[StBernard] Week or day in Review:

[Westley Annis]

Jer,

I never said get rid of the LEAP test.  I said it needs to be looked at
since it may not necessarily be all that it is cracked up to be.  If the
LEAP test is so good, why is Louisiana still dead list in education?

As for teacher certification, yes, teachers need to be certified.  This is
something my wife and I fight back and forth on.

Her contention is that no one should be allowed into a classroom with that
certification.  I think it is a worthless piece of paper.

If someone can demonstrate a proficiency in a subject area, they should be
allowed to teach it.  I think a retired CPA could be a better math teacher
than someone who's been in the classroom for the last thirty years, but
because the CPA doesn't have that certification they are not allowed in the
classroom without spending another two years in college to get some extra
credits in "education".

Westley

-----Original Message-----
Sure, Wes.

While we're at it, it might be proper to dispose of the high school
equivalency exam, the college entrance exam and let's go a bit further:

Let's eradicate all testing which gauges how a child or adult learns.
Without proper gauging, there will be no advancement. If you don't think
testing periodically is proper (as in the 4th and 8th grade leaps, then
we'll try to explain why little Johnny's state of Louisiana is about dead
last in the country. AND that's WITH leap testing. 

If LA is dead last in education, we've got the most ignorant students
(according to state and federal sources). Should we blame the teachers?
Parents? System? What's the solution?

I believe for one, that the parents themselves are not taking time out to
teach the kids (positive reinforcement) as backup to what they learn in
school. Let's forget about this braggart, but I've spent considerable time
(sometimes up until 1am --starting immediately after the child came home
from school at times). The kids would suffer sleep, sports scholastics and
personal fun time on many occasions due to homework in da parish. 

Yet, somehow, all have graduated from high school in the top ten and one in
the top 5.

Parents without devotion to education of their child (as some hicks used to
declare) is as useless to the child education wise as "teats on a bull". 

Each parent knows what he/she needs to do to get the child motivated and if
a problem academically arises, seek help to get the child additional
assistance (tutoring, a friend genius, whatever, but get it done).

Secondly, "measuring effectiveness of the teacher. 

In LA if I'm correct, there is certification (or has that standard been
lowered by minorities etc.) which fits into the equation. Teachers should be
qualified to educate certain grade levels, etc.. Teachers know what must be
done if they are to be considered a "teacher". Teachers are "educated" in
America. If they can't pass their own exams to teach, then they shouldn't be
teaching my children. I would demand one.

I cannot teach the way teachers learned in college, but I sure can reinforce
what they're learning because firstly, I give a damn about my kids and
secondly the word is: Sacrifice. Sure, I can watch TV all night, go to sleep
early, and bring the kids to the movies on a school night, but hopelessly,
I'll be defeating my duty and honor of having been blessed with a child that
should be rewarded education as a "necessity and given right in America".
Why deprive him/her a chance to excel? There's no more workhouses or forced
employment for those under 16.

If we cannot regulate correct what a teacher does (as a statewide BESE,
school board system), perhaps it's time to do so. I'm embarrassed to live in
a state where we run at the a$$-end of the line of state education. What's
there to be proud about? And, I'm not moving because of the fact that I've
already did my part needed. Each state has equal opportunity to get their
act together and "good enough" is not the order of the day, week, month or
year. 

Making excuses is passé and long-driven from our set of failures. 

Failure? We fail because devotion failed, because consideration failed and
because the complacency runs high in education when we all know that
education is the key to success, a way out of povery, a chance for the
betterment of our community, society, state, and country.

Someone needs to take the bull by the horn (without teats) and move the
state forward. Someone should tell this to complacency and those who won't
be held to accountability and responsibility concerning the education of
young ones that need our leadership with devotion..

--jer--