FCAT Writes, Politics, and Scapegoats: A Dismount is In Order!

FCAT Writes, politics, and scapegoats, OH MY!!!!!! The FCAT Writes is tomorrow! I have been flooded with questions from students today and most any other day that we write. Mind you, this is about EVERY day. Questions like, do we need to pass this test to graduate, do I have to plan, do I have to take this test, does it count for me, what if I blow off the test, what if I choose not to come and test, and so many more. I understand the reason why students are asking these questions; they don’t want to take the test, and they do not see its importance. Many tell me to my face that they don’t care. Folks, I get it. There seems to be a disconnect. Do people really understand the ramifications of these statements and attitudes? They should because they are real! Disenfranchised students fight back in this manner. Is this making things any better? No, it only is perpetuating the theory that most teachers are not doing their jobs. Think about this on a greater scale. Is society saying that colleges are not preparing teachers either? I think not!

Do any other people besides teachers understand that the school grade is calculated on this testing data? What about in the years to come and with the Race to the Top Initiative coming down the pike that will penalize teachers for poor scores; does anyone care that teacher’s pay will be effected and their livelihood? Even worse, what about the teacher who is willfully teaching classes to remediate students in reading and writing that house, more often than not, unmotivated students; should they be penalized for caring for their students or being willing to go into the trenches and work harder than Honors teachers?

So, while the world is sleeping tonight, many teachers are hoping, and I am going to say it, praying that their kids will care and do their best tomorrow on FCAT Writes. I do not see any politician taking a student into their meetings and asking them how this assessment will benefit the students. Isn't that what this about: the student? But I do see a lot of people pointing their fingers at teachers. They can’t all be bad; can they? What about parents and students; do they play a role? Does holding a student back hold them accountable? Not really, it just makes them more at-risk for not graduating or worse yet, ending up in jail. Read the research and get informed.

If Rick Scott was going to fine parents for student absences, missing assignments, homework, and assessments, would parents stand up and fight back? You betcha they would! What if parents were mandated to pay for tutoring if their kids were not passing standardized tests? Do you think they would obey this rule? No, they would revolt!

I have to keep it real tonight. I am a hard working teacher, but I will sleep tonight. I have to believe that God is bigger than all of this. I do my job unto Him first. What else can I do? I can’t strike; I’ll lose my job. So, for now, I’ll do my best and hope that the powers that be will see that teachers are the scapegoats right now. All stakeholders need accountability. This includes parents and students, which for many teachers seem to be the missing link.

Yes, I know that there are some teachers that do not their job, but this can't be all of them. So, why do we continue to make decisions based on the few who do not do their jobs? And while our nation continues to see illiteracy rates increase, when will they decide to get to business? The standardized testing horse is dead; it's time to dismount.

There has to be a better way. Why not try making assessments relevant and authentic? I understand these types of assessments are hard to measure and get data from, but do you really want to find out if students are learning, or do we want data to banter with other countries, states, districts, and real estate agents with to determine the school to send our child to, they best state to live for education, or the best part of the city to purchase a home or rent? For some, they want to brag about their school or district report card, but can anyone tell you what is really involved in calculating these grades? I bet most parents, students, lobbyist, and politicians could not. I am not against students writing essays to illustrate learning or taking a test to demonstrate reading proficiency, but I am against the policies behind the FCAT. These are the hard questions and issues that need to be addressed.

Don't You Love a Story With a Great Twist?

Don’t you love a story with a good twist? The answer is yes! I thought my students would think the same thing too. Thus, I shared the short story: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson with them. I told them this story was guaranteed to blow their minds! We began by talking about the lottery and what we think of when we hear the word: lottery. As a teacher assessing prior knowledge is important, but getting your students interested in the text is equally important! The students said things like money, tickets, the balls drop, etc. Thus, we started reading the text, but as we read on, I began to ask them questions to clarify their understanding. The tension was building; the questions increased. “Who is going to win?” they asked.


I hate to spoil it for you, but in the end, the lottery is actual a bad thing. One person in the town of 300 will be stoned to death on June 27th every year. They find out that this has been a tradition for more than 70 years; however, not all towns follow this ritual anymore. These facts evoked a tremendous amount of discussion about cultures that still practice stoning, to follow or not to follow tradition, and should one do something if it goes against human rights. They were intrigued and engaged!


I decided to take it deeper and make it more relevant; I came up with the authentic assessment of a trial in North Port. I told the students that Tessie Hutchinson was murdered in North Port yesterday. Mr. Summers was being tried for murder; is he innocent or guilty? They read their text again and took notes on a t-chart labeling it innocent and the other guilty. They then formed an opinion about both sides. I put the kids into groups. They chose a leader, and the leader picked the side they would defend. In my Reading classes, we participated in a Kagan logic lineup. They defended one side, but I didn’t stop there. I made them argue the other side and take an opposing view point. I taught them to formulate their opinions, as well as how to debate them.

