experience the Year Round program -- but I would have chosen it if I'd had the option.
Recently, new ISU President Steven Leath told my Rotary club that the demographic group that is failing to meet their potential among students is white males. He didn't offer an explanation. But it offered an opportunity to reflect upon my conversation with Sheng Peng from China, for whom my family served as a local contact wile he was attending Drake University. Sheng recently graduated with high honors, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and is now attending graduate school at George Washington University. He had a very strong study ethic. I remember picking him up one Christmas Eve to drive to my parents' home in Vinton for the holiday. I asked what he'd been doing that day, and he said he'd been reading up on calculus so he'd be prepared for a class that began after the break. That prompted conversation about his schooling in China. One thing that really struck me was the length of their school day, which began at mid-morning and ran until a lengthy lunch break (most students went home for this) then ran until a dinner break (again the students would return home) and the students had the option of returning in the evening for study and tutoring. He said there is such a competitive sense that education is the ticket to a better future that most students opted to return for the tutoring, which could last until 10 PM. There were many factors that interest me about this schedule, including the time allowed for interfacing with families at meal time and the commitment of teachers to stay involved in their students lives until up to 10 PM. There are many reasons that a schedule like this would be difficult in Iowa's schools, but I've seen firsthand what can be fostered in a student....
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: I support programming that encourages positive behavior. While I have no experience with the PBIS program, I have volunteered with the Character Counts program and believe it has had a very positive impact in schools. Student behavior is an issue that has come up a lot as I have been knocking on doors throughout the spring and summer, ranging from parents whose children have been bullied to teachers talking about how disciplinary issues can distract from teaching time. Just yesterday, a teacher told me about a little girl who joined her class who is so polite that she worries about how the other students will accept her. To me, these stories beg for inclusion of a positive behavioral program in schools -- too many students are just not getting this training at home. But, based on review of your blog posts, it appears that implementation of the programs varies in effectiveness among schools. That could use some focus.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: NO - I realize there is data indicating that class size is not a dominant factor in student success. We also need to think about what it does to the teacher when size is increased. The best teachers will continue to try to give the same feedback to students on class assignments, but it can prove to be too much. This was the case with my friend Barbara Mack, a journalism professor who recently passed away at the age of 59. I'm not saying that the extra work of her increasing class size killed her. But I will say that it caused her to be ready to leave the teaching career that she loved. The number of students attending a lecture is not the issue; it's the interface that students have with that instructor, the personalized instruction that makes the greatest impact on any student's growth. This should not be overlooked.
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I believe the mandates of the No Child Left Behind program have done more harm than good. The Race to the Top program is a competitive grant opportunity that supports innovative efforts for education improvement. Although funds are involved with both, a mandate is far different than a funding opportunity. I do believe the state should opt out of No Child Left Behind, Here's a good article on the status of that: http://thegazette.com/2012/07/02/iowa-gets-one-year-waiver-on-no-child-left-behind/
Pat Branco, Republican, House District 34
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
A: Yes.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Balance is important and a 15 minute lunch is not healthy. 30 minutes should be the minimum and breaks are important too to refresh and re-focus.If the school day has to last for an additional hour so be it.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Yes, and as with many private school they should have a board with authority to make decisons.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: That depends on the curriculum and the need to support the times mentioned above for a decent lunch time. I would want to study this more.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Need to study this furthur.If it is ethics and moral behavior, making better young adults? maybe. I will look it over.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: I am all for improving educator effectiveness and accountability but not sure if larger classrooms are going to help .
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I would opt to keep the funds, review the program and see if it is salvageable with some adjustments at the local level. I think it need to be re-evaluated because to move someone forward that cant keep up is doing more harm than good.
Please contact me if any of these answers need clarification.Keep in mind I haven't been exposed to the issues in minute detail as well...have answered from the heart.
A: Yes.
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
A: Balance is important and a 15 minute lunch is not healthy. 30 minutes should be the minimum and breaks are important too to refresh and re-focus.If the school day has to last for an additional hour so be it.
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
A: Yes, and as with many private school they should have a board with authority to make decisons.
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
A: That depends on the curriculum and the need to support the times mentioned above for a decent lunch time. I would want to study this more.
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
A: Need to study this furthur.If it is ethics and moral behavior, making better young adults? maybe. I will look it over.
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
A: I am all for improving educator effectiveness and accountability but not sure if larger classrooms are going to help .
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
A: I would opt to keep the funds, review the program and see if it is salvageable with some adjustments at the local level. I think it need to be re-evaluated because to move someone forward that cant keep up is doing more harm than good.
Please contact me if any of these answers need clarification.Keep in mind I haven't been exposed to the issues in minute detail as well...have answered from the heart.
Lyn Tackett, Republican, House District 61
I will respond to your questions. I just got in from working my third shift job, so please allow me a couple of days to respond. There were a couple of answers I would like to research.
What I can tell you briefly is this: I've been a CA certified early childhood educator, taught for over 20 years, developed a music curriculum taught privately and in centers, and have two girls who attended and graduated from both private and public schools. My husband and his family are educators as well.
