Education gets a hearing

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Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider takes notes as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell answers a question from the floor and State Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, listens during the Education Forum held in Bakersfield.
California education got a hearing in Bakersfield, when state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, conducted an informational, town hall-type “education forum” at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office on June 10. Educators and concerned citizens filled the conference room to standing room capacity, to hear from the leaders in state, county and city education. Ashburn was accompanied by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and State Secretary of Education designee Alan Bersin from Sacramento. Kern County education was represented by Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider, Kern High School District Superintendent Don Carter, Bakersfield City School District Superintendent Jean Fuller and Pat Alexander, administrator of instructional services for the Kern County superintendent.

O’Connell spoke first and stressed the need for getting California’s students energized about education. He said, “We must do a better job of keeping children from falling through the cracks. The dropout rate in California is too high. We have a mobile population and too many students feel disconnected. We have to do a better job of preparing them for college and the work place.”

Next up was Bersin who stressed the need to maximize spending. Bersin said, “We cannot have a single pay system that will not allow us to provide more incentives. We have to step forward to reward those who want to step up and teach math and science and in lower performing schools.”

Alexander gave a PowerPoint presentation that showed all Kern County schools are making progress on the Academic Performance Index (API), the state’s measurement system based on standardized student testing results. She also outlined ways schools, teachers, parents and government can make a difference to ensure student performance continues to grow and meet state and national goals. Alexander summed up her presentation by saying, “Our goal in Kern County is to make sure it doesn’t matter what classroom your child is in next year.”

Reider followed up by pointing out some of the positive steps Kern County has already taken to improve student achievement and drew applause when he said, “We want a fully qualified teacher in every Kern County classroom. Working with elementary, high school, community college, and university educators, we have reduced the number of teachers working on emergency credentials from more than 1,050 five years ago to less than 150 today. Cal State University Bakersfield and other private colleges are committed to increase openings in their teacher training programs.”

Fuller pushed for making the API and the federal government’s yardstick for school success, Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), more understandable for parents. She also asked for help from the state in getting textbooks and devising a statewide teaching strategy for students in kindergarten-through-grade three, which Fuller said does not currently exist.

High schools are taking the hardest hits in student accountability, according to Carter. He pointed out how the AYP’s system, which identifies 29 percent of high schools as needing improvement, is flawed. “AYP puts high schools at a significant disadvantage,” Carter said. “The measurement is based on tenth graders’ success taking the California High School Exit Exam. Schools are given no credit for the improvement those students make the remaining two and a half years. Why measure after only 15 months and not account for a program to follow their progress? It is not an accurate assessment of our students. The people of California have a right to expect accurate indicators to see how their schools are performing. Without them, ways to help our under performing schools succeed will not be found.”

Ashburn then opened the meeting to discussion from the floor.

Audrey Cochran, who works with special education students through Health Care Planning and Education for the Elderly and Their Families, told the panel, “How can my students be expected to take the California High School Exit Exam, when many can’t even sign to show they need to use the toilet?”

Michael Daillak, a Bakersfield accountant with sons attending Kern County schools, decried what he called an overemphasis placed on homework assignments. “With homework weighted at 25 percent, a ‘C’ student who refuses to do it can end up with an ‘F,’” Daillak said. “If a student can pass all his in school tests, we ought to find a way for him to dodge the nuclear bomb that prevents him from graduating. Not doing homework could lower the grade to a ‘C’ or ‘D,’ but not an ‘F.’ You need to discontinue the late homework policy and early counselor intervention is necessary when a person is identified as failing a class.”

Scott Semar, a continuation school teacher, outlined his three ways to help underperforming students. “First, get students involved in their own education,” Semar said. “Second, instruction is more important that curriculum. We need inservices (training) on instruction because we have too many teachers who can’t teach. Third, change the way we fund schools. ADA (Average Daily Attendance) is not the way. It forces schools to keep children in class who are disruptive so the school can get paid.”


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