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Several of the teachers at Serra have shown their right-wing, spare-the-rod, teens can't be trusted colors. They show their colors with what seems like full support from the school administration. They treat their students like inconvenient interruptions in their job.
Kate's history teacher is being a petulant 5 year-old by willfully disregarding the laws of the State of California because he has a "policy." And as everyone knows, a public employee's personal policy should trump the law governing their professional duties, right?
The idiot is so sure he has the moral high ground that he sent an email to Stacey stating his policy! As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon!"
Stacey has been avoiding suing Serra for its ongoing refusal to obey state law. She has spent a lot of time as a litigator and knows how much work it will require for her and Kate. It will be a burden for both. But the school is managing to make it impossible not to sue. Willfully and spitefully ignoring state law and district policy while watching a very bright young woman wash out of school is just unacceptable. (The state dropout rate is alarming enough, but it is more alarming (for me, anyway) that a disproportionate number of dropouts are way above average IQ and who score very high on standardized tests.)
I do not understand the notion that education is a competition that requires a level playing field. The notion that teachers must treat each and every student exactly the same regardless of the needs of the student. At Serra, the teachers keep stating, in increasingly strident voices, "It wouldn't be fair to the other students." Excuse me? The job of "teacher" is to enlighten, impart knowledge, inspire curiosity, and mentor each and every student. It is not their job to decide which kids are winners and which kids are losers.
I don't agree with the education standards of California (I think they are much too low and focus on entirely the wrong things), but I do agree that a high school's responsibility is to get 100% of their students sufficiently educated to meet those standards.
You don't do that by locking kids in a day prison, treating them like dirt, punishing them for their physiological and psychological needs, and expecting the worst from them. It is child abuse. State sanctioned! All the while piously proclaiming that one is being fair to all the students and teaching them the hard truths about life.
Teaching them the hard truths about life?
NOT YOUR FUCKING JOB.
Serra They very, very high nationwide for the percentage of kids in AP classes. Pretty cool, right? It's meaningless. Every year, hundreds of kids take the AP exams ($200 for each subject test). By paying the $200 and taking the test, the teens grade for that subject is bumped one whole grade (past a 4.0 if needed). So for $600 to $1000 a year, a young person can have a really spiffy GPA even if they have learned nothing. It's an issue, but not a huge issue. At least compared to this. At Serra, nobody passes the AP exams. Every couple of years one or two students pass the English AP, but nobody passes the history exam or other subjects. (Last year, the school was using a history text that wasn't approved by the AP board for the AP class).
And the kids at Serra are pushed to take AP classes. Really pushed. And the parents are pushed even harder. Why? it makes the school look good! That's the reason. An ex-administrator from Serra has said, off the record, that the principle pushes AP for exactly that reason.
I've looked at the History text for sophomores at Serra. It looks like MTV screen shots. That does not create a love of history, folks. it does make it hard to read the text. They are using this book because the publisher provides tests based on the book. Multiple choice tests that are so badly written that it is laughable. The questions and answers are not based on an understanding of the material. No questions even suggesting that a student might understand the social forces that lead to the anti-war protests of the late sixties and early seventies. Nope. The question stems and answers test how well you can remember the EXACT WORDING of sentences from the text.
Further, the text isn't an impartial view of events in the last 100 years. It is filled to the brim with value judgments. Certain figures from modern history get a paragraph and other get a whole page, but not based on their contributions to historical movements, but as political appeasements and homage to the almighty god of fairness. It is disgusting. As far as that book is concerned, I'm not unhappy that the students in that class aren't learning anything!
Kate's history teacher is being a petulant 5 year-old by willfully disregarding the laws of the State of California because he has a "policy." And as everyone knows, a public employee's personal policy should trump the law governing their professional duties, right?
The idiot is so sure he has the moral high ground that he sent an email to Stacey stating his policy! As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon!"
