Student Tests and Parental Rights

I mentioned in one meeting how difficult it is to help your high school students when you cannot see what they get wrong on their tests. A parent later expressed the same frustration to me.

If you want to see what your child gets wrong on a test in high school, you must make an appointment to visit the school and look at the test there. That means parents rarely get to see what their children get wrong and the parents cannot help their chilren.

Yes, Plano has a cheating problem, just like all high schools in Texas. But with holding the tests prevents us from helping our kids learn.

Plano should address the cheating problem directly and not hold the tests hostage in an effort to reduce cheating. The kids are cheating anyway, so locking up the tests does little good.

I viewed this as just one more mistake made by the administration. Another parent told me he viewed it as a parental rights issue.

What do you think?

Robert

Our Children are Tomorrow's Leaders

I have said that we are in a leadership crisis. We must prepare our children to be better leaders than the men and women leading America today.

The key to better leadership is in better education.

My Winding Spring Process of Education is designed to develop better leaders.

A vote for Canright on May 12 is a vote for your children's future.

Robert

We Need to Address Cheating

I have said that morality is the root of education. Cheating is widespread in American high schools, including Plano. The solution now is to not let the children take tests home and to give different copies of the exams in class.

When I taught math in high school I had to have 4 versions of a test within a single class. Even kids with high grades cheat to get higher grades. Then they go to college and cheat there. When I taught college I found students cheating there.

How can we bring morality into the schools? Talking about cheating is one way. How can we get more parental involvement? Maybe including parents in a discussion of cheating would be helpful.

Yes, people are flawed and we might never get rid if cheating, but we should not be so complacent about it.

Robert

Morality and Education

Chu Hsi wrote that moral priniciple is the root of learning.

Chu Hsi, was a great Chinese scholar. We need to take heed and discuss how we can maintain the teaching of moral principle within public schools.

It is possible to teach morality without teaching religion, but first the community must agree on its importance.

Robert

Will Dropping the TAKS Improve Education?

I was chatting with someone recently. She said if Plano did not have to spend time with practice TAKS tests then instruction would improve.

I told her that since the educational philosophy at Plano ISD is flawed, more flawed instruction would not lead to more education. The fundamental flaw in Plano is that the administrators do not believe in teaching knowledge. You will notice this when you hear an administrator say, "A teacher is a guide on the side, not a sage on the stage."

Yes, I heard a Plano administrator say that.

Our children are getting short changed because the administrators do not believe in knowledge. You have heard me talk about math, now let me mention reading. Instead of emphasizing looking words up in a dictionary and increasing their vocabulary when reading, the Plano ISD emphasizes guessing the meaning of words. Plano teaches guessing strategies from elementary all the way up to high school.

Parents must provide personal tutoring or pay for tutoring if they want to ensure their children get grounded in the knowledge they need to succeed. Many parents in Plano send their children for extra instruction or tutoring, but it should not be necessary. The schools could and should do more.

Robert

The Best of East and West

The New York Times Magazine had an article on Sunday, April 1, 2007, saying China is changing its education system to adopt the best practices from American liberal arts education.

The Winding Spring Process of Education is how we can adopt the best educational ideas from China.

China is working hard to compete against us. We also must adapt to compete.

Robert

More on Math (Part 2)

Here is a quote from the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for 3rd grade: "...the primary focal points at Grade 3 are multiplying and dividing whole numbers...."

Put what does this mean? I believe it means the children should leave 3rd grade knowing their multiplication and division facts. This is not, however, what Plano ISD does. If you want your children to know their math facts, you have to teach them yourself. Has anyone ever told you that?

The Plano ISD is so wrapped up with critical thinking, understanding concepts, and integrated curriculum that they neglect imparting basic facts. Some parents take up the slack themselves. Some send their children for tutoring. But what about those kids in Plano whose parents don't have college degrees or money for tutoring? A gap develops in their math skills that is never overcome.

We need to improve elementary school mathematics for the sake of all the children.

Robert