LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- May 15, 2007
To The Editor;
Grade 4 and 7 students across BC have begun to write the Foundational Skills Assessments. Introduced by the NDP government, FSA's were intended to provide a snapshot from around the province, with sample results considered more statistically sound than individual scores.
The tests have gained notoriety as they morphed into a tool to undermine public education at the hands of the 'statistically-challenged' Fraser Institute. They have fallen into increasing disfavour; some parents are taking their dissatisfaction so far as to sign letters withdrawing their children from these time-consuming tests.
There are signs that this small act of rebuke is having an impact. Emery Dosdall, Deputy Minister of Education posted his April 27, 2007 Report on Education. He takes an iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove approach. He asks parents and teachers 'What's all the fuss about?'
After glossing over the concerns that parents and teachers have expressed, he warns parents that the principal, not the parent, "is the person who ultimately makes the decision whether a student participates or not."
The logic seems to go like this: the authority for the directions is derived from Ministerial Orders, and since he is the Deputy Minister of Education, and since his Ministry has written these orders, the Ministry is honour bound to enforce them. And parents will just have to comply. His unspoken message is "not because we care, but because we can."
'Sophistry' is defined as "an argument intended to deceive." Mr. Dosdall's arguments are, in that sense, sophisticated. For example, the missive ends with the sentence that few teachers would argue with: Evidence-based instruction should be the norm in our classrooms. The truth is that FSA results, do not, and indeed cannot, provide evidence that could possibly influence classroom instruction. Why?
Because teachers never see the marks, never see the individual results, and are never provided the link between a certain question and a certain student's answer that, in a classroom's teacher-designed assessment, would give the teacher information on what that student needs to know.
A related fact that Mr. Dosdall fails to mention is that the results are not sent to parents (and never to teachers, oddly enough) until the following school year. What good is that? The results are very vague.
A student's report card provides much specific detail, in a timely way, so that parent and teacher can be proactive in addressing any problems.
Mr. Dosdall glosses over the time it takes to administer the FSA tests. "A maximum 5 hours spread over a minimum of three days twice in each student's first 8 years of schooling," he states glibly.
Yet, many teachers are pressured to practise for these tests which at least doubles the time quoted by Mr. Dosdall. Furthermore, as those who live and work with children know, pacing is important, and students aren't good for much else on the test days. It is generally agreed that FSA's take at least two weeks. The tests are done in May yet it purports to assess a ten-month curriculum, another reason the results cannot be counted on in any meaningful way.
If the BCTF is sending out misinformation, Mr. Dosdall makes weak points to counteract it.
The Ministry of Education shows disrespect for the professional teachers he oversees, not to mention the parents who, until now, were invited to exercise choice after choice regarding their children's education. Minister Shirley Bond stated in her opening remarks at the First Parent Congress in Kelowna Nov. 16th, 2006: "We're involving parents, listening to what they have to say, and giving them a greater voice in what their children learn."
Given this statement, how can any principal, School District or Ministry personnel override parental discretion in regards to a non-curricular matter?
The FSA tests are more about politics than they are about education, and are a massive waste of time and money. The results are not useful to teachers, students or parents for the reasons stated.
- Kerry Richardson
Surrey Teacher
To the Editor;
This letter is about Solana's article, May 1st issue and phone conversation with Jinny Sims.
This test you have to question. As a kid in Ocean Falls, I did really well in school from grade 3 to grade 8 or 9 (when my Dad died we left town). The teacher was surprised one of the grunt kids being smart like the Foremen's and Engineer's kids, not really, it was a combination of elephant memory and the important fact is that the language we spoke at home was English.
Most of the workers kids spoke various European languages, we had Czech, Dutch, Metis kids who spoke French Cree and French Canadian kids who spoke Quebec French at home, Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Poles, a Scot married to a Japanese lady, their son Ernie was acknowledged to be real good with maps and compasses in Scouts, Ukrainians, etc.
Playing with these kids proved that they were as smart or smarter than me when they solved various problems of building forts, rafts and other kid problems, one even built a real good dinghy (boat).
You can't be good at English when you talk Ukrainian or Danish at home. You can't be good at Math when problems are explained in English or in History or Social Studies when you've got to read and understand English.
In these early grades these kids just didn't know what that teacher woman was talking about. But later, I was ashamed to go to Ocean Falls reunions, my former buddies were now teachers, one guy a formidable Math teacher, Engineers, Nurses, the Skipper of a coast boat, a Commercial Fisherman, Pilots and Navigators in the Air Force (Commissioned Officers), even one Doctor (That Lundberg she was one smart kid).
All these kids would have failed miserably at the F.S.A. test. So why is Fraser Institute pushing these tests? I think, they want to filter out as many kids as possible from post-secondary community colleges. Good gracious a great saving on taxes and even better an excellent chance to import guest workers for short periods at Big $avings.
Me on the other hand, I had a great career, pulling lumber on green chains in a bunch of sawmills throughout B.C. and one year in Alberta and Yukon.
- Glen Allison, Princeton
