Comments

• On the article Anti-Blue Laws Group Seeks Support in Teaneck

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  3:08 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

  It's not really a "town" decisions. Let's reverse it - if Paramus were to abandon the Blue Laws, then Routes 17 and 4 would be packed on Sundays as well - which effects everyone else who travels these roads but does NOT get a vote in Paramus.

  That's why a county-wide standard makes sense - for or against.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  9:05 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

  Kim - I apologize that me being so fact-based is causing you distress.

  The article refers to PARCC. Here are the names/titles of the PARCC Governing Board:

  http://www.parcconline.org/governing-board
  ("The PARCC Governing Board is comprised of the K-12 chief state school officer or his or her designee from each Governing State")

  The Common Core standard is an effort of THE Natl Governors Assoc (of 1908), and of the Council of Chief State School Officers. Big name - but, to eliminate your fear, you can simply look up all the members for every state, e.g., for NJ it's your (Republican) Commissioner of Education:
  http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are/Meet_the_Chiefs.html?State=New%20Jersey%20Department%20of%20Education
  and here the current governors who serve on the boards and committees of their NGA:
  http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/COMMITTEELIST.PDF

  When red & blue states work together to come up with consistent testing for their states, then this is not "federalizing" committed by your Kenyan president.

  If you mind tells you that your state is stripping our parental rights because only your group has unique insight that even the (Republican) leadership of your state has not - then this is your perogative. It doesn't replace the facts, though - it's still just your opinion.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  8:39 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

  Hi Bob, just uploaded another PDF, with the raw data for you: the average of the district-wide NJ Ask results Grades 3 - 8, by subject and year - so this covers all schools.

  If there is a particular subject area and year where you have arrived at a different figure, let me know which one and I'll break it down further for you. This is public, first hand information, you can find directly in the archives of the NJ State web site.

  Best Regards,
  Andy

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  6:15 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

  Uh, Bob, so you moved away from grades 3 - 8, and skipping straight to the SAT. Sorry, I thought the issue had been whether NJ ASK should be kept in favor of PARCC because of all the terrible things that will happen when many states across the nation agree on using the same test so that the country finally gets comparable results.

  Somewhat ironic, that the "good" example cited by you is the S.A.T. Last I checked it is the same test across the nation -- but somehow, in this case we don't have to fear "standardization"? <G>

  As far as the performance of Mahwah schools - so far I've had no big reasons to complain. Despite the occasional ups and downs, I think highly of our schools (and the majority of the staff).

  I have not looked into SAT or HSPA trends (I take your word for it that they have improved over the past 10-15 years), because neither the article nor the resulting discussion were about the SAT or HSPA.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  1:46 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

  >> teachers and administrators only know what they are being told by the bureaucrats and are regurgitating the information to the parents <<

  Hm - so the teachers and departments in Mahwah who actually HAVE updated the curriculum in language arts, and who are the ones who themselves ARE updating the math curriculum - they know nothing about what they do, and are just "regurgitating". Just like my neighbors/fellow residents on the school board, who have their pulse directly at the process here in town are just mindless drones?
  Right...

  I'd say any regurgitating of information being "handed down" from above is by tea party activists and their "Eagle Forum", who use any opportunity to advance their "federal government take-over" paranoia.

  Look, I'd like to get more familiar with specific details about the updates to the Math curriculum in Mahwah, but I know to get that answer from the horse's mouth - the people are actually are WORKING on it.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  1:13 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

  Individual states cooperating to align their different standards is not the same as "federalized".

  You may have missed it, but Mahwah had already updated the curriculum for Language Arts for a while, ready for the beginning of the current school year. And, guess what, the sky hasn't fallen.

  If I hadn't learned (from our schools) that the more sophisticated/analytical assignments/projects were due to the updated curriculum, I would have simply attributed them to it being normal for the higher grade.

  In any case, as a parent I'm completely satisfied with this year's language arts class, my "student" has not raised any issues/complaints - and I can't recall hearing any other parents making comments.

  So, the new curriculum is in place for that subject - and the sky has NOT fallen! While you can draw up whatever imaginary threats you want - I can only speak to the actual occurrence at OUR schools.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  10:39 am on Monday, May 20, 2013

  >> Where the teachers are allowed to teach and build strong relationships with their students as well as the parents <<

  Those of us who have kids in Mahwah schools (and who have interest in our kids' education) know that teachers already DO teach in Mahwah. Knowing from the stories shared at the dinner table, students do feel a strong relationships with many of their teachers. In the lower grads, the parent relationship feels very personal - while in the higher grads, parents are slowly being weaned off <G> to a more "professional" relationship.

