The “Context” Argument on Proficiency is Problematic, Lazy, and a Throw-Back to Four Years We Don’t Want to Live Through Again

John Migueis is a Parent of Two Children in the District

Let me start by saying I strongly considered voting for Dr. Moore. That ended yesterday when I read his article on Rankings.

How can Moore argue from a context perspective when he neglects to include proficiency in his article on rankings when that is the primary variable that drives them? How can he argue context when he neglects to include price per pupil?

For the past three years, this is the “context” the District tried to sell us on:

“COVID is the reason”- as if all the other school in this list did not have to deal with this issue

“Special needs are the issue” as if no other district has special needs students. Speaking of context, Moore indicates 17% of our students are special needs without including percentages from other Districts – context?

“All our kids are going to magnet schools” again a reality every District is dealing with.

“AP Students don’t care and don’t try on the tests” – again- every District has AP students.

We couldn’t get to the “context” because for the past three years, the District has failed to acknowledge this issue until this year, thanks to our efforts and several BOE members who asked the tough question.  We even had sitting a Board Member misinform the public about reports concerning this issue.

The District itself FINALLY acknowledged a problem this year.

That’s the “context” we’ve been existing in for the past four years.

Moore’s article pissed me off because it’s using an argument that takes us back to the prior superintendent and that IS harmful for the honest conversations our District needs to have.

Is 49% proficiency okay for science?

Is 69% for Math? 

Is that “good ” in a district with the highest spending compared to six similar districts?

I’m not clear why he or anyone on the EIC ticket (that is what they refer to themselves as) can’t even acknowledge people with concerns about this have a valid point.  His article was a continuation of “OMG they don’t know what they are talking about” and it’s just not true.

If Dr. Moore had been interested in context, he would have at least read and considered the suggestions an educator included in his article on this issue, including our suggestions from a year ago. What is not included in these articles is a drop schedule in middle school that has kids losing math and science classes.  Here is some context.

We can’t go back to that way of thinking.  We’ve worked way too hard to have this issue on the radar to have another three years of “everything is fine- you don’t know what you’re talking about“.