Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a bill allowing a student who fails
the state third grade reading test to still be promoted if a team of parents and educators
approve. But after parents objected about the high-stakes testing their voices were heard and the state legislature voted to override the veto with a vote of 79-17 in the House and 45-2 in the Senate.
The legislative action means the bill immediately becomes law,
directly affecting nearly 8,000 Oklahoma students who scored
“unsatisfactory” on the test. Of those 8,000 students more than half were students who have IEP's.
Our State Superintendent of Education, Janet Barresi (whose background is dentistry, not education) was not a happy camper. “Today’s action is a pathetic and outrageous step back and returns us
to a failed system of social promotion that has served the education
establishment and little else.”
State Rep. Katie Henke, R-Tulsa, who authored House Bill 2625 to
relax the reading standard, said her legislation “empowers parents and
educators to make individualized decisions for Oklahoma students.”
State Rep. Jadine Nollan, R-Sand Springs, said the new law helps
teachers and parents who are trying to teach young people to read. “Children develop at different levels, so I just think having some
flexibility allows us to see how to best serve those students, and so
this gives us a chance to do that,” she said.
FINALLY.....someone listened....
My daughter, who has a learning disability, graduated from East Central University in Oklahoma and has been a teacher for the past 15 years but would still be in the 3rd grade if such a ludicrous requirement had existed when she was in public school.
Janet, I'd get my dental tools warmed up because I don't think you are going to be re-elected. Mary.....you may be going with her.
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2 comments:
“Today’s action is a pathetic and outrageous step back and returns us to a failed system of social promotion that has served the education establishment and little else.”
So your education superintendent thinks that passing a test for promotion is some kind of new innovation?
My father spent three years in 8th grade because he did not pass the required English test. That would have been 1923-24-25.
Yes it is not a new concept..didn't work then and won't work now. It just puts undue pressure on kids.
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