Stacey has been avoiding suing Serra for its ongoing refusal to obey state law. She has spent a lot of time as a litigator and knows how much work it will require for her and Kate. It will be a burden for both. But the school is managing to make it impossible not to sue. Willfully and spitefully ignoring state law and district policy while watching a very bright young woman wash out of school is just unacceptable. (The state dropout rate is alarming enough, but it is more alarming (for me, anyway) that a disproportionate number of dropouts are way above average IQ and who score very high on standardized tests.)
I do not understand the notion that education is a competition that requires a level playing field. The notion that teachers must treat each and every student exactly the same regardless of the needs of the student. At Serra, the teachers keep stating, in increasingly strident voices, "It wouldn't be fair to the other students." Excuse me? The job of "teacher" is to enlighten, impart knowledge, inspire curiosity, and mentor each and every student. It is not their job to decide which kids are winners and which kids are losers.
I don't agree with the education standards of California (I think they are much too low and focus on entirely the wrong things), but I do agree that a high school's responsibility is to get 100% of their students sufficiently educated to meet those standards.
You don't do that by locking kids in a day prison, treating them like dirt, punishing them for their physiological and psychological needs, and expecting the worst from them. It is child abuse. State sanctioned! All the while piously proclaiming that one is being fair to all the students and teaching them the hard truths about life.
Teaching them the hard truths about life?
NOT YOUR FUCKING JOB.
Serra They very, very high nationwide for the percentage of kids in AP classes. Pretty cool, right? It's meaningless. Every year, hundreds of kids take the AP exams ($200 for each subject test). By paying the $200 and taking the test, the teens grade for that subject is bumped one whole grade (past a 4.0 if needed). So for $600 to $1000 a year, a young person can have a really spiffy GPA even if they have learned nothing. It's an issue, but not a huge issue. At least compared to this. At Serra, nobody passes the AP exams. Every couple of years one or two students pass the English AP, but nobody passes the history exam or other subjects. (Last year, the school was using a history text that wasn't approved by the AP board for the AP class).
And the kids at Serra are pushed to take AP classes. Really pushed. And the parents are pushed even harder. Why? it makes the school look good! That's the reason. An ex-administrator from Serra has said, off the record, that the principle pushes AP for exactly that reason.
I've looked at the History text for sophomores at Serra. It looks like MTV screen shots. That does not create a love of history, folks. it does make it hard to read the text. They are using this book because the publisher provides tests based on the book. Multiple choice tests that are so badly written that it is laughable. The questions and answers are not based on an understanding of the material. No questions even suggesting that a student might understand the social forces that lead to the anti-war protests of the late sixties and early seventies. Nope. The question stems and answers test how well you can remember the EXACT WORDING of sentences from the text.
Further, the text isn't an impartial view of events in the last 100 years. It is filled to the brim with value judgments. Certain figures from modern history get a paragraph and other get a whole page, but not based on their contributions to historical movements, but as political appeasements and homage to the almighty god of fairness. It is disgusting. As far as that book is concerned, I'm not unhappy that the students in that class aren't learning anything!
no subject
I'm not sure if it would make you smile or be mad, but I'd like to know =)
no subject
I wouldn't have put up the website. There are couple of problems with it. One, he is opening himself up for violent retaliation. May be or may not be worth the risk. That is a personal decision.
But he is opening himself up for legal action. Even if everything he says is the complete truth, he initiated that site for the purpose of harassing the girl to give him back the phone.
And if she were smart enough and could find a lawyer who wanted to go for it, she could sue him. It would not be for defamation of character, but simply for harassment which affects her ability to conduct her daily affairs.
It is always a dangerous game to "teach someone manners" when they don't want to be taught.
no subject
I'm smiling at the obvious discomfort this is causing to those people who are representing some of the more reprehensible qualities in people.
no subject
AP classes aern't all that great. And the US History exam is actually the HARDEST. at least it was when i was taking it.
sorry kate is going through a hard time at serra. hope it works out okay.
no subject