On The DISD Grading Policy, Er, "Regulations"
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 21:53.
UPDATE: 8/21 - Transmittal email from Renita Berry calls regulations "finalized" appearing to contradict what was said to Alliance/AFT representatives earlier in the week.
When the Dallas Morning News reported on DISD's plans to change the District's grading policy (oops make that "regulations"), it unleashed a firestorm. But did the District deserve it?
The story began breaking last Friday, on a day the District was closed, with the leaking of a memo that the District now says was an "older draft." District spokesman Jon Dahlander didn't really have anything, so over the weekend things got really out of hand.
On Sunday, D Magazine's Tim Rogers (as he put it) "twisted off" after reading a (sorry Tim, it was hilarious) editorial by Jacquielynn Floyd.
On Monday, Tim got new information from the District--information that wasn't available before Monday even with media storm. Tim clarified what the District told him in a followup post on Frontburner.
There was much back-and-forth between supporters of what the News published (after all, the News had a document) versus what the District, on Monday, was claiming as fact.
Yesterday (Tuesday, the 19th), Rena Honea and Aimee Bolender of Alliance/AFT met with Dr. Denise Collier regarding the new policy--er "regulations." Shortly thereafter, Aimee sent an email saying that they were comfortable with the "clarifications" provided by the District.
Here's what else we learned from that.
The grading "policy" isn't really a policy, it is a "regulation." A policy, you see, would need to be passed by the Board of Trustees.
This isn't that (even though the document says it is a "policy"--very confusing).
We also learned that, though Collier had notes, there isn't yet an official District document which accurately details the new "regulations."
According to Rena, Collier told her that a committee of "50 people" drafted the "regulations." Alliance/AFT was invited to participate but Rena didn't know how many actually attended--nor how many meetings were attended by specific subsets of participants.
Rena did not see any documents by the committee--though she was told that materials being published by the News were outdated and contained confusing language (an earlier draft).
So we have to ask ourselves: what's really going on here?
Was the "earlier draft" obtained by the News headed for production until Kent Fischer published it? Or was it all, as Tim Rogers explains, part of a of a bunch of misinformation?
What we'd like to know is: (1) who were the members of the committee and when did they meet? Next, we'd like to see the materials produced by the committee--along with the minutes from the meetings?
Finally, we'd like to know who made the final decisions on these "regulations" and, if a final decision had been made before the News published its article (Friday), why didn't someone with the District move to aggressively clarify these "regulations" over the weekend?
My first inclination is to say that both Kent and Tim are right. Perhaps, as we've seen in the past, it's not what information you get from the District--it's when.
UPDATE 8/21
Kent Fischer has posted a link to this email which went to principals and other District staff members. The memo clearly states that the documents originally published by the Dallas Morning News were "the finalized EIA regulation(s)."
This wording in the email, sent August 7, appears to directly contradict statements made by Dr. Denise Collier to Alliance/AFT representatives.
AFT's Bogus knowledge
AFT was at the meetings with Collier when the committee was formed. In fact, FOUR of AFT's, INCLUDING Rene Honea, were there!! She and three other AFT members are on the DISD committee roster. TRUE OR FALSE, Rene?
To act now like they had "no idea" is why people need to wake up to the game AFT plays every year! I CHALLENGE Honea to tell us why HER NAME is on the list then? True or false Rene?
She never attended a session? Really? Then why did Collier have her on the list?
How about the AFT teacher from Townview, the one from Stockard and the one from Harry Stone Vanguard as well? True or false, Rene?
None of them knew what was going on? None of them saw the policy changes?
Oh, stop it, just stop it.
grading regs.
Sadly, we are putting a band-aid on the result rather than addressing the causes. And give all the chances you want to some and it still won't be enough.
Memo was not a mistake
I have my doubts about the August 7th memo being a draft. Why? Because at my school's registration, my school’s administration had forgotten to remove the letter from the registration packets that were given to all students. That’s right, I was given a copy of the memo that had been signed by my schools principal at registration. I find it unlikely that she would have signed it and had it added to everyone’s registration packets unless she had been told that it was the final version.
It looks like after the news story broke, DISD scrambled to change it, and then claimed that it was all the DMN's mistake.
Grading Regulations
Another hand in the cookie jar. Wake up Dontown, Dallas is paying more attention than ever this past year. When are the students accountable? Downtown isn't, so why should the kids be. I don't agree with expectations being so low, higher achievers may slack off as well. There's no discipline in behavior for many students, now they don't have to do their work. When are you going to raise the bar and expect the students to reach it. I'd like to see the district stop putting so much into elementary and more into middle and high school. The need is just as great. DISD look ahead a few years...the students are the future of Dallas. Right now you are failing the City's future. If they are graduating and can't read and write English, how will they succeed in college when courses are taught in English. Go to Germany, France.. they don't make sure you know everything.. you learn their language. More and more students are saying they are caught up in the Spanish courses in school because the home language is Spanish. That's what the parents speak, that's not necessarily the best language for that student in school. In fact it can prove very hurtful in the long run. More money for these students, but diservive for these students. It's not being integrated well.
And as far as who was on that committee...There's always a sign in sheet at ever District meeting I've attended, with contact info and usually someone taking notes. They know.
The Big Rebuild
The real question is how do we keep children in school, and send them out educated?
Currently, Dallas is not is not doing either very well. Which end of the question do you want to bite off first, because it is to large of a problem to eat in one bite.
Making it easier to stay in school by letting students eventually, hopefully, complete the learning is the first step.
When I commented here earlier as Naphtha9, I called for a tiered system of diploma's. I believe it is better for society as a whole to keep kids in school until graduation, rather than fail them early and often and have them quit.
To graduate, I believe it requires four years of Math, I think it means at least the mastery of Pre-calc, and trig.
I am to old to pass those classes these days. Some folks really enjoy differtial equations. I was not one of them, and that knowledge has very few practical applications in real life.
Secondary Public education is engaged in a struggle to be relevant to the children it is meant to serve.
If schools can keep the students at school, by giving them hope of graduating, they can serve them better. It is hard to teach a child that is not there.
In those extra years that they are there, schools can teach children to be decent, ethical and rationale adults.
Schools have forsaken the role of teaching values in order to focus on percieved student achievement.
Schools need to reclaim that role. I would be happier with graduating a senior who has been taught to be a productive adult, than not graduating more than 60% of the children who started as freshmen.
Many of the lessons are very easy.
1. Resolve conflict with out violence.
2. It is ok to be unhappy, but, you are making a decision to be unhappy, you have no one to blame but yourself.
3. Work hard, and be proud of yourself when you do your best even if it was as good as someone elses.
4. You can love someone else until you love yourself, and you can only love yourself when you help other people and expect nothing in return.
5. Learn to not be exploited by others. Keep your mind on the money and your money on your mind. No to pay day loans, rent to own, and spending beyond your means. And to your family at times.
6. Do not have family until you can raise a family. Have as much sex as you want, but figure out how not to have kids while doing it, until you have a plan for kids.
7. Know that only you can make your life better. Everything will never get fixed all at once, but always work to make things better.
That is more than a mouthful in itself, but it sort of encompasses that "american dream" idea for me.
I went to a public college, and thus am lacking on my knowledge of the Greek Philosophers. Something a life lived unexamined is not a life worth living...
To many children leave school without ever thinking about their lives. They are damned to lives that are "Short and Bruttish."
But, what ever, it was just on my mind. I have to go see if McCain or Obama chose me to be VP.