tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post1020713382451570739..comments2024-03-28T00:33:53.397+13:00Comments on Local Bodies: Implementing League Tables Dishonest and UnethicalDave Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-9885441921838662342012-07-18T17:49:35.644+12:002012-07-18T17:49:35.644+12:00Believe it or not, the overall quality of teachers...Believe it or not, the overall quality of teachers in New Zealand is fairly high, as I discovered when I taught in the UK. <br /><br />While I accept that poor teaching should not be accepted the easiest way of ensuring quality is at entry level. If we attracted the best people then having high levels of accountability would be unnecessary.<br /><br />In my experience competency is a difficult area. I have known teachers who struggle in different year levels, but are excellent in others. I have known some young teachers who have received poor advice and guidance and are thrown into challenging classes before they are ready (this generally wasn't allowed when I first started teaching). I have experienced times myself when I haven't managed a class well because of too many children with high needs and little support. <br /><br />There are many situations where poor performance can be because of outside circumstances and not necessarily the fault of the individual. Where there are real concerns about a teacher's ability to cope, even with support, it is actually fairly straight forward to move them on if good process is followed. In actual fact teachers do not like teaching with people who let the side down through incompetence. <br /><br />It is also a pity that the government sacked most of our advisors and now we have little in the way of quality and innovative professional development.Dave Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-15883194448608472722012-07-18T13:47:38.583+12:002012-07-18T13:47:38.583+12:00I agree sort of, being mindful that the standards ...I agree sort of, being mindful that the standards were never put there for the purposes of league tables.<br />However, in fairness, if there was a way of identifing poor schools and poor teachers and dealing with properly, then we may not need any league tables.<br />And please dont say ERO is a good method, they have blinkers on that are predetermined and follow whatever agenda is flavour of the day.<br />Bad teachers - competancy is a terrible method for all involved and can takes years - pity the children all are caught in between.Towackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01432420166737157461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-40151129606196671762012-07-18T10:11:47.850+12:002012-07-18T10:11:47.850+12:00You make some good points, Towack, data without co...You make some good points, Towack, data without context is dangerous and the media do love to create drama when it may not exist. I also share your concerns about lazy reporting.<br /><br />I have pointed the finger at National because it is their attempt to use an assessment system that is not appropriate for providing comparisons between schools that is the crux of the problem. I have no problem with the OTJ method of collecting data because I can see benefits in this for identifying needs and improving professional understanding in two of the eight curriculum areas. However once National Standards becomes a high stakes assessment by being used to compare teachers and schools, it will lose what little integrity it has. Teachers will no longer use the assessments to help kids but make themselves and their schools look better. It will also discourage teachers and schools from sharing good ideas because it is in their best interests to look after themselves first. <br /><br />Schools and education communities work best when there is a shared responsibility for learning and a collegial approach to maintaining high standards across the system.Dave Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-49170867806196145882012-07-18T09:09:31.610+12:002012-07-18T09:09:31.610+12:00I'm on a school board. We looked at our first...I'm on a school board. We looked at our first decent national standard report last night. It was quite good, gave me an insight into where the school was heading and how different cohorts were performing, mind you I'm familier with the school and it's workings.<br />The issue I find is that those who are not familier with an individual school cannot read the info in context.<br />You mentioned your friend with an autistic child, a child who has learning difficulties can totally skew results showing a school to be doing poorly, when in reality that particular child could actually being doing very well.<br />You point the finger at National, the issue around league tables I feel will be the lazy reporting and the way that Kiwis now want scandel as news, rather than news. Reporters will happily find fodder for their crap reporting and blow it out of proportion without doing any individual researchTowackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01432420166737157461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-42255398239143112192012-07-17T17:43:31.538+12:002012-07-17T17:43:31.538+12:00Melulater- what is also concerning is the fact tha...Melulater- what is also concerning is the fact that the quality of advice on such important issue requires a good understanding of how our education system operates. Now that the new Secretary of Education has limited understanding of our system and there are few left in the Ministry who have ever worked in a school the quality of advice must be severely compromised. If the PM and the Minister refuse the advice of the profession and we have a Ministry that is more of a bureaucracy than a professional leader, we are doomed. :-(Dave Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-81446001639273010772012-07-17T16:23:56.174+12:002012-07-17T16:23:56.174+12:00Your point about how detrimental league tables wil...Your point about how detrimental league tables will be to small schools is very accurate.<br />I teach in a small school, with less than 50 pupils. There is only one Y8 and only one Y7 student. Their NS standings will be anything but private. And it won't be any better for the seven Y6 students or the seven Y5 students and so on...<br />Once again the small details have not been considered or thought through by the Minister or her hierachy in government or the MOE. And the more we point it out to them, the less they consider it. <br />I look forward to seeing the outcry from parents when their child's rights have been impinged by the PM and his mate Hekia.melulaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00912265739435105092noreply@blogger.com