  So I don't know what town or part of the country your various comments and actions and demands and wishes are targeting - but none of it seems to apply to Mahwah.

  If parents want to know about the curriculum changes, the standards, NJ ASK and eventually PARCC, all they have to do is attend the many information/orientation sessions offered at EACH school, attend HSO meetings, etc. and get FIRST HAND information from the principals, department heads and teachers who are working with OUR kids - no need to travel to other towns to hear the sermon of national political action groups who have no clue what happens in Mahwah.

  >> the power is put back into the hands of local school boards, teachers and parents <<

  Then why all these NON-LOCAL flyers that don't deal with Mahwah at all?

  There seems to be strong disconnect between your words are your actions.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  1:28 am on Monday, May 20, 2013

  Bob, to prove that only YOUR opinions are based on fact, you wrote:
  "Mahwah test score have been on the rise" and referencing a link to an article that simply reported ONE year (2012) results in which Mahwah once again ranks higher than the state's average.

  I too am pleased with Mahwah's test results - however, before you make a bold statement that they are "on the rise" you should at least take the time and actually investigate the MULTI-year data (to be found here: http://education.state.nj.us/rc/historical.html) for any such clear "trend".

  I have pulled together the average annual NJ ASK Results over the past 6 years, by subject area, compiled them in a chart and uploaded them as a PDF.

  As you can see, for Language Arts, the 5 year trend for normal plus advanced provicient students is on a DECLINE, except for 2012. Hopefully this is NOT just a one year "fluke". But the trend for advanced proviciency continues DOWN (including 2012).

  For math, the proficiency is holding steady around 90% - which is absolutely great. In fact, the share of students that are advanced proficient has been increasing, which is even better.

  For science, we are oscillating around a very high level. 2009 was the best year, since then results declined through 2011, but in 2012 we almost returned to 2010. No complaint here - but, again, I fail to see any "trend".

  Now you can update your believes with verifiable facts.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  1:26 am on Monday, May 20, 2013

  Bob, to proof that only YOUR opinions are based on fact, you wrote:
  "Mahwah test score have been on the rise" and referencing a link to an article that simply reported ONE year (2012) results in which Mahwah once again ranks higher than the state's average.

  I too am pleased with Mahwah's test results - however, before you make a bold statement that they are "on the rise" you should at least take the time and actually investigate the MULTI-year data (to be found here: http://education.state.nj.us/rc/historical.html) for any such clear "trend".

  I have pulled together the average annual NJ ASK Results over the past 6 years, by subject area, compiled them in a chart and uploaded them as a PDF.

  As you can see, for Language Arts, the 5 year trend for normal and advanced providient students is on a DECLINE, except for 2012. Hopefully this is NOT just a one year "fluke". The trend for advanced proviciency continues DOWN (including 2012).

  For math, the proficiency is holding steady around 90% - which is absolutely great. In fact, the share of students that are advanced proficient has been increasing, which is even better.

  For Science, again, we are oscillating around a very high level. 2009 was the best year, since then results declined through 2011, but in 2012 we almost returned to 2010. No complaint here - but, again, I fail to see any "trend".

  Now you can update your believes with verifiable facts.

  So THOSE are the ACTUAL figures of NJ ASK for Mahwah.

• On the article New State Test Prompts Cross-Curriculum Changes

  

  

  Andy Schmidt

  2:19 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013

  Hi Bob,

  >> NJASK scores will be used in the new teacher evaluation system <<

  Precisely my point! Concerns about teacher evaluation based on test scores is NOT specific to PARCC. It's there, even if the state would have perpetuated NJ ASK.

  >> you make the test the PRIORITY in a teachers employment status <<

  I actually said quite the opposite... Reread!

  >> Kids also can change dramatically from year to year regardless of their teacher <<

  No question. Of course, most teachers will have more than one class, possibly more than one grade. While hypothetically not impossible, it should raise red flags when the DIFFERENT classes by ONE teacher substantially underperform the other classes at that school/district.

  If a school board/principal is looking at test results over time and some teachers consistently outperform/underperform, it is worth noting and become a discussion point in a review - positive or negative.

  I was giving someone a ride home just before NJ Ask and the students were nervous because a particular teacher had failed to prepare them for the test format AT ALL. (Not my words!) If (consistently well performing) STUDENTS complain that they LACK education and openly talk about being ill prepared, we can't let a bad apple like that slide through the system. I want the our district to have all available tools - as any other employer/employee relationship.

  If was a union rep, I'd side with the teacher - as a parent, I side with the kids.