Real help for schools

In listening to President Bush’s remarks on his desire to improve public education, one gets the impression that he does not believe that there is a cussed public school in this nation which is doing its job to educate children, a sweeping, unjustified indictment. He seems to be insisting that all schools subscribe to a “one size fits all” testing regimen, as outlined in the article written by Maine’s Commissioner of Education J. Duke Albanese (BDN, Oct. 3). Although testing is a valid measure of teachers’ effectiveness, as well as of students’ learning, national standardized testing of all students falls short of the mark.

Maine’s educators have spent hours of study of assessing of how best to educate its public school students. Programs causing students not to gain were dropped. Programs to catch students before they fall through the cracks, to help students who “don’t fit the mold,” to accelerate the very bright to prevent them from becoming bored, to stretch the thinking and abilities of all students were added. The application of knowledge to solve problems, to use knowledge to enhance everyday living and working, and the tools – writing, speaking, proficiency in mathematics, the sciences, histories, geographies, appreciation of the arts – to enable students to be well prepared for life beyond school are the intents of those who set up the Learning Results standards in Maine.

Commissioner Albanese is to be commended in his efforts to resist the president’s demands for national standardized testing. If this state had to do the testing which the president recommends, precious time teaching and learning would be lost, to say nothing of the costs to the local tax payers such federal legislation would demand. Maine has been very successful in educating its public school students as has been demonstrated by the assessment processes relative to school districts over this country.

Graduates of Maine’s public schools have been hired by businesses in other states just because of their reputation for their work ethic, their ability to utilize their learning, for their courtesy, for their very nice ways of going about the daily business of living. The end result is the “brain drain” of young people who would really like to continue living in Maine, but can not find jobs here. Businesses tell the governor that they won’t come to Maine because there is a lack of workers with the necessary educational backgrounds they need. This is a valid testament of how well Maine educators have educated without having to take time out to administer national standardized tests.

If the president wants to raise the standards of public school education he should provide help for the poorly performing districts, not punish them, he should be encouraging high performing districts to continue their efforts to enhance teaching, to find better ways of teaching. Local districts should be the ones to decide on how best to prepare its students for life after graduation. Nationally imposed regimens would be to unwieldy to bring the desired results. Commissioner Albanese, and all the other dedicated educators within Maine are to be commended for their successful efforts. Maine’s local educators, in conjunction with community members, should be setting the Maine standards.

V. Dana Allison is a resident of Castle Hill.