Testing the gold... You probably remember the Kathy Augustine story, when the glittering results out of Atlanta led to this strong administrator's hiring in DeSoto TX ISD. Kids CAN make dramatic improvements. Fingers crossed that it is true. But superintendents and managers can be a bit blind to what (some) teachers may (or may not) be doing during the testing process.
When teacher's jobs and pay are linked to improved test scores, ...
Jim, can you tell us more about Children At Risk....
Who are they, where does the (real) money come from, and why do they deserve so much oxygen in discussions on educational standards? IE, why have they earned the assumption that they're part of the solution, rather than the problem?
From the website it looks like they're really good at raising money to keep 'thinkers' from having to get jobs where they'd be accountable for results, but I'm sure I'm missing something.
The Children at Risk Ratings are published after the completion of a full academic year, so in that sense, the results are new because 2022-23 is the latest full academic year. The HC article I read was about those ratings specifically for the Houston area ISDs, not just HISD. I did not see any critique of Miles. I did note that one person who has been against Miles approach admitted that what he is doing might be just the thing to turn the situation around. “Sanborn, a longtime Houston education advocate, opposes Miles' authority on the grounds that he was appointed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, rather than HISD constituents. He says, however, that this year’s data could justify the sweeping, sometimes controversial reforms that Miles is implementing across the district, especially at schools in his New Education System, where nearly all students are economically disadvantaged.”
Like you, I was absolutely disgusted that the Chronicle presented last year's numbers as if they were news. I knew they were trying to suggest that these bad numbers were somehow the responsibility of Miles.
Since the Chronicle no longer has a comments section, I couldn't directly express my disgust at this underhanded maneuver.
But we only have to wait 5 more months before Houston's educational Mafia will be found with egg all over their faces. At last, at last.
Testing the gold... You probably remember the Kathy Augustine story, when the glittering results out of Atlanta led to this strong administrator's hiring in DeSoto TX ISD. Kids CAN make dramatic improvements. Fingers crossed that it is true. But superintendents and managers can be a bit blind to what (some) teachers may (or may not) be doing during the testing process.
When teacher's jobs and pay are linked to improved test scores, ...
https://archive.is/b7uH1
I noticed immediately that HC was leading with a negative slant and made the reader have to wade on to get to good news.
Jim, can you tell us more about Children At Risk....
Who are they, where does the (real) money come from, and why do they deserve so much oxygen in discussions on educational standards? IE, why have they earned the assumption that they're part of the solution, rather than the problem?
From the website it looks like they're really good at raising money to keep 'thinkers' from having to get jobs where they'd be accountable for results, but I'm sure I'm missing something.
Hey Jim! Tried to send you an email for a podcast interview but it bounced back, is there a better address to send it to?
The Children at Risk Ratings are published after the completion of a full academic year, so in that sense, the results are new because 2022-23 is the latest full academic year. The HC article I read was about those ratings specifically for the Houston area ISDs, not just HISD. I did not see any critique of Miles. I did note that one person who has been against Miles approach admitted that what he is doing might be just the thing to turn the situation around. “Sanborn, a longtime Houston education advocate, opposes Miles' authority on the grounds that he was appointed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, rather than HISD constituents. He says, however, that this year’s data could justify the sweeping, sometimes controversial reforms that Miles is implementing across the district, especially at schools in his New Education System, where nearly all students are economically disadvantaged.”
That's some damn insincere newspapering. They're wanting these kids to fail.
I sometimes wonder how you’d cover this story if the Chronicle ever were to discover the value of reporting.
Like you, I was absolutely disgusted that the Chronicle presented last year's numbers as if they were news. I knew they were trying to suggest that these bad numbers were somehow the responsibility of Miles.
Since the Chronicle no longer has a comments section, I couldn't directly express my disgust at this underhanded maneuver.
But we only have to wait 5 more months before Houston's educational Mafia will be found with egg all over their faces. At last, at last.