The Louisiana Association of Educators
met Tuesday at the Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning to discuss
changes taking
place in the public school system. A panel of education
stakeholders spoke with community members about issues that have
effected
them and their students in the K through 12 education system.
“We need all stakeholders interested in
public education to understand our plight to know it is a right that
every child gets
a free public education and that they use it wisely so that they
can be productive citizens,” said LAE President Joyce Haynes.
Panelists opened up with public education from their perspective. One of the biggest changes in the Louisiana education system
that stood out was the implementation of the ACT for a school’s score. This year all juniors and any seniors who have not
taken the ACT will now be required to take the test which will then reflect the rating of each school.
“It is impossible to close any
achievement gap with a normalized standardized test,” said Acadia Parish
Dist. Technology Coordinator
Bryan Alleman.
Sulphur High Principal Chuck Hansen
said one of the main issues he has with this is that many of the seniors
who didn’t take
the test opted out because they do not plan to go to college. He
said these new Common Core standards are being forced upon
students who may not be ready for them. Panelists also criticized
the development of other tests such as the PARCC which also
asses student’s readiness for college or careers.
“There is no accountability for a student taking the ACT; the high stakes are for the school and that’s extremely unfair,”
said Calcasieu Parish Superintendent Wayne Savoy.
Vinton Elementary School Teacher Jennifer Spell said she was concerned about the Value Added Model. The VAM uses standardized
tests to measure students growth which is turned rates each teacher’s performance. Value added teachers are placed under a
bell curve that predicts 10 percent will be ineffective—labeling them as failing.
The new evaluation system has received negative feedback for no longer using advanced degrees as part of the rating system
as well as using student scores for a teacher’s effectiveness.
“I have never encountered a teacher
that hasn’t grown professionally because they have gotten an advanced
degree,” said Chief
Technology Officer Sheryl Abshire. “In this state we have now
decided to say that the compensation model is no longer valuing
any professional development beyond a basic degree.”
Abshire said not only the teacher evaluation system but the whole COMPASS system needs to be reexamined at and presented with
a research based approach.
Savoy agreed with Abshire and said there is nothing wrong with holding off on these new changes. He said teachers aren’t afraid
of accountability as long as it is fair.
LeBleu Settlement Elementary School
Teacher Vicky Johnston said another area needing improvement is charter
schools. She and
Jeff Davis Parish Superintendent-Elect Brian LeJeune said the
scores of these schools are not where they need to be. LeJeune
said the problem is that charter schools have three years before a
score is published but they then reconstitute themselves
by another name keeping them in a continuous cycle that doesn’t
move forward.
“Some of the charter schools have not had a score published in their existence although you can’t find out what their existence
is because their name changes every three years,” he said.
Panelists agreed there needs to be more accountability in Louisiana’s education system and that ultimately community members
and those in the education system need to voice their concerns to the LDOE and legislators.
“I still think there’s work that needs
to be done in the state,” said Abshire. “In the 40 years that I’ve been
in public education
the thing that continues to plague me is the lack of our ability
to communicate effectively to policy makers about what the
issues are in our public schools.”