Now Begins Phase Two

A Look Back and a Push Forward

It’s June. The school year has flown by us. As long as we survive our inescapable exams, we are virtually home free until September. Advice for your summer: enjoy it, but do not waste it. This school year represents a milestone. It is an ending. It is a beginning. It is the end of a school where students can graduate without proving theoretical “proficiency” through a diploma system. It is the beginning of a grim reality. When May and June roll around next year, the class of 2008 may still be guinea pigs. Keep in mind, though, the ball is in our court.

We have made a lot of progress. However, that progress will need to continue rather than dwindle if anything substantial is to transpire. I want to take this time to look back on the school year, specifically on the second semester. Second semester of this past school year, to me, was phase one. Together, we reached our administration. Together, we reached the RIDOE. Together, we reached the USDOE. And together, we will achieve more.

Now, we focus our efforts. As we move into summer, instead of relaxing, we need to gain momentum. After being enlightened with experience over the past few months, we now know more specifically where our solution resides. It resides in concentrating our resources on the correct targets, so to speak. And because of the events of the past few months, we now know precisely who and what those targets are.

Write a letter. Or borrow the one(s) I plan on posting in the near future as reusable templates. This may seem redundant, as I have advised you to write letters in the past. However, this time my message is different. At that time, back in February, I saw our issue as a national one. I believed its roots rested in No Child Left Behind.

I was mistaken. As Mr. Sentance, the regional representative for the Secretary of Education, the USDOE official who came to visit our school, explained to me, the USDOE does not create graduation requirements. The USDOE only cares that graduation requirements exist. It is, in fact, the RIDOE’s responsibility to specify what those requirements entail.

Our aim is a new one. First, we must write to state government officials, such as Dennis Algiere, our local State Senator. Also, we must reach out to Governor Carcieri and inform him of our woes as well. For now, I believe these are two viable “targets” for our purposes. Begin to write your own letters, but if you do not feel compelled enough or capable enough to do so, I will create template messages for you all to utilize.

Welcome to phase two…

History is Repeating Itself

Throughout history, the populous of Rhode Island has fought for what it believes in despite its small size. Pioneers such as Roger Williams originated the colony based on the undeniably American principles of free religion. However, feats like this were not accomplished at the hand of one person. Only together, as a unified state, were their philosophy and culture able to persevere and flourish. In the same vein, only as a unified constituency will we achieve our goals.

Across the world, PBGR systems have failed to hit their mark. At Beacon School in Manhattan, they believed they had finally solved their problem of how to best asses their students. They instigated the portfolio system. Like many other schools, their beginning was a struggle to perfect their system, but eventually worked into a pattern which allowed the portfolio system to succeed, for a time.

This success, however, did not last long for troubles soon came to their students. Students had trouble managing their school work, studying for their regents exam - one of the toughest of its kind - and attempting to complete their portfolio. Beacon's students only experienced stress and frustrations. Not only were they required to pass their classes and receive the necessary amount of credits to graduate, but they also had to pass a statewide standardized test and complete their portfolio.

Many faculty, educators, and students at Beacon School and other schools throughout the nation find the system to be “very time consuming” and "Officials object to using portfolios for assessment because they are too subjective". Depending on a given teacher’s standards, a student could pass the assignment with one teacher, and fail it with another.

Our state education department claims that the diploma system has a valid purpose, but I disagree. On the contrary, the system is invalid. The history, the facts, and our very own school’s experience collectively contradict this supposition. We cannot allow our government to control us. We cannot lower ourselves to becoming nothing but wet tar ready to be steamrolled by an authoritarian power.

We must stop the injustice. We must accelerate our campaign against this unnecessary hindrance to our graduation. All it has caused for students is frustration and turmoil. The system itself may slowly improve, but not in a manner great enough to suit our student body, or our state. We must become an impetus for the entire state; the impetus for the change we so dearly need. No person by themselves can change the system, but together, as a student body, we can accomplish any feat. So it’s up to you to join the cause in making our education a more sensible and less frustrating system than it already is. After all, it is our education…

Hindsight is 20/20

As Long as it's Utilized

The war that America currently finds itself engaged in permeates through the media as a constant, pressing issue. It represents a conflict that some say could have, should have, or would have been obviated had American government officials considered history rather than selfish, short-term motives. Although not as frequently in the public eye, education similarly presents a burning concern across the nation, especially in our own state of Rhode Island. Paralleling the war, the problems and hassles Rhode Island's education system now faces could easily have been avoided with a simple review of past failures of comparable programs.