I took this a step further in my English classes; I put them in two teams. Lawyers and paralegals met to come up with a defense for each side. The jury, my absent students, heard the case and closing arguments; they deliberated and delivered the verdict. We learned about the legal system too. I was excited that one of my students said the activity was relevant. Also, several students said they had fun. Yes, this made me happy, but what really made me swell with joy was all the learning that took place. Analysis, critical thinking, and debating was the application that occurred as a result of our text, and they enjoyed it. Folks this took some work on my part putting it all together, but that is the life of a teacher who wants to engage their students and have them learn something, as well as walk away with something that was memorable and relevant. I am sharing this story as one of the solutions to the demands of high stakes testing, which requires students to use critical thinking skills. So, they learned to go beyond the text and think critically; I can pat myself on the back because I took them from the knowledge and understanding level to the highest level of Blooms Taxonomy: evaluation. They reached, they succeeded, and they loved it!

Praise Keeps Me From Quitting! What About You?

Teachers think about quitting; it's a job many love, but is laborious. They need to be inspired to keep going too. In fact, inspiration is contagious, and it is necessary for all human beings. I am encouraged by teachers around me, and from-time-to-time, students inspire me to keep going. This week was amazing because two of my students, who shall remain anonymous, communicated that I inspire them. The first student told me that he was inspired by my Keeping It Real: Education Blog. He found it interesting and that writing is easier because he now writes every day. It was great to be privy to this information! I don’t live for these moments, when they come, I am grateful!

I also got an email from another student who gave me laud on the same day. My heart swelled with excitement and joy; two genuine praises in one day. The pool of thank yous was drained, empty, and it had a hole in it. Of course, I am in education to make a difference and not for the money! It’s takes all that I have and whatever else I can muster up to push my students. They need to get on grade level too. It’s difficult some days because of the stress that is attached to standardized testing and tyring to motivate unmotivated students who need a tremendous amount of prodding and encouragement. All in all, it’s nice to get an encouraging letter, email, and or note from time-to-time. I have a wall in my closet at school where I post notes and letters from parents, staff, and students. On a bad day, I go there. Then I am reminded of some lives I have touched.

Another thing that keeps me going is Jacqueline Anderson-Moore, an inspirational teacher at North Port High School. She shares her education ideas, and she points out when I am doing well. I am mentioning her because I was reminded of her today. she recently told me about her classroom success with one minute writes. She confirmed the same thing my student said who wrote about our class in his blog. Thus, writing every day helps. When a student learns to think about ideas on a daily basis and they are accustomed to many topics; they are getting practice with timed writing, as well as the pressure that goes along with it! They are learning to think on demand! Most importantly, I am improving and growing because of her. Sure there are others things, such as teacher websites, parents, and students, but it takes many things.

Take some time right now and send an email, write a letter, or make a call. Tell someone they have inspired you and that they have made a difference. There are teachers everywhere and not just in the classroom. Who keeps you going? Do you have a life coach, fitness trainer, and friend that sticks by you no matter what? You never know how much they may need it right at that moment.

The following is an excerpt from the blog and the email I mentioned above:

“Oh yea and the people in the 1st and 2nd hour class have gotten to be the most interesting people ever! The teacher may push me to work but i feel as if it is really helping me!And as of rite now i cant wait for PT (physical training) in JROTC and getting home to eat… Because i am starving! According to Ileana Reich, “Don’t you just love when your kids come home and answer the question: “What did you learn today?” with the word: nothing? I remember those days. Of course, our children and students are learning new skills every day, but were they meaningful enough to be valued and saved in their heads?” The quote above is from my 1st and 2nd hour teacher. This came from her education blog (can be found at http://keepingitrealeducationalileanareich.blogspot.com) Well that's about every beginning of the school day!” (Blog Entry)

Dear Mrs. Reich,

Thank you so much for pushing me to do my best. Without the pushing, i don't think i would have been able to do the work. I'm the type of person that doesn't like doing homework. I've never been the type to actually come home and do homework, but I'm going to start and be that person. Thank you for inspiring me to do better. Your an awesome teacher :) Thank you for your time, (Email)

I Didn't Learn Anything Today at School Mom!

Don’t you just love when your kids come home and answer the question: “What did you learn today?” with the word: nothing? I remember those days. Of course, our children and students are learning new skills every day, but were they meaningful enough to be valued and saved in their heads?



