THE PAINE CORNER

THE PAINE CORNER

 

Centuries ago, Thomas Paine, a great visionary, realized that “common sense” prevailed in a world of uncertainty. This column is dedicated to him and others who believe that practical reasoning and sound principles of governance can truly make a difference in our society.

 

 

The Fall of the Delaware Student Testing Program

 

In case many of you have been distracted by the sunny skies (or the Clinton-Obama election barbs) during the past few weeks, a major shift has been occurring in the education debate in Delaware. As expected, the hot election year issue is whether the Delaware StudentTesting Program (DSTP) should remain a staple of our state’s education curriculum. Despite the minor chorus of opposition against the DSTP years ago, now the pendulum of change is swinging from supporters of the DSTP towards opponents of the controversial testing system (to the delight of this author). For many of you who have been engaged in this debate since DSTP’s adoption (particularly, those parents who are tired of this rollercoaster ride), the most pressing question is, “Why did our lawmakers and education leaders lead us down the DSTP path?” The simple answer is the DSTP was adopted by lawmakers as a band-aid to change an ailing state education system by checking the performance of our teachers. Sadly, like most band-aids, if not replaced by a permanent solution, the problem remains and persists.   

 

Adopted to serve as quality check in our education system, the DSTP requires our students to pass tests during certain grade levels to determine if they meet certain basic achievement requirements set by the state’s Department of Education. Unfortunately, under the DSTP, our teachers are the targets of lawmakers and education leaders who fail to provide adequate resources, support and money for our children. The DSTP, similar to other measures, grants too much emphasis on checking the performance of our teachers instead of preparing our children to compete in a 21^st century global economy. As a result, our teachers are forced to develop classroom curriculums around the DSTP, not the individualized needs of our children.

 

With our state education system showing very little signs of improvement since the adoption of the testing program, our lawmakers and education leaders are now abandoning the test faster than supporters of Howard Dean left him days after his infamous scream in Iowa in 2004. Many of our election year candidates, fearful of contradicting their prior statements in support of the test, are now calling for the DSTP to be “revamped.” With all due respect to our elected officials, you cannot make lemonade from a sour grape. Rather, the time has come for us to throw away the band-aid and begin to address the serious issues impacting our education system.

 

The rationale for opposing the DSTP has not changed; rather, its advocates (or former advocates) are beginning to realize that public education is designed to foster and develop the abilities of each individual child – not treat them as a group of identical cookies. Individuality and personal skill development are the basic tenets of an education system that led to the emergence of a prominent American society. Testing, on the other hand, seeks to label each child based upon a common set of requirements deemed important by those who develop the test. While it is important that every child receives a quality education in our state, we must allow our teachers to focus on developing the individual skills of every child. Then, and only then, will our education system be restored to greatness.

 

What if Washington, Hamilton, Madison and Adams (all recipients of public education) were required to take the DSTP instead of studying the principles of democracy and self-government? This great nation would probably be a colony of Great Britain today. Maybe the true solution is to administer the DSTP to our lawmakers and education leaders and judge their abilities. On second thought, I think it would be better if we didn’t know the results…

 

While I do not claim to have all the answers to our state’s education woes, I am reminded of Jefferson, who believed that public education was the greatest gift to the citizens of a state. Public education must provide our children with the tools to inspire them to achieve their full potential. Our lawmakers and education leaders must refrain from adopting testing fads that deprive our children of much needed classroom time and instruction.  

 

For those parents, students and other Delawareans who stood against all odds years ago by opposing the adoption of the DSTP to better the future of our children, this victory is for you.

 

The time has come for our lawmakers and education leaders to develop long-term solutions to our education woes, and stop providing us with cures that are worse than the disease….

After all, common sense must prevail.

 

 

Chipman L. Flowers, Jr., Esq. is President and Managing Member of The Flowers Counsel Group, LLC, a law firm specializing in corporate law. Mr. Flowers is active in national, state and local politics and is the chief Democratic political analyst for WHYY’s Delaware Tonight.

 

Comments can be sent to chip.flowers@flowerscounselgroup.com.