Ed Reform “Playbook”
1. Cut funding:
1-5-12 — Coalition: State support for Kentucky’s public schools has fallen
1-2012 — EXPECTATIONS UP, RESOURCES DOWN
2-2012 — Give KEAT some teeth: Frankfort-based funding advocacy must be echoed locally
12-2015 — School Funding in Kentucky Still Well Below 2008 Level
1-25-16 — Most States Have Cut School Funding, and Some Continue Cutting
Resulting in:
- Smaller class sizes
- Cut programs (music, art, PE)
- Less experienced teachers
- Increased fees
- Fewer elective offerings
- Behavior and bullying problems
- Cuts to supports and interventions, such as early childhood and remedial reading programs (which cost more down the line)
- Less enjoyment in learning
2. Label Schools as Failing:
Inauthentic assessments:
- Waste time and resources
- Do not guide instruction – tests taken in May, scores not received until Oct. No access to questions missed.
- Demoralize, label and drive off quality teachers
- Demoralize, label schools, driving away potential students
- Demoralize, label students who may be exceptional in other areas
- Create high test anxiety
- Emphasize competition over collaboration which leads to:
- Winners and losers
- Gaming the system
- Adult focused concerns
- Siloing of resources and ideas
- Subjects not measured not taught (i.e., social studies)
- Cheating and fraud
- Don’t actually tell how well schools/students are doing. Case in point, scores in KY are actually on the rise, but you’d never know that with all the negative press we’ve been getting. Here’s some factual info:
3. Bring in Charters to “Save the Day!” – Phase 3 of their plan is now playing out in Kentucky. We have an opportunity to avoid this detour and continue down a path of improvement and leapfrog ahead of other states who participated in this failed experiment. Won’t you tell your legislators to #StopChartersInKY?