The Fayette County School Board is about to enter into a
contract with the appointed Georgia State Board of Education as of June 15,
2015. I am writing this letter to warn the citizens of Fayette County: Don’t do
it! It is a trick. The contract is called “Investing in Educational
Excellence”, or IE2.
The contract is based on meeting CCRPI score targets. The
CCRPI (College and Career Performance Readiness Index) allots points for
initiatives from the U.S. Department of Education such as PBIS (Positive
Behavior Interventions and Supports), the completion of Career Pathways
(workforce development over academics), the AP and IB program (initiatives that
dictate what is taught and tested in advanced classes), strict adherence to
lower level grade specific standards in math (Common Core), and many other
programs.
The CCRPI scores are calculated by the U.S. Department of
Education. The percentages and categories for points have been adjusted
annually by the U.S. Department of Education. The scores were contrived so that
they would decrease each year, even with the same test scores.
Look at Fayette County’s scores in 2013 and 2014. Notice
that the average score at each level dropped. This did not happen because
absolute student achievement on standardized tests decreased. The target scores
increase each year, so the test scores would have to increase for the scores to
stay the same.
As the scores continue to drop, the schools will look for
ways to earn extra CCRPI points. They will embrace any and every initiative of
the U.S. Department of Education.
The Fayette County superintendent wants to place a PBIS
representative at every school. Why? He wants those CCRPI points from the U.S.
DOE. PBIS is behavior modification for students. CCRPI is behavior modification
for school officials.
To avoid being taken over by the Opportunity School
District, schools need to score a 60 on the CCRPI. But according to HB 441,
which did not pass this year, Charter and IE2 schools would have needed an 80
on the CCRPI to keep local control.
What’s in it for Fayette County? Our local Board of
Education would be able to waive certain state laws. But the laws they will be
able to waive are the ones that benefit students.
1. Class size maximums — Why would citizens, parents, and
students want larger classes than the law allows?
2. According to state law, 65 percent or more of the
budget must be spent on instruction. After closing 4 schools, the percent of
the budget spent on instruction actually decreased in Fayette County! Why would
anyone want to spend less than 65 percent on instruction?
3. The state has a base teacher salary schedule based on
years of experience and education. Local school systems go beyond that base
schedule and pay teachers more than the minimum. This contract would allow
local school systems to pay teachers less than the state minimum for years of
experience and education. Local school systems are already permitted to pay
teachers more than the minimum required by law.
4. Certified teachers — the contract would allow the
school system to hire non-certified teachers. Some may disagree about the value
of a certified teacher over a non-certified teacher, but research has shown
that students with certified teachers perform better than students with
non-certified teachers. This is already happening in other districts with
programs such as Teach for America and the increased hiring of guest teachers
who are not U.S. citizens and do not have to be certified.
In these next few weeks you will read about the FCBOE
budget and how they want to spend $20 million more for fewer students.
As the arguments about taxes go back and forth, know that
the FCBOE already voted to enter into a contract with the State BOE so they
will have the FLEXIBILITY to do whatever they want with the money.
They may tell you they will use the money to reduce class
size, or pay teachers more, but they won’t have to do that because they voted to
exempt themselves from those aspects of state law.
In exchange for this FLEXIBILITY, they will have to do
whatever the U.S. Department of Education wants them to do to get CCRPI points
so Fayette County schools will not be taken over by the appointed State Board
of Education. Details about these bills can be found at www.EducationalFreedomCoalition.com.
Dr. Mary Kay Bacallao
Fayetteville, Ga.
Fayetteville, Ga.
[Dr. Bacallao is a Mercer University professor. She was
elected to Post 2 on the Fayette County Board of Education in 2012 and served
for a year before resigning to mount an unsuccessful campaign for the
Republican nomination for state school superintendent in 2014.]
http://thecitizen.com/letters-editor/%E2%80%98fayette-county-boe-don%E2%80%99t-sign-contract-it%E2%80%99s-trick%E2%80%99
No comments:
Post a Comment