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Community opposes state testing

Speaking out: Staples Principal John Dodig speaks to an audience of educators from all across Connecticut
Ale Benjamin
Speaking out: Staples Principal John Dodig speaks to an audience of educators from all across Connecticut

On Thursday, Nov. 21, the Bedford Middle School auditorium roared with the pleas of concerned citizens as Connecticut State Representative Gail Lavielle and Weston Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer asked for input on recent educational legislation.

Over 150 attended, including residents from Westport, Newtown, Shelton, and other towns.

The addressed legislation encompasses the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), new teacher evaluation system, and Smarter Balance tests. The standardization creates what some called a “one size fits all” approach.

However, Palmer noted that “One size does not fit all.”

This was taken with near-unanimous agreement as speakers voiced their issues with the Common Core, which is scheduled to begin at Staples in the spring of 2015.

Desiree Galassi, an Italian teacher at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, said the testing and standards will hurt students with learning disabilities. Galassi offered the example of a struggling student of hers whose grades vastly improved, but not within the course of a year, as the new evaluations demand, thus rendering she and her students “failures.”

Many others recognized this issue. Jack Bestor, an elementary school psychologist, was particularly concerned about learning disparities in younger children. The new legislation implies all students can reach specific standards by a certain age.

“Some children enter kindergarten as readers, some don’t recognize letters and numbers,” Bestor said.

The forum was also home to argument regarding the inefficiency of standardized evaluation in already thriving school systems. Principal John Dodig of Staples High School was quick to recount his experiences with this issue.

“The head of my math department tells me he spent three hours of his time scripting data into a computer, time that he could have spent working with a teacher,” he said, adding that the math CAPT scores at Staples are among the highest in the state. “The day [the people at Staples] stop doing well is the day that the state should start taking over Westport Public Schools.

Westport Assistant Superintendent Lisabeth Comm and Math Department Chair Frank Corbo also spoke against changes in testing and evaluation.

Smarter Balance Tests have frustrated students and educators alike, some speakers said. New York state has already issued the tests, and subsequently faced community protest.

Mary Burnham, an educational consultant, was concerned with the enormous 45 percent weight that Smarter Balance Test scores can have in teacher evaluation.

Teachers’ stress is then passed down to students, Burnham said.

“Students who have participated in trial Smarter Balance Tests have been stressed to the point of tears,” she said.

While Lavielle noted that her task force still has much work to be done with mandates, she reiterated her appreciation for the people’s support. She expressed frustration with attempts at the state level to stall the task force by procrastination in filling in committee positions.

“They can hold up the task force, but they can’t hold up the public,” she said.

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About the Contributors
Ale Benjamin, Managing Editor
Ale Benjamin ’15 started out like everyone else in the Introduction to Journalism class her sophomore year. However, the class wasn’t just a way to earn course credit; it turned into a passion that she practices like a passionate, seasoned athlete would practice her sport. “Anyone can write, but journalism is more than that. It’s about communicating,” said Benjamin.  Along with communicating people’s stories, Benjamin has developed a broader perspective on the world by taking journalism. In order to better her skills, Benjamin went to an investigative reporting program at Boston University this summer. Benjamin participates in many activities that all tie together, allowing her to become accomplished in everything she does. Along with being one of the managing editors for Inklings, she is also one of the program directors for WWPT, as it combines her interests of journalism and music. Despite her many academic pursuits, Benjamin isn’t all work and no play. She enjoys relaxing, physically active hobbies such as Yoga and Pure Barre. She has also been an active member of the Staples girls’ swim team all four years of high school.. Benjamin loves to travel, which adds a global perspective to her writing. She has visited many incredible places including Thailand, South Africa, and Australia. However, she doesn’t travel just for pure pleasure. Benjamin takes her helping hands on the Builders Beyond Borders service trip every February since her sophomore year. She has visited communities in the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and plans to go again to Guatemala this coming year. Her participation in Inklings and her many other diverse activities allows Benjamin to tackle each challenge she faces with the determination of a reporter ready to crack a case.
Michael Mathis, Web Opinions Editor
On any given day, Michael Mathis, Staples senior and Inklings’ Web Opinions Editor, is campaigning for governors, in the Inklings room editing stories, or on-stage, performing a stand-up comedy act. Mathis started journalism as a sophomore and, ever since then, seamlessly meshed his three passions: political activism, stand-up comedy, and Inklings. As Web Opinions Editor, Mathis is a column-generating machine.  He also edits students’ articles, and helps students brainstorm. Michael says that he enjoys combining his skills and interests, especially for humorous columns. He described one story that stood out about the importance of this generation not growing up too fast, saying, “I always felt that I was in two different worlds with my stand-up and my journalism, but I was able to incorporate my humor and I felt like I had crafted a stand-up routine in a column.” His background in politics also helps with journalism, as the two hobbies share similar values. Mathis says that the traits that create an effective political leader -- like his favorite politician, Teddy Roosevelt -- are similar to those of a journalist’s. Mathis said that whether it be a leader or a journalist they, “Are not afraid to say the unsayable and roll up their sleeves,” adding that the common thread throughout his stand-up comedy, political experiences, and journalism is “not following the limits of authority or society.”

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