Re: Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool

["Dull, Chad" <DullC@westerntc.edu>]

SO we should extend the calendar to make space for test prep?  Couldn't the calendar stay static and we teach things that actually matter? 

-----Original Message-----
From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org] On Behalf Of Joseph Bottini
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 8:26 AM
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool

Priscilla:

You get no argument from me on what you present.
Testing should be but one component of a solid eclectic evaluation of teaching, learning and assessing.

My hang-up with calendar expansion is few seem to buy into the fact that more time on task is needed; aside from the testing (NCLB) debate.

With more time, real learning, not memorizing for a test, could take place.
Real critical thinking and "learning to love learning" would have their place in classes.

With more time on task, students would be able to do so much more of the evaluation side of testing; not just test for a grade or for a state report.

I used to go over the tests with the kids and ask how they decided on the wrong answer they did, in order to get into their thinking and find an adjustment.

I would help them see key words that indicate a possible answer, find information in other questions or look for clue words that indicate time, area, gender, individual or group which could lead them to a correct answer.

My granddaughter (13) is having difficulty with the multiple choice portion of tests, but does well with the essay or long answer portion.

She doesn't have the opportunity to review the tests and determine why she chose the answer she did, or how to make a better choice.  They don't even get to take the tests home for parental review.

I suspect she has a test taking deficiency that I am going to work with her on.  I will try to teach her some test taking techniques I learned over the years working with students, and hope it helps her.

Keep on working with and for kids, in spite of the other distractions.
I hope you continue to experience the joy of reaching a child and opening them up to what real learning is all about.

Please see my BIO below as a way of knowing who and what I am all about.



Bio/Resume

Name: Joseph P. Bottini       	Home Phone:  315   737 9317
						Work Phone:  none
Address: 9440 Willowbrook Lane      Cell Phone:  315  272 9986
Sauquoit, NY  13456	     		e-mail:      jpbottini@adelphia.net

Date/Place of Birth: 12/28/34 Rome, NY    
WEB Site www.educationconundrums.com

Parents: Rosaria (Pecci) Bottini-age 98  Joseph Bottini-deceased 
		(Both born in Italy)
		
		                        
Marital Status:  Wife - Mary (Nelson) Bottini 
		     Wife: (former) - Mary (Dugan) Bottini (deceased)


Daughters &   Maria L. Bottini-Guyette and Richard S. Medvetz (Albany, NY)
Sons-in-law:  Michelle R. (Bottini) Wolsey and Thomas C. Wolsey 
	          (Ballston Spa, NY)

Grandchildren:   Mia Lynn Guyette, 13; Thomas Wolsey, 10; Danielle Wolsey, 7


Siblings:        Agatha (Calif.); Luigi (Rome, NY); Nicholas (deceased) 

			
Education:     Rome Free Academy High School (Rome, NY)  
               Simmons School of Mortuary Science   (Syracuse, NY)
               Utica College - BS Social Studies   (Utica, NY)
               SUNY Utica/Rome - Graduate Studies   (Utica, NY)
		   United States Army "Medics" School (Ft. Carson, Colorado)
 

Employment:       Substitute Teacher: Perry Junior High - New Hartford
(presently)
		     New Hartford Central School District (1985-99) (7th/8th social studies) 
		     Utica City School District (1969 -1985) 
				(7th/8th social studies)
		     Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. (Utica, NY) 
			 	stock clerk; computer programmer
		     Brayton and Co.  (Utica, NY) shipping clerk, stock clerk
		     Oneida County Hospital @ Broadacres (Utica, NY) orderly
		     Bottini Funeral Home (Rome, NY) embalmer/funeral director
		     Many full, part time and summer jobs including: house painter, landscape laborer, roofer, cemetery laborer and custodian.



Professional   "Who's Who Among America's Teachers":  1992, 1994, 1998, 2005
Recognition     National Daughters of the American Revolution American
                        History Teacher of the Year - 3rd place - 
				New York State - 1992
		     Received Phi Delta Kappa "Friend of Education Award" -
2004
                 Honorary member of the National Junior Honor Society at Perry Jr.  High School (New Hartford) 1990,
recognition of service. 	      
                 Honorary Captain-New Hartford Varsity Football -1998 - 
		     		 for recognition of service.


