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Re: HOW MANY TIMES?



My goodness, I wish they would remind HS teachers and administrators of
this. I was in the position of being accused of flunking too many students
in physics. The funny thing was that I was not at that time flunking any
students in physics. When I left that school we were both glad to part
company. There are many administrators who will change student grades even
though that is forbidden by state law. Despite its problems, tenure
protects the honest teachers from meddling administrators.

This is not however an endorsement of the current mania for standards and
high stakes testing in our schools. This particular program is a deliberate
attempt to punish teachers for factors over which they have no control. It
is also degrading the curriculum by forcing teachers, agains their will, to
teach test review rather than content. Anyone who is curious about the
situation in Texas should go to the web site.
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ctreduc/ and look at the TAAS accountability
results, then click on research and read the paper on Equity, Learning and
Policy.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX



How many times per year, on the average, were you reminded
by a superior (chairperson, dean or college president) not to
pass students who do not perform satisfactory (as defined by
goals and expectations of your courses)?

In more that 30 years of service I was NEVER instructed to
fail students who did not know a certain percentage of what
was expected. Is my university exceptional in leaving this
matter entirely up to me? I was a chairman (for three years)
and I never told my 14 teachers how to deal with students
whose performance was less than satisfactory. Why didn't I?
Because I did not feel it was part of my business. I assumed
that each teacher was the best decision maker.
Ludwik Kowalski