To the editor:
I recently read the article about how our district performed on MCAS this year. I have been looking at these statistics for several years now, and sometimes we do better and sometimes we do worse. But what I find really frustrating is everyone’s reference to the scores in comparison to the average district in Massachusetts. In the past this has included comments from reporters, school committee members and the superintendents.
I would like to understand why we are not comparing these scores to those of the highest ranking schools. Isn’t that where Marblehead wants to be? Here are the statistics that should be reported.
The following consists of the percentage of students the met or exceeded the standard expectation of scores. For the lower grades, only fifth and eighth take the science exam.
The above chart shows that Marblehead can do much better. Our teachers won an enormous battle with salaries and benefits, the town passed a generous override and most of our parents are very supportive of the work it takes for a child to get a good education. I have had three kids go through the Marblehead system, so I could easily get into various individual teachers or departments, but I believe the results of the MCAS speak to the work that needs to be done.
As an aside, I don’t think cell phones or smart watches have any place in school at any time during the day. Unfortunately, the laptops can do most of what a cell phone does, so that is a problem that needs to be dealt with as well. Maybe backtracking to the old-fashioned way of teaching, even though it wastes paper, should be considered.
One of my kid’s favorite high school teachers did not let the kids use a computer or cell phone in his class. He was dynamic, not sitting behind his desk lecturing, but up and around the room, calling on students and making his class interesting. I am sure there are many teachers like that, but our kids’ feet need to be held to the fire. Kids need to learn how to pay attention, learn how and why to learn and learn to enjoy learning.
Technology can be learned quickly and easily afterwards.
Teachers have an incredibly difficult, though hopefully rewarding job. We need them to do it without distraction, not making it more difficult, and we need to give them the tools and skills to do it.
Yes, MCAS is just one way to measure a student’s success in learning, and just the basics at that. However, without strength in basics, the rest is exponentially difficult.
Marblehead can do better. Much better.
Lucie Burke
Abbot Street