I'm against the UN's attempt to dictate parental and educational policies. In fact, I'm not supportive of anything yet I've read coming from the UN. Parents should have the right to choose what school to attend, what educational systems is best for them (homeschool, private, public, charter, etc). Lunch should be a half hour as it used to be. Allowing a mere 15 minutes is hard on the digestive system. Children barely have enough to rest between classes anymore and rushing to eat is hard on the body. I'm not supportive of longer schools. It's quality we want, not quantity.
Thank you for your email. I will get back with you soon.
What I can tell you briefly is this: I've been a CA certified early childhood educator, taught for over 20 years, developed a music curriculum taught privately and in centers, and have two girls who attended and graduated from both private and public schools. My husband and his family are educators as well.
I'm against the UN's attempt to dictate parental and educational policies. In fact, I'm not supportive of anything yet I've read coming from the UN. Parents should have the right to choose what school to attend, what educational systems is best for them (homeschool, private, public, charter, etc). Lunch should be a half hour as it used to be. Allowing a mere 15 minutes is hard on the digestive system. Children barely have enough to rest between classes anymore and rushing to eat is hard on the body. I'm not supportive of longer schools. It's quality we want, not quantity.
Thank you for your email. I will get back with you soon.
Eric Cooper, Libertarian, House District 45
Education is one of my two big issues (along with drug legalization). I think the answer to all of our educational problems is to attach any state funding "to the child" and let the child go wherever the parents want. As such, I think all of the questions you have listed are moot. I think parents should be able to send their child to any type of school they want that has whatever rules they want about each of the issues you have listed.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The questions
[Re-posted from A Blog About School]
I’ve been struggling to winnow down the number of questions I want to submit to candidates for our state legislature. To maximize the possibility of getting responses, I set myself a limit of five, but in the end I had to allow myself two more. I tried to focus on questions that I thought other groups (for example, teachers’ unions) were unlikely to ask. I cut several questions – for example about whether our schools are inculcating authoritarian values and whether we should give teachers and students more autonomy – because I thought they were unlikely to elicit meaningful responses (which, I realize, might be true of all questions). The final seven aren’t perfect, but time’s a-wastin’, and I hope that the answers to these seven might at least give you a pretty good idea of where someone’s coming from.
I had initially planned on sending them only to candidates whose districts overlap with our school district, but now I’m feeling ambitious and thinking I might send them to all legislative candidates in Iowa. (Hat tip to John Deeth for directing me to the master list of candidate email addresses.) I haven’t yet figured out exactly how I’ll post responses, but I’ll find a way and link to the responses from this post.
Apologies to those who made good suggestions that I ultimately did not include. (Candidates, check them out!) Here’s what I settled on:
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
I’ve been struggling to winnow down the number of questions I want to submit to candidates for our state legislature. To maximize the possibility of getting responses, I set myself a limit of five, but in the end I had to allow myself two more. I tried to focus on questions that I thought other groups (for example, teachers’ unions) were unlikely to ask. I cut several questions – for example about whether our schools are inculcating authoritarian values and whether we should give teachers and students more autonomy – because I thought they were unlikely to elicit meaningful responses (which, I realize, might be true of all questions). The final seven aren’t perfect, but time’s a-wastin’, and I hope that the answers to these seven might at least give you a pretty good idea of where someone’s coming from.
I had initially planned on sending them only to candidates whose districts overlap with our school district, but now I’m feeling ambitious and thinking I might send them to all legislative candidates in Iowa. (Hat tip to John Deeth for directing me to the master list of candidate email addresses.) I haven’t yet figured out exactly how I’ll post responses, but I’ll find a way and link to the responses from this post.
Apologies to those who made good suggestions that I ultimately did not include. (Candidates, check them out!) Here’s what I settled on:
1. Opting out of testing. Many parents are concerned that important educational values are being sacrificed because of the use of high-stakes standardized testing to evaluate kids, schools, and educators. Would you support legislation to permit parents to opt their children out of such testing without repercussions?
2. Cuts in lunch and recess. In our district, the time devoted to recess has been reduced, and the elementary school students get only fifteen minutes or less to eat lunch. District officials attribute those changes directly to state pressure to teach more material and maximize “instructional minutes.” (See posts here and here.) What, if anything, should the state do to remedy the situation?
3. Local control. Because of state and federal regulation, individual communities now have relatively little control over the educational policies that govern their schools, and many parents feel that they have little to no say over what goes on in their kids’ schools. Do you think that local school districts should have more control over educational policy? If so, in what specific ways?
4. More school? Should state law require all kids to spend more time in school – either by lengthening the school day, extending the school year, or both? (See this post.)
5. PBIS. The state Department of Education wants to require all school districts to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a program that uses material rewards to train kids to reflexively obey school rules. (See posts here and here.) Do you support requiring all school districts to use PBIS?
6. Class size. Do you agree with our state Director of Education that we should tolerate larger class sizes in exchange for programs designed to “improve educator effectiveness”?
7. No Child Left Behind. Have No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top done more harm than good, or vice versa? Should Iowa opt out of No Child Left Behind, even if it means forgoing federal funds?
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