Blaming Schools for Test Scores Is Too Easy
State schools Supt. Delaine Eastin says: “The reality is that some of our schools are not adequately preparing all students . . . to pass the exam” (“Most 9th-Graders Fail High School Exit Exam,” June 8).
How insulting. It’s so easy to blame the schools when there is so much wrong with education. How about looking at the long-term effects of the academically diluted philosophy called whole-language learning? What about parental responsibility? Eastin also says that raising the passing score to 70% wouldn’t be “politically acceptable.” Well, it wouldn’t be socially acceptable to keep lowering it, either. Political correctness isn’t politically acceptable.
Reed Hastings of the State Board of Education says the state gave the test to ninth-graders “to find out which students have not gotten their due rights to an adequate education.” As if we teachers are withholding something. Assembly Education Committee head Virginia Strom-Martin says: “This is a work in progress.” She’s right. I just hope it isn’t Eastin or Hastings who leads the way.
Arturo M. Robles
Teacher, Bassett High School
Rancho Cucamonga
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