The Desert IndependentTM

Serving Blythe, California & the Desert Regions of the Southwest

Testing…..Testing….

By BOB JENSEN
The Desert Independent

Again the students in the Palo Verde Unified School District will be sharpening their #2 pencils and taking the STAR tests that determine how our schools are doing next week. It is indeed vital that parents and community members make sure that all students are in school and doing their utmost on these tests as the Palo Verde USD is indeed under a microscope from the State in regards to nasty things that can happen.

Parents could help out enormously by getting their kids to step up to the plate and, in conjunction with their teachers, implore them to do the very best they can. Plenty of sleep and a hearty breakfast are one way to ensure that the student’s brains are fueled up and ready to go as well as making sure that their students are indeed in attendance on the days of testing. This is not to say that attendance the rest of the year is not important as well. The PVVHS has had a decided drop in attendance this year, hovering around 88% ADA on any given day. The biggest factor in non-achievement is attendance in school. If a student isn’t there to absorb the lesson, it’s not likely to happen. But, as Bob Weete stated in his article in the PV Times, if a kid isn’t there to take the test, the State will automatically give him/her the lowest score possible. Even if a student is there and just plays connect-the-dots with the bubble-in answer sheets, it’s better than nothing.

Other nasty stuff can indeed happen if the test scores plummet. One of these is a lovely idea called “Reconstruction.” No, this does not refer to the period immediately after the Civil War, but effect is the same. A school designated for Reconstruction will see every member of the staff fired – from Principal to Custodian. Those fired will have the opportunity to apply for their old jobs again, but it may not happen. Tenure, which protects teachers from political shenanigans by a school board, will not apply. Those teachers who may have been outspoken or critical of the school district will no doubt not be rehired, much less those who have endeared themselves to the current and previous Board Presidents. Worse, this could open the door to hiring even more of Dr. Jensen’s relatives. Now, that would be a sticky situation.

Should the entire district find itself in academic receivership with continued low test scores, the District Office itself would face its own type of forced Reconstruction. A “Trustee” would be sent to send the Superintendent packing and negate the authority of the duly elected School Board. The Board would continue to meet, but would operate in an advisory capacity only. The Trustee could elect to heed their advice or follow his own preconceived ideas derived from an educational background about how the schools should be run – both morally and ethically.

Hmm….Why am I thinking that this would be a bad thing?