Its no secret that the DOE puts pressure on school administrators to meet questionable metrics rather than have students meet real and relevant academic goals that best represent actual academic achievement. The DOE's pursuit of the "holy grail" of meeting the questionable metrics has resulted in administrators committing academic fraud, be it "credit recovery", grade changing, or pressure on teachers to pass failing students. Presently, the average school is funded at between 89% to 92% of their fair funding and as the DOE's budget increases year after year and the City has a 6 billion dollar budget surplus, schools are still underfunded as if the recession still exists. To appease their DOE overloads, school administrators resort to sacrificing real student learning to meet the questionable goals that the DOE demands.
For example, the DOE places great emphasis in the graduation rate of a school. To the DOE it doesn't matter what tricks are played to achieve that goal, as long as they meet it. Sure enough, every year the school graduation rate inches up and the Mayor and Chancellor proclaim that the schools are improving. However, the real educational metric is the "college and career readiness" metric has shown little improvement and every two out of three New York City graduates are not ready for the adult world.
Another example of the warped DOE priorities is how they give schools credit for enrolling students in Advanced Placement courses. To the DOE it matters little if the students eventually fail the test and get no college credit for the course. The more students taking the Advanced Placement courses the higher the DOE grades the school. Passing or failing is irreverent. The result is that school administrators stuff 34 students, many of them not capable or uninterested in being in the Advanced Placement courses just to get a higher school score from the DOE.
In Science, the DOE gives a higher grade to schools who emphasis the harder Sciences of Chemistry and Physics. Then again, the DOE cares little if the students actually pass or take the Regents for these two Sciences. Just taking the course gives the school a higher grade by the DOE. Therefore, quite a few schools force struggling students to take the harder Science courses, knowing full well, that these students will probably fail and certainly not pass the Regents. While Earth Science and its Regents is the perfect Science course for students who struggle, schools rather get a higher grade from the DOE than do what's right for these students. Bayside high school is a prime example of this flawed thinking.
In Math, far too many struggling Math students are forced to take Algebra II (Trigonometry) because the DOE gives the school a higher grade. Here again, it matters little if the students pass or fail the Regents. Just taking the course gives the school the higher grade from the DOE.
The bottom line as schools suffer from tight, recession like budgets and school administrators try to meet the questionable metrics imposed on them by the DOE, real student academic achievement is sacrificed but then its children last...Always at the DOE.
All of next year s emphasis is going to be on college and career readiness. Now that colleges are free there can be a direct and easily done correlation between the ps hs grad and his success in public colleges. It ain't going to be pretty unless they start doing the same thing. Society and the students are the real losers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, DOE central is not picking up ATR salaries next year - it's on the individual school. Principals are also not going to be forced to take ATRs. Should make for some interesting environments concerning 'force placements'.
Look then for atrs to be placed in the bigest hellholes
ReplyDeletemagnet, wrasmus etc
as absenteeism is high there
and they cant get teachers to committ there.
Great post and as a Chemistry teacher at the school you mentioned. I was appalled how our Principal dumped students who struggled through Living Environment found themselves in Chemistry.
ReplyDeleteWorse yet, when our Regents passing rate plummeted, the school admins blamed us. We excessed 3 Earth Science teachers and the students suffered for it.
Interesting 12:30PM. So ATRs' salaries next year will get paid by the principal, not central? That will make principals happy. Also, principals will not be forced to take ATRs, but when for the forced placement or to return the following year? Bottom line, statistics were more honest pre-Bloomberg era. It got replaced by lies, inflation of grades, and let's give students a million chances to pass the class. DOE is working under the falsehood that schools are accountable for everything. Where is the responsibility of the family and students themselves. People have lost their careers under this LIE. Check out the mayor and principal's union leader in the Daily News. There was a comment about graduation rates being at an all time high. How about stating the truth that the graduation rates are inflated. Well, it all comes out in the CUNY graduation rates. The four year CUNY schools want students that are from outside the city in nearby suburbs and those where the grades match the SATs. It's a disgrace what is going on in NYC public schools. A disgrace created by the DOE, the mayor and the UFT.
ReplyDeleteSalaries paid by school? Force placed? What does it mean? Can principals get away with not placing anyone? This is frustrating
ReplyDeleteMost Bronx high schools are at a all time high. Walk down any stairwell and you'll feel a heck of a lot better when you reach your floor.
ReplyDeleteVery frustrating waitingforsupport. That why the UFT should have a meeting in every boro with us. They want us to leave and intentionally keep us in the dark.
ReplyDeleteAs human beings we should seek to help one another and accomplish something of worth before we leave. For teachers our calling is to help our students attain an education. Being an ATR defines us as veteran educators and we who are in the best position to accomplish our calling are stopped from doing so. The students that need us are also being thwarted. This is simply evil and the UFT is complicit. The DOE and UFT do not care about the education of students. The UFT does not care about its members. I will not accept money to disappear. The DOE is not permanently placing ATRs in teaching positions. The UFT knows this, but is party to the lie. Thus there will be no open discussions. Open your eyes.
ReplyDelete