In his most recent column, Tom Mulhern appropriately asks why
our community isn’t getting worked up over the latest test scores.
As one of the few people who have publicly gotten worked up over
the latest dismal results, I’d like to offer a few educated
guesses.
In his most recent column, Tom Mulhern appropriately asks why our community isn’t getting worked up over the latest test scores. As one of the few people who have publicly gotten worked up over the latest dismal results, I’d like to offer a few educated guesses. I don’t believe that parents aren’t taking to the streets with pitchforks merely because most of us don’t own pitchforks. All of us own a phone and a pen, so we are all capable of calling or writing the superintendent, principal or school board members to express our concerns.
Parents tend to know and like their child’s teachers. Most of them show up for parent-teacher conferences. Unfortunately, those parent-teacher conferences are an elementary school phenomenon. Once a child hits sixth grade, conferences only happen when the student is in danger of failing. There is little interaction between parents and teachers of older students. Elementary school teachers and principals communicate with parents on a daily or weekly basis. Communication becomes much more sporadic as students progress through the schools.
Another reason that people haven’t gotten worked up about their failing students is that some parents are eternal optimists. Since the scores of individual students have yet to be mailed to the homes of the parents, about 90 percent of the parents are still holding out hope that that their children will be in the 30 percent who are doing well in school.
Another reason that parents aren’t worked up over these test scores is that children are tested in numerous way throughout the school year. Report cards in elementary school nowadays don’t show “90 percent” or “B-” grades, they show “O” (for outstanding) and “S” (for satisfactory) and “N” (for needs improvement) and “U” (for unsatisfactory). Schools use a “1, 2, 3 or 4” designation. I believe this is done to shield children from getting grades which would alarm their parents.
Getting a 2 out of 4 doesn’t sound nearly as ominous as getting a 60 percent in math. It isn’t until middle school that parents get a glimpse at real grades. All of us who were in school more than 10 years ago remember getting graded on our work and our report cards reflected the marks we earned.
Grade inflation is as prevalent in Gilroy as it is everywhere else in the country. Grade inflation was unheard of at the Catholic schools that I attended. Meanwhile, parents of the 99 percent of students who were promoted in GUSD last year are probably thinking that since their child was promoted they surely are capable of doing work at the grade they were promoted to. The latest test scores show that this is not the case, it wasn’t the case last year, and won’t be the case next year.
Those students who are failing to meet even the basic understanding of grade level work will overwhelmingly be promoted again in June. The circle will be unbroken.
Finally, and sadly, the most probable reason for the lack of public outrage is that many parents in Gilroy really don’t care.
Testing students is an academic endeavor, and academics don’t rank high on the parent interest meter in Gilroy. There is more interest in what really counts with kids – sports. Dozens of people weighed in on the Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League story. Parents in Gilroy find the time to show up at football games, soccer games, and Little League. How many of these parents attended even one meeting of their school parent club?
The school district has identified parent involvement as a major priority. Some parents share their voice on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, at parent club meetings, and at school board meetings.
These parents make up a tiny percentage of the actual number of parents. Parents frequently tell me how busy they are when they make excuses to not show up. I always wonder what exactly is more important than the education of their children.
And then there is the truth about the parents who do speak up. I am one of them. Frankly, the powers-that-be are sick to death of hearing from me. I would like to throw in the towel almost as much as they would like me to. However, as a parent of three children enrolled in Gilroy schools, I am not going to give up on the promises implicit in our system of public education.
Does anyone know where I can buy a used pitchfork?
