[Fwd: RE: Re: EDUCATION REFORM]

["Jean M. Ward" <jmward@USWEST.NET>]

Here's my husband's reponse to the South County Journal in Kent, WA
regarding the letter limit of his Letter to the Editor.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Re: EDUCATION REFORM
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 13:37 -0800
From: rpward3@uswest.net
To: kathy.fehlings@southcountyjournal.com

Thank you, but the issue is far too important to abridge to only 250
words and have it make any sense to people not already involved in the
discussion. My letter is a response to a guest editorial by SPI Terry
Bergeson in The News Tribune. Her piece is the beginning of an effort by
the OSPI to sell the public on the current education reform movement,
including the use of the WASL as a hammer, a high stakes test, and a
threat to students, teachers, and school districts statewide.

In my response I attempt to answer as briefly as possible, point by
point, a number of her statements. I suppose I could have just said that
Terry Bergeson is wrong, without any specifics, but then that would have
been totally without merit.

If the South County Journal does not believe this issue, which clearly
affects all of your readers either directly or indirectly, is not
important enough to print my letter, then that's the choice you make and
it leaves me disappointed in your priorities.

Thank you for your consideration,

Robert P. Ward
8101-196th Avenue East
Bonney Lake, WA  98390

Work: 425-234-0519
Home: 253-862-0122

----Original Message-----
   >From:       "Kathy Fehlings" <kathy.fehlings@southcountyjournal.com>
   >To:         rpward3@uswest.net
   >Subject:            Re: EDUCATION REFORM
   >Reply-To:           kathy.fehlings@southcountyjournal.com
   >Date:       Tuesday, January 16, 2001 12:53 PM
   >
   >We are stepping up our efforts to keep letters to
   >the 250-word limit to allow us to publish more
   >letters each day.  Your letter was well over that
   >limit with 413 words. You are welcome to revise
   >your letter to meet the 250-word limit.
   >
   >Kathy Fehlings
   >Assistant to the Publisher



Terry Bergeson's "Keep Education Reform Moving Forward" in the January
14 edition of The News Tribune begs for a response from the real world
in contrast to the view from the ivory towers of Olympia.

While she says the "WASl is not an end in itself", it is planned as
such. Depending on the district, all students will be required to pass
the WASL in order to graduate by either 2006 or 2008. Such "high stakes"
use of a single test flies in the face of the recommendations of many
high level nationwide education associations and the publishers of the
tests themselves.

While she says the teachers need support to learn how to use WASL
results to improve teaching, all that is received about each student's
performance is a raw score by section. How does this wealth of data help
a teacher understand where additional work would be beneficial?

She says some teachers fear they may have to "teach to the test". The
truth is, it's already occuring out here in the real world. There is
time spent weekly in class to teach how to take the WASL. At least one
elementary school in our district is holding before school sessions
specifically for "WASL preparation" and this is occurring in other
districts as well. What are we modeling for our 3rd and 4th grade
students when we have them attending what amounts to WASL cram sessions?

She says students are making progress. The reported numbers do show
progress but the test has changed each year, the populaton groupings
have been massaged each year, so the reported numbers are meaningless
from a statistical viewpoint. The books have been cooked.

The facts in the real world are that the WASL and every other state's
"high stakes test" is flawed, and a misuse of an assessment program. The
schools are teaching to the test, and any progress noted by students is
suspect at best.

The state is spending millions of dollars to implement the WASL. We need
the state education dollars to reach the classrooms where they can do
the most good. We need local control, parental involvement, and teachers
who are allowed to teach and be creative. We do not need grandiose
schemes and threats from Olympia implemented by people long detached
from the true purpose of education, that is, delivery of education to
each and every student in the classroom.

Robert P. Ward
8101-196th Avenue East
Bonney Lake, WA  98390

Home:  253-862-0122
Work:  425-234-0519

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