RE: Opportunity to Learn Standards

First of all, I would like to say that I am pleased to be participating in a discussion including professionals such as Jeannie Oakes.  While Dr. Oakes and I would probably disagree on certain key educational issues, such as tracking (I like it:-), standardized testing (I love it:-), and middle school reform (I survived it;-), it is an honor to be included in discussions with educators of this high esteem.  Thank you!

I like the idea of assessment based upon material actually taught, under appropriate conditions in which to learn, and given the proper opportunities for all of this to happen.

I am sceptical, however, that this Master Plan may be yet another buzz-word/band-wagon on which everyone jumps feet first,
which may cost millions of dollars, which may not accomplish its goals, and which after about ten years (the average length of the politically correct pendulum swing) will be contradicted by the next group of well-meaning educators looking to find yet another way to fix an almost unfixable system.

I hate to sound negative or pessamistic, but as an amateur student of education history, I tend to see history repeating itself.  The "open classroom" of the 60's and 70's, the "shopping mall high school" of the 70's and 80's, the "whole language" movement of the 80's and 90's...they were all once ideas perhaps whose times had not yet come, whose theories were perhaps not backed by hard research and data, whose proponents devoted long hours and endless dedication, yet whose goals never truly came to fruition.

Take, for example, the latest in politically correct movements...the Governor's Achievement Awards.  There are teachers who earned up to $25,000 last year for improved school performance, whose schools are a full 300-400 points below Gray Davis' minimum standard of 800 API points.  There are schools who have been recognized as California Distinguished Schools that also fall into the same API range. Yet there are schools that exceeded the 800 benchmark initially, only to digress by a few points in the second year (probably just a regression to the mean), who did not earn any money having had a quality program in the first place.  Hardly fair and/or equitable. By the way, will last year's surplus money be available in this year's tough times!?!

I recall George Brett from several years ago...fell from a .394 batting average to the mid .300's.  He was still a superstar, but was he denied a bonus?  By the same token, would a ball player who had batted .100 earn a multi-million bollar bonus by "dramatic and measurable improvement" of his batting average to .125? (Hey, 25% improvement is miraculous!)

Remember "Goals 2000"?  Unattainable.  "Every child a reader"  ...never use words such as "never" or "every"!  "Lifelong learners"...dropout rates have remained roughly stagnant for years now, especially within certain minority groups.

I like the provisions about empowering (boy, do I love "educationese") parents and the community with ways to act if the system fails.  The problem is...the system has been failing for years, the community has had ways of dealing with failure at the state and local level (the ballot box), yet the more things change, the more they stay the same.

A couple of things, I beleive, rarely change, and will forever remain a constant.

A) Nothing takes the place of a good teacher.  But like professional athletes, you have to pay to get the best.

b) Nothing takes the place of time on task.  But you have to lengthen the instructional day and school year to catch up to the Japanese.

c) Nothing takes the place of early intervention.  But you have to start them younger, in order to match the French with their stellar "ecole maternale" program.

D) Nothing takes the place of discipline and standards in school and in the home. But teachers often get kids too late...after six years of poverty/negect/abuse/etc.

E) Nothing takes the place of accountability.  
But as "bad" as standardized tests may be, the are cost effective, and the results are objective and measurable.

F) Nothing takes the place of confident, proficient, honest and wise leadership. But we all know what Mark Twain said about school boards. 

Have I rambled long enough, or birdwaked?  Those who can, do...