			
Professional     Presently:  Clock Operator, Statistician, Announcer and
Activities:                  Scoreboard Operator; Varsity & JV football.
		     Former:     Advisor: Perry Jr. High (New Hartford) 
				     	  History Club
                 Former:     Co-Advisor Perry Jr. High Honor
Society (volunteer)
		     Former:     Union Representative (New Hartford
Teachers' 					  Association & Utica City
School District 					  Teachers'
Association)
                 Former:     PTA Teacher Representative (Perry Jr. High)
		     Former:     Clock Operator, Statistician, Announcer and
                          	  Scoreboard Operator; basketball, track,
soccer (boys/girls)		  	   
		     Former:     Advisor: Perry Jr. High Yearbook
		     Former:     Member: various school and district
committees
		     Former:     Chaperone- student trips and activities 



Community 	   Presently:   Member of "GENESIS" (Mohawk Valley Advocates
Activity:			         Group) Education "LINK" Co-Chair
		   Presently:   Member of the Sauquoit Valley Central School
District Board of Education
		   Presently:   Participant in the Greater Utica Heart Run &
Walk
		   Presently:   Active member of Anti-NYRI Power Line
Coalition


			
Military          United States Army:  1956 - 1962   Honorable Discharge 
Service:			1956 - 1958 Active tour of duty in Germany

				1958 - 1960 Active Reserves   
				1960 - 1962 Inactive Reserves

				
Passion:        	    Public Education, Bible Scripture, Public
Justice.

                           
Pastimes:       Teaching, Reading, Bible Study. 
		    Guest Columnist (education) for the Utica Observer-Dispatch
			1999 - 2006
		    Writer of a weekly "Teacher Feature" for the Utica
Observer-			Dispatch 2003 - 2006

		    
Favorite    "Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Sayings:    "It is not your aptitude, but your attitude, that
determines your altitude"
            "There are no rights without the inherent
	            responsibilities to properly execute those rights."
            "There is a difference between 'rights' and
		      'privileges' as there is between 'needs' and 'wants'."
		"Lack of happiness in the flesh cannot destroy true joy in
the 			heart."
		"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, 
			or even touched.  They must be felt with the heart."
Helen Keller
		"Do not criticize your neighbor, until you have walked 
			a mile in his moccasins.

  
				      
Bible Passages:     1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether, therefore, ye eat, or
drink, or whatever ye do, do
all to the glory of God."

		         Psalms 39:5	     ". . . every man at his best
state, 
					              is altogether vanity.


Thanks for your civil discourse (Art - take note) Joe Bo

-----Original Message-----
From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org] On Behalf Of PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 10:06 PM
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool

I'm not necessarily against expanding the calendar, but that's not the panacea for accountability, which I want to get back to.  Assessments should

always be in the service of learning - giving teachers a window into the thinking and learning of their students.  When teachers understand how students learn their teaching improves - it gets fine tuned.  Moreover, assessment can help  students take responsibility for their own learning - to become independent, self-motivated learners.  It's not just about assessing them, it's about getting students to assess themselves.  
Standardized testing does not provide a window into student learning nor does it promote higher level thinking skills.

Testing is designed to give a broad picture of how groups are doing - it's the main way policy makers determine success or failure.  But it doesn't tell us why our students pass or fail.  Moreover, standardized test actually

evaluate how well students perform under timed testing conditions, rather than providing a true measure of what they know and can do.  If all we focus

on is what is being tested, we are limited our students' learning.  That's one of the biggest criticisms of relying solely on standardized tests - they

typically don't focus on higher order thinking skills.  We know our students

are more than numbers.  We know they are capable of critical thinking and sophisticated problem solving.  We know they can learn IF we teach HOW they learn.

And that's the rub.  Real accountability is ensuring that how and what we teach students will help them meet the demands of fully participating in society.  It's not about spending hours teaching to the test so we "look good" on paper, which is the premise of NCLB.


Priscilla Gutierrez
Outreach Specialist
New Mexico School for the Deaf

....change is inevitable, growth is optional...