Recently, I acquired a report from the RAND Corporation entitled "Can Portfolios Assess Student Performance and Influence Instruction? The 1991-92 Vermont Experience." Mr. Michael Sentance, one of the Secretary of Education's regional representatives, referred me to the report through this insightful article also regarding portfolio systems. It is important to note that, however non-surprising it may be, Vermont's portfolio system was poorly planned, poorly implemented, and subsequently failed. (bells should be ringing... familiar bells)

After reading a good portion of the report, I realize what it truly represents. First, even though it tells a story of failure, I know the report possesses bounds of evidence to support our side of the story. However, by doing this, the report details the grim realities of the Vermont experience, which almost frighteningly parallel the dilemmas we are dealing with in our schools every single day.

Over the course of its one-hundred and seventy pages, RAND’s report comprehensively outlines both the positives and negatives of Vermont’s system from its very inception. In what I have reviewed so far, I feel that these following quotes characterize the most compelling excerpts in the report:

"The most serious problem was continuing confusion on the part of many teachers about the purposes of the... portfolios and the proper practices to use to implement the assessment system."

"The rater reliability of portfolio scores in both mathematics and writing was very low."

"Most teachers felt they were unprepared to use the portfolios on at least some occasions."

"...evaluation of validity was hampered by the lack of a sufficiently clear definition of the attributes the portfolios are intended to measure."

"Teachers also raised concerns about the lack of information from the state and the rapid speed of the reform."

"...the portfolio assessment generated some negative attitudes on the part of teachers and principals. Both groups perceived the time and resources demands to be burdensome."

"...the partial success attained to date has come at a high price in time, stress, and money."

All of these shortcomings are uncannily similar to the continuing complaints from students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others in Westerly and around Rhode Island.To imagine that the Vermont experience transpired roughly sixteen years ago is unsettling. Perhaps Vermont, in its experience, can teach little Rhody a thing or two about education reform.

Hindsight is 20/20, unless of course it is not utilized. And in this case it clearly was not. This report is free of charge (save for shipping charges). I would have a hard time believing that cost would put any substantial dent in the R&D budget for state education reform. The report is clear in its findings. It is as clear as hindsight- 20/20. I sincerely hope that this report can find its way into the hands of the right people. Then, perhaps, they will be able to see clearly as well.

A (Mostly) Visual Update

Past, Present, & Future

In lieu of elaborate writing and verbose parables, tonight I have opted for an update composed almost entirely of images. And so it commences:

I returned from Spain last week. It was an enlightening, eye-opening, and extremely fun experience.

I apologize for the lack of updates. Like I’ve said before, I’m swamped with other commitments but I’m doing my best. The meeting, which I was unable to fully summarize before I left, was a success.

It was a milestone for all of us, and now that the expectation has been raised astronomically, I know that progress is anticipated.

In the meantime, between my return and now, I managed to send “thank you” e-mails to both the state and federal officials from the initial meeting. I hope to remain in contact with either one or both of them.

However I want to reiterate that I can not reach our goals by myself; I need the help of every concerned student. Do anything you can.

As for what is happening in the immediate future, I have the following information to relay. I will meet with various officials on Wednesday, along with a few other students, in order to discuss the problems of and suggest improvements for the actual software of our current portfolio system.

The future is bright, and I hope that more and more people associate themselves into activism as time goes on. I feel that together we can make a change and this is evidenced by the fact that we are in the middle of progress right now. Think about it – the regional representative from the federal Department of Education was at your high school discussing your issues.

