Roy Exum: Our HCDE Is Skewed

  • Tuesday, October 18, 2016
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

The Tennessee Department of Education wants you to believe that nearly 30 percent of the teachers in Hamilton County are “least effective,” which is almost twice what that galling number is in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis.  I refuse to believe this is true, not at all. For that matter, neither does the Hamilton County Department of Education, the Hamilton County School Board, nor not even one principal in our 75 county schools. 

This same group of educational intellects in Nashville states categorically that while the state’s graduation rate is 88.5 percent, our children in Hamilton County slipped from 85.4 to 83.8 in the past year. Yet, again in honest candor, that is deceptive and really means nothing -- our state critics either don’t know or have not taken the time to see the playing field is not level. Get this: the state of Tennessee requires 22 credits to graduate. The Hamilton County Department of Education requires 28 credits. Do you think those six additional credits just might skew the averages or comparisons? 

What we can all agree on is that our HCDE is a train wreck. The last three superintendents have each left “prematurely” with the last one leaving under such a cloud a rightful alarm has now been sounded. Both the parents of 42,000 children and the taxpayers are furious. Foundations are frothing at the mouth in the zeal to “help.” Suddenly there is a profusion of 90-minute, hand-wringing “symposiums” that accomplish zilch; all the circus lacks now is a ring-master. Lord knows we already have enough clowns and an elephant for every room. 

Common sense dictates we must first fix the operations model with misleading teacher evaluations and the way we schedule our students’ classes and workloads as paramount. The state’s evaluation process might as well include voodoo bones because it couldn’t be worse. LaFrederick Thirkill, the principal at Orchard Knob Elementary, can easily explain what really happens. “Our teachers are judged by the state by what is known as the T-PASS system. It makes absolutely no sense. 

“The state takes the test scores from only our fourth- and fifth-graders and then judges every teacher in the entire school (kindergarten through fifth grade) on a ridiculous metric invented by some horticulture teacher who refuses to publicly reveal his methodology,” said Thirkill. “We have some kindergarten and first grade teachers who don’t even know the names of the children by whose results they are judged. That’s not fair at all.” 

Why HCDE requires 28 credits compared to the state standard of 22 is a little more complicated but also confusing. Here is what a friend just shared in a revealing email, “Most of our high schools are on a block schedule and students have an opportunity to earn more credits than the more traditional schedule of taking five to six courses per year.  Block schedules allow students to take eight per year, four each semester for a total of 32.  

“It may sound hypocritical, but because (our students) must take more courses, they are sometimes forced to enroll in courses they are not interested in or are prepared to do successfully.”
In an interesting aside, Hamilton County (Adult) High School only requires 22 credits and, with the block scheduling, a student can in theory complete his or her credit requirements a full year early. Why does HCDE have a double-standard? The only plausible answer is because we have had poor leadership. 

So why have we adopted block scheduling rather than the proven traditional method? I’m told the honest answer is that the teacher’s union actually hoodwinked a former superintendent and now we are bogged down in the mire. The teachers union knows that block scheduling -- 32 classes -- takes more teachers and costs more money. 

Conversely, privately-run Baylor School requires 22 credits and four are available through athletics. Don’t laugh, athletics teaches great lessons and Baylor is considered one of the top prep schools in the South. And, in case you failed to notice, Baylor had more National Merit Semifinalists than all Hamilton County high schools combined. 

So the answer the school board should seek immediately is obvious -- Are we penalizing HCDE students by forcing more classwork instead of grasping the idea 22 solid credits may help them achieve just as much or more? I think the best educators could argue it either way but to not conform to the state guidelines is pretty dumb. 

Traditional scheduling would allow more time for basic courses and stronger fundamentals, this in the opinion of one who once was forced to attend high school for an extra semester to obtain enough credits. Yes, a terrorist Nazi at a private school refused to transfer the credits that I had earned prior to my abrupt departure. 

Nonetheless, the selection of a permanent superintendent is now on the same timetable in a race with a cure for cancer so it is inherent for the school board, Interim ‘super’ Kirk Kelly and his staff to quickly determine three key concerns and – please – find the courage to act on them. 

First, a letter should be written to Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to keep her threats of taking over our iZone schools under her wraps. I am assured HCDE is actively and vigorously addressing key issues and any doubters need only visit Orchard Knob Elementary. I’m still shaking I am so thrilled over what I found to be the truth. 

Secondly, HCDE should not participate in teacher evaluations until our state legislators like Todd Gardenhire and Mike Carter can be convinced that a realistic and rational method will be utilized. To suggest it “works” in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis is neither rational nor realistic. The simple reason is that no one, even with a doctorate, can explain how fourth and fifth grader scores can determine the worth or the ability of a first-grade teacher who has taught in the same school for only two years. Shelby County just denied any raises to teachers deemed “least effective” and that is tragically unfair. 

Lastly, within the next two months the school board should investigate and hear logic between block scheduling and traditional scheduling. Fix it one way or the other. The county’s Department of Education should chart a course immediately on behalf of every high school student because – believe this -- until the playing field is level, our graduates will remain the losers. 

* * *
President Obama announced Monday that in 2014-2015 the highest high school graduation rate in our nation’s history was achieved – 83.2 percent. For white students it was 87.6, black students were 74.6, Hispanic students were 77.8, while Native Americans (Indian/Eskimo) were 71.6
Education Secretary John King said all credit should go to “teacher and families and students in their school communities.” 

royexum@aol.com

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