What Do Petula Clark and the HCPS Administration Have In Common?

Maybe They Are Sleeping in the Subway

Pet sings:
"You wander around on your own little cloud
When you don't see the why or the wherefore
You walk out on me when we both disagree
'Cause to reason is not what you care for

I've heard it all a million time before
Take off your coat, my love, and close the door

Don't sleep in the subway, darlin'
Don't stand in the pouring rain
Don't sleep in the subway, darlin'
The night is long
Forget your foolish pride
Nothing's wrong
Now you're beside me again

You try to be smart, then you take it to heart
'Cause it hurts when your ego is deflated
You don't realize that it's all compromise
And the problems are so overrated"


The PRO on HCPS wrote (6/4/08):

"When student grades can be manipulated at will either by any given teacher, any given site or any given system, this practice contaminates any sense of statistical integrity to base any legitimate decisions on. Did not this just happen recently in Hillsborough County?

A cavalier approach to the scientific model of "grades" or "true academic measurement" may well be one of the faulty building blocks of our public education. I have written about "image is more important than substance". Grading curves and manipulation of statistics to meet administrative benchmarks may not be conducive to what is good for a student or teacher. It is my opinion that parents catch on after a while that the only reason teachers want the kids to do well on the high-stakes tests is for the teachers or the school system, not for the student. How many teachers and principals and guidance counselors make sure that little Jerome and little Tamika get a good night's rest and a good breakfast for that all important day - so the school can get their money when the scores come out? "


The Tribune wrote today:

"School officials defend their system saying they want to encourage students to challenge themselves to higher-level work. And in the case of semester exams, they wanted to ensure uniform grading - albeit with a more generous scale for at least some exams.

Well enough, but in the process they've created a system that muddies the public's tried-and-true yardsticks of what constitutes academic success.

In an era when honors and AP courses become the norm - teachers now joke AP stands for "any person" - adding big grade bonuses is overkill.

Other school districts take a more moderate approach, grading AP courses on a five-point scale so that a "B" in a college-level course equates to an "A" in a regular course. But they don't allow students to boost their GPAs by the large measures that Hillsborough does."


I will agree with The Wall that there may be no smoke on the water. However, there are sure plenty of mirrors to go with the smoke that is being blown up the public's defecation orifice.