>From: "Joseph Bottini" <jpbottini@adelphia.net>
>Reply-To: arn-l@interversity.org
>To: <arn-l@interversity.org>
>Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
>Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:54:54 -0400
>
>Priscilla:
>
>My point exactly.
>
>The teachers' unions and everyone else who really knows how important 
>education is, and understands children are our future, ought to push 
>toward expanding the calendar.
>
>But, no one wants to point out the elephant sitting on the coffee 
>table, eh?
>
>Now children need summer to grow and experience and discover.
>But, expansion to 200 days would be nice.
>
>
>School pace is now rushed, as compared to my day (1930s to 1950s).
>Kids are expected to learn more, there is more to learn, and technology 
>has added another learning necessity; yet, the calendar is still 180 days.
>
>Common sense tells me this is wrong.
>
>I am shocked you did not reference my BIO in any way.
>
>You see, I began teaching at age 34. I did all sorts of things before 
>that, including four years with Uncle Sam, two years as an army medic in Germany.
>
>I attended college on a part time basis for 11 years to earn my BS.
>Then I attended graduate school for the next 5 years to complete my 
>graduate credits; took my time because I was a slow learner, just 
>kidding.
>
>During those 16 years, I married, had children, and experienced two 
>heart diseases (Rheumatic Fever and Sub-Acute Bacterial Endocarditis).
>Joe Bo
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org 
>[mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org] On Behalf Of PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ
>Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 3:28 PM
>To: arn-l@interversity.org
>Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
>
>So, if the schools are open 170 - 180 days per year, and not counting 
>the summer school programs teachers work, or the extra hours they put 
>in, how are teachers supposed to move away from the "agrarian" calendar 
>as you put it when the place they work at is on the agrarian calendar?
>
>
>
>Priscilla Gutierrez
>Outreach Specialist
>New Mexico School for the Deaf
>
>....change is inevitable, growth is optional...
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "Joseph Bottini" <jpbottini@adelphia.net>
> >Reply-To: arn-l@interversity.org
> >To: <arn-l@interversity.org>
> >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> >Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:06:47 -0400
> >
> >My Dear Priscilla:
> >
> >You are e-mailing with an old man (72) who was a teacher for 35 years.
> >
> >I am still with the football program as the VOLUNTEER "Director of
>Football
> >Operations."
> >My wife (and a volunteer coach's wife) provides the "Press Box" 
> >buffet, FREE.  I mean a whole array of Chili, Beef Stew, Chicken Riggies, etc.
> >Soda, coffee, bread/rolls, candy, baked goods, etc - etc.
> >
> >
> >Until last year I was an unpaid advisor to the honor society.
> >Yes, and we took as many as 80 "kids" on a three day, two night
>culminating
> >activity to Washington, D.C. every year.
> >Yes, my wife came as a chaperone.
> >Yes, neither of us got paid.  She took vacation days from work.
> >In fact, it cost us money every year.
> >
> >I began teaching in the 60s and retired in 1999.
> >I then was a permanent substitute for the next few years.
> >I now only sub on occasion.
> >
> >I taught in an inner city school district and then in a suburban
>district.
> >I am presently on the school board of our local rural community 
> >school district where I live.  I don't live where I taught.
> >
> >We have entertained runaway students in our home, and taken students 
> >with us to events. We have done almost all of it.
> >
> >Attached is a copy of my resume - "stuff" about me personally and 
> >about
>my
> >record as a teacher.
> >
> >IT IS A PART TIME JOB, PERIOD.
> >180 DAYS A YEAR IS A PART TIME POSITION, PERIOD.
> >
> >I am not knocking teaching as a profession, but it needs to get out 
> >of
>the
> >agrarian calendar in which it has been stuck for tooooooooooooo long.
> >
> >I looked at my BIO and it is in a yucky format.  Maybe you know how 
> >to
>get
> >it in one piece.  I am learning but my computer skills are not the best.
> >Old dog, new tricks syndrome, eh?
> >
> >I just played with the computer and found the right button to click 
> >in
>the
> >top tool bar which gives a better format of the BIO.  It is a button 
> >that shows an open book with the word close in it.
> >
> >Click that and it will come up in better format.
> >
> >Love ya - for the work you do with kids, Joe Bo
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org 
> >[mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
>On
> >Behalf Of PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ
> >Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 2:37 PM
> >To: arn-l@interversity.org
> >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> >
> >Your own naivete about education is also showing, Joseph.  I've been 
> >in education for over 20 years and at no time have I seen evidence 
> >that my colleagues believe teaching is a part time profession.  Quite 
> >the
>opposite
> >is true - most I know have taken work home with them, come in on 
> >weekends to
> >
> >plan or to catch up on their planning.  Many make home visits and 
> >work
>with
> >families to develop literacy at home.  Then there's the family math
>nights,
> >family literacy nights, and other community workshops that get offered.
> >All
> >
> >of these require additional, intensive planning and work after hours 
> >that involve no compensation.  Then there's the hundreds and 
> >sometimes
>thousands
> >of dollars that teachers pour into their own classrooms in the form 
> >of library books.
> >
> >Sorry, but both of you are totally out of touch with what really goes 
> >on
>in
> >education...how sad.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Priscilla Gutierrez
> >Outreach Specialist
> >New Mexico School for the Deaf
> >
> >....change is inevitable, growth is optional...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: "Joseph Bottini" <jpbottini@adelphia.net>
> > >Reply-To: arn-l@interversity.org
> > >To: <arn-l@interversity.org>
> > >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> > >Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:29:52 -0400
> > >
> > >Priscilla:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Art is not naïve.
> > >
> > >You are, if you think education has no room for growth, AND CHANGE, 
> > >AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >The honeymoon is over.
> > >
> > >The part-time job of teaching must become a full time profession, soon.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Why are so many in the world of education afraid of change?
> > >
> > >Why do so many fight the notion of increased time-on-task?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Kids spend as much time with TV, Videos, and sports as they do with 
> > >'readin, rriting" and rithmetic." Soooooooo . .  now we find out 
> > >they can't pass

