“The New Normal”: New York to Lower Math and English Proficiency Standards Due to Poor Test Results

Jonathan Turley Res Ipsa Loquitur ^ | 03/17/2023 | Jonathan Turley

[thegagline]

I recently wrote how public educators and unions were methodically killing public education. The best example this week comes from New York where a school board committee has solved the dismal math and reading scores for children in the system . . . they lowered the standards. This is not the first system to gut its standards rather than improve its quality of education. As teachers and unions object to school choice, they continue to make the case for private education. Parents are increasingly voting with their feet. The board is simply calling the lack of proficiency “the new normal” and changing the standards. Done.

New York will permanently lower the math and reading proficiency standards after embarrassing results in state testing. It is akin to shortening the 100 yards dash to 50 yards to stay competitive on speed. *** There is now an acceptance that the public schools cannot actually educate students to proficiency levels needed to succeed in the modern world. In the meantime, some districts are moving to a four-day work week for teachers to reduce stress.

We previously discussed the elimination of gifted and talented programs to achieve equity by artificially lowering everyone to the same level.

Other schools have eliminated the “F” to guarantee 100 percent passage rates.

Still others have suspended proficiency standards to simply graduate students who cannot reach required levels in writing, math, and English.

There is also a move to end standardized testing.

In a prior column, I was particularly moved by the frustration of a mother in Baltimore recently who complained that her son was in the top half of his class despite failing all but three of his classes. Graduating students without proficiency in English or Math is the worst possible path for these students, schools and society. ***

[Nifster]

True words