The worst course of action for us as students to take would be to stop and become dormant. We must continue to increase our volume and continue to be heard. Remember, I am not alone, and I cannot solve this problem by myself. In fact, a solution will not come about without collaboration and cooperation between students of every background. One person can only do so much. Masses of people are required to truly make a difference.

A Brief Hiatus

A Summary of Current Events

Much has been transpiring as of late in the busy life of mine. We all need rest, though, and tomorrow morning, I will be fulfilling my proficiency in relaxation. As much as I would like to be able to write up a detailed report about my meeting on Monday, time is lacking, and I will have to hold off on that until I come back from my 9-day trip to Spain which begins tomorrow.

However, I will touch on that important event briefly. I can fathom a number of various descriptions for what occurred on Monday afternoon. Among them: a rare opportunity, a personal landmark, and a collective victory. Needless to say, it went well. Alas, legislative mandates are not reversed over the course of two hours.

More than anything else, I would call the meeting a good start, and a significant beginning point for a process that, as I have stated previously, will be a long one. Certainly, it was a positive and worthwhile experience for me. I learned a great deal, as I hope the other men and women there with me did as well. I remain optimistic and moreover, I have gained a newfound outlook for this movement that will become prevalent with time.

The night of the 20th is when I will come home, but my life will be no less hectic when I return from Europe, believe me. As a side note, I'd like to address the problem of the school's filter software regarding the blog, as expressed in a previous blog post. Thanks to a helpful friend, you may now access the site from school at this address: itsoureducation.mihopa.net

For now, I will leave you with a quote, for you to examine and muse over this vacation week. The quote is from historian, Howard Zinn, and it reads:

"One of the things we can learn from history is that history is not only a history of things inflicted on us by the powers that be. History is also a history of resistance. It's a history of people who endure tyranny for decades, but who ultimately rise up and overthrow the dictator. We've seen this in country after country, surprise after surprise. Rulers who seem to have total control, they suddenly wake up one day, and there are a million people in the streets, and they pack up and leave. This has happened in the Philippines, in Yemen, all over, in Nepal. Million people in the streets, and then the ruler has to get out of the way. So, this is what we're aiming for in this country. Everything we do is important. Every little thing we do, every picket line we walk on, every letter we write, every act of civil disobedience we engage in, any recruiter that we talk to, any parent that we talk to, any GI that we talk to, any young person that we talk to, anything we do in class, outside of class, everything we do in the direction of a different world is important, even though at the moment they seem futile, because that's how change comes about. Change comes about when millions of people do little things, which at certain points in history come together, and then something good and something important happens." (2006)

Student, Westerly High School

All it took for Uncle Sam to find me

…or at least that and my name. Thursday, the twenty-ninth of March seemed innocuous, harmless, the same as any other typical day of the week. First period passed, uneventful and uninteresting. Second period subsided, a testament to normalcy. I proceeded to plod across the walkway, teased by a guise of New England spring.

Barely through the door into my third period class, I was greeted by a message that I had been called down to the office. (I would later discover that I was called down as "Theodore J. Capaldi," the name with which I signed the letter) So, after dropping my books and jacket, I traversed downstairs to the principal's office, anxiety increasingly disrupting my demeanor. Confusion, apprehension, and uncertainty crept in with every step I took toward the office.

As I sunk down into the seat, I immediately noticed the school resource officer seated over to the left. All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind, yet I remained composed. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble," were the first words from the principal's mouth, lifting what felt like thousands of pounds from my shoulders. Still, the purpose of the visit stood unclear.

Right away she mentioned a letter to Senator Reed. Surely, she was referring to the letter that I had posted on this blog on the previous Monday night - the entry directly below this one. However, this baffled me, because I had not even mailed the letter at this point, and the idea that my school principal had been browsing my anti-PBGR blog seemed a bit farfectch'd.

Through the discussion that followed, the three of us in the office concluded that my letter had been unearthed by some government agency. (Editor's Note: In fact, however, we were wrong - the representative from the USDOE actually discovered it himself) The principal informed me that the the United States Department of Education (USDOE) had contacted the Superintendent of Westerly Public Schools regarding my letter. Furthermore, they had expressed interest in sending a representative to meet with me to discuss the contents of the letter, citing feelings that the letter was "well-written," but also that I may be "misinformed."