FCAT Writes is right around the corner. In order for students to do well on this required state assessment, they need to acquire a significant amount of tools in their strategy tool belt. As a teacher, I attempt to illustrate the importance of good writing skills all year. I use a variety of teaching strategies to engage them in organizing and editing their essays. I talk about and allow them to do real world writing.

I even instituted an Author Spot for kids to share their writing. It is so important that we build their confidence and also allow for opportunities for students to hear good writing. It is not enough to just see good writing modeled on the board by the teacher. Students receive better from their peers!

Yesterday, we began working on partner editing, while editing our most recent District Writing Prompt. They found these conferences extremely helpful. After this session, they were able to improve their essays. The final step will be to meet with them one-on-one to discuss their challenges and growth. Most of my students have worked eagerly and painstakingly all year. I can only hope that they do their best on March 1st. I teach all year; most of them learn and practice. But on test day, what happens happens.

The Missing Ingredient

Today, I am exhausted! On top of planning activities that are relevant, meaningful, rigorous, and offer choice, I also try to use technology to engage my students. This is time consuming, but doable! The real problem is that there is a missing ingredient in most students sitting in their desks.

I am not talking about my students per say; I am talking about their behavior and or the way they have been trained by past teachers and parents who have overused extrinsic motivation strategies. As a parent, I learned quickly that my son would go “number two” if he got a new Thomas the Tank Engine piece. Well, I ran out of trains and moved to cases and other Thomas the Tank Engine items. I became broke, and he stopped going “number two” in the potty!

This pattern continued through his K-12 education. There was the reward for good behavior in kindergarten, the reward for completing homework in 4th grade, the 7th grade sticker chart for writing in his planner, and in high school, we tried to get him to use his agenda and stay organized. These are just a few! Yet, what I did not understand was that as he got older, it was not important to him, I had run out of rewards I could offer that he would like, or I just could not afford them. In some cases, we were trying to motivate him to work for better grades and other times for keeping his room clean or doing his chores. I missed the point all those years. He never felt motivated to do any of those things for the reward of doing them. This makes me think of my husband. When he works on redoing a flowerbed, he often stops and admires his work. He does this because he feels a sense of accomplishment. This was the “missing ingredient” in my son’s life.

I believe in using extrinsic motivation strategies in the classroom and with parenting, but children should experience intrinsic rewards for the sense of accomplishment at some time in their lives. Think about it. We have a large portion of society that does not want to go to work. They see no reward in a paycheck. My son used to be that way too, but now he enjoys his job and goes because he is motivated to work and grow with his company.

This should be the same reality in schools. Students should enter classrooms that ignite their interests. They should find teachers who are willing to allow them to have choice in some of their work, both homework and classwork, as well as allow them to be creative in their assessments. There should be a correlation between effort and grades. None of the above things are easy for a teacher to do because they take time. However, teachers see their students growing, and this makes it worth it. They don’t get paid anymore than the teacher who goes home at the bell everyday, but that is an entirely new topic. In short, teachers feel an intrinsic reward for their instructional efforts because they see their students learning and growing.

Since I am one of those teachers who puts 150% into their classroom, I get disappointed when so many of my students do not do the things they made a choice to do. I don’t understandt. It takes so much effort to get students to do their classwork and homework. I can’t take it personally because it is the norm. This does not mean that I will lower my standards.

By 10th grade, one would think that they would be responsible enough to do their work most of the time. This is not the case. I write this in worry because most high school teachers do not schedule many conferences, call home, send progress reports, and mail letters of concern. The thought is that they are ready for the responsibility. Most parents do not call and check on their children. The kids are getting lost in the system. The district keeps cutting the amount of planning time for teachers due to budget cuts etc. Yet, I still keep sending paperwork home and making calls. These are done well after the day is over. I have my home number and cell number on my website. I am available for my parents and students. Then there are the after school help dates, tutoring, and detentions aftter school.

I can give all of this time and effort, but I cannot make anyone embrace their education. Motivating students by tickets, prizes, passes, extra credit, candy, snacks, and parties have become the norm. They do not appreciate the education they receive. They do not know what it feels like to have a sense of accomplishment for doing a task at hand. Some days it feels like the extrinisc reward syndrome is taking over and few are motivated, but I don’t stop fighting for what I believe in, which is showing kids that feeling a sense of accomplishment over a job well done feels good. This feeling can be repeated and is linked to success.

Conducting a School Wide Event: "A Celebration of Diversity and Culture"

On Monday, January 31st 2011, I had the sheer joy of working with teachers, students, parents, and the administration of North Port High School on a school wide event called“A Celebration of Diversity and Culture”. This event went on in tandem with report card night. It was my hope to increase the amount of students and parents attending. In short, both events were successful. I am impressed with the students’ interest in learning about themselves and their culture, as well as their family.



