TOPICS AND ISSUES

 One of the main things that got my attention to the state of our schools is that nationally, students lost 1 1/2 years of education due to the COVID pandemic.  I don't have the latest statistics from LS but believe them to be in line with the average.  It's not "okay" to just pass students who don't learn the material.  (Oregon state said everyone graduates regardless of learning for the next 3 years.)  I am open to suggestions on how to recover this lost time but one way or another, we must recover it.  It's not fair to students to hand them a diploma that doesn't represent learning.  It becomes a worthless piece of paper.  One local district does this regularly and bragged that their graduates are reading on a third-grade level and doing math on a first-grade level.  That is horrible and we cannot let LSR7 devolve into that situation.  Perhaps we need to add some days to the school year or perhaps we need to promote summer school.  If you have a better way to accomplish this, please reply to me.  I am always open to suggestions to solve problems.  Together we can solve this. 

I went to the open house at LSR7's Summit Technology Academy (STA) yesterday evening. It encourages me that the district offers such great programs for our young people! As a college teacher in the career technical field, I see the value of helping students get a jump start with a direction in adult life. Students get a hands on approach in learning about different fields and can have a better idea of what they want to do for a living. Many finish high school well on their way to an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in a field they will enjoy and others are prepared for immediate entry into a chosen career path.

Too many kids graduate with no real idea of what they want to do and STA is there to help with that. It's distressing how many young adults go to four-year institutions with little direction, only to fail out or quit. This costs an average of $40,000 in college debt with nothing to show for it, no job and no experience. It would be extremely beneficial to consider more technical fields with a hands on approach to apprenticeship that have a much better return on investment. Machinists, welders, HVAC technicians, and industrial technicians can make $80-$90K+ with no college debt and lots of job security. These are great careers for someone that might not thrive in a college or office setting. I strongly praise those who had a hand in developing the STA and developing these programs. Last night I saw a lot of enthusiasm among the staff, students and visitors. As I have said before, we are blessed with a lot of great teachers and coaches in LSR7.

Here are the 2021-2022 numbers for LSR7 proficiency rates, pulled from DESE. When we consider the learning loss incurred due to the pandemic it becomes even more alarming. Our district must put the core focus back into reading, writing and arithmetic. 

Is our district "setting the bar" too low? Does the administration see that we're passing "state standards" and turn around to report being best in the state?
What is the current TRUE average class size?
Is the district focused on improving this performance?

When you break down the numbers even further you'll see that it is minority students that are hit the hardest in proficiency discrepancies. When I tune in to what the district is saying I'm hearing that we aren't equitable. So, one must beg the question...

Does every single contract signed and dollar spent directly address these proficiency rates?
Is there a positive correlation between money spent on third party consultants dedicated to "equity" and academic performance among minority students?

 I attended LSR7's school board meeting  I saw a lot of numbers presented. I have a lot of questions. One question I have is what the NWEA's RIT scores are based off of. Here I have highlighted LSR7's 8th Grade English Language Arts Proficiency Rates from DESE. In comparison, here is what was presented at the BOE meeting. Somewhere there is a disconnect. I would encourage district leaders to present numbers in a fashion the public can understand and relate to. And in a fashion that demonstrates the district's understanding of where we are at with student performance. Where are we setting the bar? And where does it need to be? 

I want to tell you a story. 

As I am out there talking to voters I met one person that told me they couldn't vote for me because I'm a member of the NEA. They said that the NEA has gone woke. They aren't an institution for education anymore. I could barely respond and tell them that the NEA hasn't always been this way, it's been critical for teachers over the years. But they stopped listening and walked away. 

In another conversation someone told me I should stop trying to join the local Equity group online. They said they'll never let me join because I follow other conservative groups that don't align with their values. 

Folks this race is bipartisan. Our values have more in common than you think. All of our children are among each other everyday. They will all be working together soon. And running this country together. We have got to show them that these divisive nuances don't matter and we ourselves can work together. Our children deserve it. 

Take a look at https://www.fairdiversity.org/the-pro-human-approach/
It has more in common with #diversitymatters than you might think.
It is all about the approach.

Another problem that we will be facing in the next academic year is teacher shortages. Many states are already making changes in the requirements for teacher certifications or like changes. 

"Missouri’s state board of education voted earlier this month to grant teaching certificates to test-takers who score within one standard error of measurement, meaning they missed the qualifying score by a few questions…."

Again, one has to ask if we are properly allocating our resources. Is LSR7 paying teachers adequately?