We agreed that this was a positive development. I told her that I was hopeful and optimistic for the meeting. In reality though, every single imaginable emotion overwhelmed me as I made my way back to class with a grin on my face and a skip in my step. This is to be expected when one is tracked down by one's government in less than 36 hours. This is the fact of the matter, though. Big brother is watching.

Tomorrow is the day. It is the day I will meet with the USDOE. I remain hopeful and optimistic. I know that I will not only be speaking for myself, but for the entirety of the student body, and all of Rhode Island's frustrated and concerned students. This will be the prevailing thought in my mind tomorrow. Although I see this as progress, and am equally excited as I am surprised that I have gotten this far, I am not one to count my chickens before they hatch. I do not expect any success to be instant, but I feel that exercising our first amendment rights and voicing our collective grievances is the greatest success we can all have.

The unprecedented support from students of every class, teachers, administrators, and other adults encourages me to carry on, and I appreciate it wholeheartedly. I find this quote from Voltaire very grounding, however:

"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."

By no means do I view the government as a grim and threatening force that will put down any subversive that plots against it. Nor do I see myself as any sort of radical subversive. Tomorrow represents the beginning of a culmination of all our efforts to make a change. Through compromise and a scrupulous consideration of the everyday realities, I hope that our tribulations will be realized tomorrow, and I will do my utmost to see that it happens.

Letter to Senator Reed

The Initiation of Interaction

My life continues to become more and more hectic, but I will do as best I can to keep up with this new feature. Below is a sample letter that I will be editing and sending off to Senator Jack Reed. Eventually, I will post letters to other important Rhode Island politicians.

I attempted to keep the letter to one page in order to be succinct and concise. I wouldn't want to ramble when I'm trying to keep the Senator's attention throughout the letter. I tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but surely that will improve as I write more letters. Moreover, I again encourage you to write letters or e-mails of your own to Senators and Representatives. (especially ones previously listed on the site) I hope that you will take a lead from my letters, but definitely integrate your own personal touch to your letters. Remember, every small piece counts.

But without further adieu, the first letter:

[Return Address]
[Return Address]
26 March 2007

The Honorable Jack Reed
201 Hillside Road, Suite 200
Cranston, RI 02920-5602

Dear Senator Reed:

As a teenager and high school sophomore in Rhode Island, I find it difficult to avoid constantly being bombarded by my education. It began early, remains prevalent today, and represents the foundation of my future. Like your website states, I agree that “education is the key to our economic future.” This fact remains legitimate on the individual, state, and nationwide levels. In that regard, I am both grateful and impressed to discover that you helped engineer a program that has contributed nearly one hundred million dollars to school libraries.

Rhode Island is a great state, and I am certainly proud to live within its borders. Still, it is not without flaws. The most widely sweeping reform in national education over the past several years has been No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Frequently, the press touts this legislation as President Bush’s signature domestic achievement. However, I beg to differ. In my experiences with the programs and policies brought on by this federal mandate, I have met not only frustration and disappointment, but most of all a sense of infidelity to tangible student needs.

Especially in Rhode Island, the problems in education have been miscalculated. Proficiency-based Graduation Requirements (PBGR) allocate augmented burdens of stress to high school students already pressed with an assortment of academic demands. Still in its developmental stages, this system strives to standardize the success of every high school student in the state through the ambiguous label of proficiency. On a scale of just 1 through 4, each student’s work is evaluated, with a three representing minimal required proficiency. Keep in mind these rubrics are graded subjectively by hundreds of different teachers around the state. It is hard to argue that the premiere work of an Advanced Placement student can be equated with the best of a College Prep student. Furthermore, proponents of this incomplete system deduce that the e-portfolio will benefit students in the future. Frankly, however, universities and employers will not sincerely browse an applicant’s 24, 48, or 72 artifacts. My peers and I feel strongly about this issue, and we collectively urge you to further research the subject and exercise influence to rectify the matter.

Respectfully yours,

Theodore J. Capaldi
Student, Westerly High School