Some of the students began to think about diversity and tolerance on a larger scale when they understood that hatred was behind the Holocaust. They began to ask questions about how it could ever happen. This contemplation got them thinking about the diversity of North Port High School, as well as the importance of preserving and treasuring it. They were talking about the idea that it is okay to be different.

They learned that the clubs we have on campus reflect the uniqueness of our school population. They also looked outside their North Port microcosm and investigated the diverseness of our government, larger cities, and Hollywood! I love to see their light bulbs go on; sometimes it’s hard to get students to look beyond their own world which often seems so huge!

I learned a lot from the students while planning this event. I found out that they can be responsible and committed. I saw them get motivated to research once their passion was ignited. They learned a lot about themselves and their world while improving their reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking skills.

I also saw many past and current students support me in putting this event together. Many of the teachers decided to get involved too. It is amazing how a non-madatory event for staff and students could be so successful, meaningful, and relevant. I am happy to report that the staff and students want to do it again! Next year, I anticipate more art projects, music and dance performances, parent, student, and community involvement. Finally, while putting this event together was difficult, the amount of work involved was extremely worth it!

Standardized Testing vs Real World Preperation: It's a Tug-of-War!

The link below is from the October 17th, 2005 NPHS Bobcat Sentinel newspaper. Students reported about the new 10th grade graduation requirements. I was interviewed for this article. However, this test was given once and removed. There was talk about moving it to 11th grade and or that it was returning. It is 2011, and it is not back. It has not resurfaced in another grade level either. Yet, educators watch the testing forecast because the need to be cognizant of the educational climate and new standards that are always lurking over over and around us.

I am sharing this article because it illustrates some of the uncertainties educators face when tests are being changed and developed. A tremendous amount of time and money was spent on researching benchmark test specifications for this test. A group of teachers actually worked on mapping the curriculum to align both 9th and 10th grade instruction to the standards covered in the FCAT Writing Plus exam. This is great, but when the test was omitted, did teachers stop teaching grammar and punctuation? Some did!

The other concern that I have always had is why standardized tests seem to influence what is being taught. Students need to learn how to write whether there is a test for it or not. The basics and critical thinking should be taught; instruction should be explicit and vertically aligned. If not, one could learn about the government for three years in a row in elementary school and get no new information. Worse yet, they could become bored hearing the same things over and over. I have no problem with teaching government, but each year there should be a progression of what is being taught and when. Teachers cannot teach just because they like a certain part of their subject area. It would be like me teaching poetry all year because that is what I love the most. Why that would be an injustice to our students. Do important basic skills like speaking get put aside to make room for more FCAT instruction time? For many, it has. What about public speaking? It is one of the four modes of Language Arts that has been put on the back burner. Though it is not tested on the FCAT, many teachers do not teach public speaking skills because there is not enough time. This is a problem because students need to be prepared to speak at interviews, meetings, trainings, and even in social settings. Isn't education supposed to be about creating active citizens and not just good test takers?

Another laborious problem that teachers face is that they need to follow how various tests will change; they need to know what is coming up too! In short, so many teachers focus on what is being tested; yet, this is exhausting but necessary. If one is not careful, it can steal the joy right out of teaching. It's a walk of balance. My friend, past mentor, and colleague, Vicky Harris, once told me to "remember that the education pendulum is always swinging. It will swing this way and then back. Just do your best." This is great advice that I try to follow everyday. After all, it's really about my students. What do they need?

When it is all said and done, the real tightrope dance is learning to teach what needs to be taught according to both state and national standards while helping kids excel on state and district tests. This has to be done without taking the joy out of teaching and learning. Passing tests does not mean real world success, and an excellent teacher motivates his or her students with relevant topics and activities while integrating standards and test taking skills. So for now, I continue to follow the testing weather forecast and the educational political climate, but I remember the importance of getting kids ready for the real world.

It might appear that I am against standardized testing, but I am not. I do think that students should be able to find the main idea, compare and contrast, infer, analyze, find cause and effect relationships, and be able to use context clues. They should have a basic understanding of the language semantics. They need to be able to read web pages and evaluate them. In short, these are all part of the 9th and 10th grade FCAT Reading test. I may not agree with some of the educational reforms such as NCLB (No Child Left Behind) or the new "Race to the Top" educational initiative coming down the pike, but I do believe in educating and motivating kids to look to their future!

http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/nphs/npnews/NewFiles/2005%20Oct.%20Web%20Sentinel.pdf