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Superintendent passes literacy test on 4th try
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Posted on 10/21/2003 11:57:33 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

The superintendent of a Massachusetts school district who failed a required English literacy test three times and put two dozen teachers on unpaid leave for failing a similar exam has passed on his fourth try.

Wilfredo Laboy, a native of Puerto Rico who moved to the United States when he was a child, faced the threat of losing his $156,560-a-year job if he didn't pass the Communication and Literacy Skills Test by December.

The Lawrence Eagle Tribune reports Laboy got his latest test results last night but would not discuss them publicly.

Lawrence, Mass., Mayor Michael Sullivan told the paper Laboy called him with the good news.

"He said 'I want you to know right now I passed the test,'" Sullivan said. "I said, 'Superintendent, tell me that again. I want to make sure I don't have a bad connection.'"

Laboy told Sullivan he scored a "100 percent perfect" on the portion of the test he had the most trouble with on three prior occasions – the writing mechanics section. Here, test-takers are required to transcribe an audio passage using proper punctuation, spelling and capitalization.

The schools chief, whose first language is Spanish, blamed his earlier failures on a deficiency in grammar and punctuation.

"If you're not an English teacher, you don't look at the rules on a regular basis," Laboy told the Lawrence paper in August. ''It bothers me because I'm trying to understand the congruence of what I do here every day and this stupid test. That's what, emotionally, I'm so upset about.''

Laboy also attributed his flunking to lack of preparation and concentration. This time around, Laboy pulled out all the stops and took three weeks of vacation at the start of the school year to prepare for the Sept. 13 exam.

School committee member Amy McGovern, one of Laboy's most outspoken critics, told the paper she was "glad he passed'' but added, "It's something that should have been done three years ago.''

The test Laboy failed assesses fundamental reading and writing skills expected of all entry-level teachers, including vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, spelling and capitalization.

In June, Laboy suspended 17 bilingual teachers who failed a similar state-required oral English fluency test. The educators are not allowed back in the classroom until they pass.

What was widely perceived as a face-saving proposal by Laboy to rehire some of those suspended was rejected by district officials in August.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: literacytest; testing
Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Quote of the Day by Qwinn

1 posted on 10/21/2003 11:57:34 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
OK, I'm pretty good with the english language, dogg! Like, where can me sing, I mean sine up for a job like dat? I won't mind been arund kids. I got stomak for it

I want to smell those 150G's !! now wat um sayun?

2 posted on 10/22/2003 12:10:20 AM PDT by GeronL (Please visit www.geocities.com/geronl)
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To: JohnHuang2
do you have a application for a job like dat?
3 posted on 10/22/2003 12:23:22 AM PDT by GeronL (Please visit www.geocities.com/geronl)
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To: GeronL
Ensgilh 101

Acocdrnig to an elgnsih unviesitry sutdy the oredr of letetrs in a wrod dosen't mttaer, the olny thnig thta's iopmrantt is that the frsit and lsat Ltteer of eevry word is in the crcreot ptoision. The rset can be jmbueld and one is stlil able to raed the txet wiohtut dclftfuiiy.
4 posted on 10/22/2003 6:16:08 AM PDT by demlosers
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To: JohnHuang2
How can one receive a copy of this test. It would be interesting.
5 posted on 10/22/2003 6:54:43 AM PDT by BIGZ
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To: demlosers
Wow! I don't think I could do that!

There was a guy on O'Reilly last night, representing a district. His 'english' was not very good - had a very strong accent. I have been in schools in the Houston area where it is hard to find someone in the office who can/will speak English. How can we expect the kids to learn it if the administration does not use it?

6 posted on 10/22/2003 6:55:05 AM PDT by mathluv
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: AR15_Patriot
As a retired math teacher, I am very concerned for the state of our schools. It may take a law to make English as our OFFICIAL language. I get mad at all of the things being put in Spanish. If they can't learn English, how can they vote?
8 posted on 10/22/2003 7:34:53 AM PDT by mathluv
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To: JohnHuang2
''It bothers me because I'm trying to understand the congruence of what I do here every day and this stupid test.

Jeez, I used to say the same thing about algebra & trigonometry, but that didn’t mean I could flunk the classes and still graduate. What a stupid example to set for the students, who probably cannot see the congurence between many thing they are doing in school and real life.

9 posted on 10/22/2003 10:03:31 AM PDT by gubamyster
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To: JohnHuang2
The best leaders lead by example. Mr. Laboy should have been sacked when he failed the first time.
10 posted on 10/22/2003 10:09:30 AM PDT by Spruce
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To: mathluv
What a crazy question? Don't you know only one letter is required for appropriate voting? D
11 posted on 10/22/2003 10:45:59 AM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies foreign and domestic agree: Bush must be destroyed.)
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