>a
> > >test. DUH?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >All of NCLB is not right-on, but some of it is.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Joe Bo
> > >
> > >   _____
> > >
> > >From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org
>[mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
> >On
> > >Behalf Of aburke5054@aol.com
> > >Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 1:45 PM
> > >To: arn-l@interversity.org
> > >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >NCLB, in its various reincarnations, has been around since ESEA was
> >passed
> > >originally in 1965.  This was the fundamental purpose then and it
>remains
> > >the fundamental purpose now.  Everything you read on this list 
> > >about
>NCLB
> > >being a plot by the Business Roundtable to advance the private 
> > >schools attended by the children of its members is pure hooey.  
> > >Time for states
> >to
> > >start living up to their responsibilities.  Or is that too naive?
> > >
> > >Art
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: pgutpgut@msn.com
> > >To: arn-l@interversity.org
> > >Sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 9:01 AM
> > >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> > >
> > >Art, you can't possibly be as naive about NCLB as you sound...
> > >
> > >
> > >Priscilla Gutierrez
> > >Outreach Specialist
> > >New Mexico School for the Deaf
> > >
> > >....change is inevitable, growth is optional...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: ABurke5054@aol.com <mailto:ABurke5054%40aol.com>
> > > >Reply-To: arn-l@interversity.org 
> > > ><mailto:arn-l%40interversity.org>
> > > >To: arn-l@interversity.org <mailto:arn-l%40interversity.org>
> > > >Subject: Re: [arn-l] Test Score Bounty Payments as Campaign Tool
> > > >Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:40:16 EDT
> > > >
> > > >In a message dated 10/22/2006 12:30:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
> > > >bobschaeffer@earthlink.net <mailto:bobschaeffer%40earthlink.net>
> >writes:
> > > >
> > > >In case anyone thought there was not a political agenda behind 
> > > >high-stakes testing...
> > > >_______________________________________________________
> > > >The political agenda behind NCLB is impoving the nation's 
> > > >schools, particularly schools that serve poor children, minority 
> > > >children,
> > >children
> > > >with
> > > >disabilities, and children from homes where English is not the 
> > > >first language.
> > > >That is one political agenda everyone should support.
> > > >
> > > >Art
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >   _____
> > >
> > >size=2 width="100%" align=center>
> > >
> > >
> >
>
><http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/1615326657x4311227241x4298082137/aol?red
>ir=h
> >t
> > >tp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eaol%2Ecom%2Fnewaol> Check out the new AOL. Most 
> > >comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to 
> > >millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail 
> > >and more.
> > >
> >
> >
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