Education News

I think it is a little extreme that Tacoma schools are shutting down because of their poor test scores. I personally don't feel that the state exams we are forced to take are really the best measure of intelligence. Test scores can be lower than the student's real intelligence level due to stress and anxiety about tests like the WASL and now the HISPE. For our school passing these tests is a graduation requirement which just puts more pressure on the students to do well. A better way of judging the quality of a school would be over all grades. Chances are if the majority of the students at a school have good grades and/or are passing their classes then the teachers are doing something right. I do not agree with the schools that are shutting down and moving their students elsewhere. These students have grown up together and throwing them into a new environment where they have to start all over again probably isn't going to be beneficial to learning. Also wouldn't shutting down a school do more damage than good? Because if you are completely shutting a school down then not only are you taking students out of their comfort zone but you are taking teachers down to. And the job market is not good right now...it is very hard to find a new job. Plus wouldn't putting these students at a new school over load classes? And not to long ago teachers went on strike to reduce the size of classes. We don't want to go through that again.
I also know that if we shut down OHS I would be devastated. I have been in the Olympia School District my whole life. I have never been a new student. I have friends here. My best friend has been my best friend for 11 years. And there would be a possibility that we would be split up. But I also would not be happy if they let half our staff go. I personally like most of the teachers here...but others I have to admit I would not be so sad to see go. And I think that could be said for every school...so before anything rash is done...consider the consequences

click here to see an article on other school closures http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/16/AR2010011602687.html