When State Supt. Catherine puts out a survey or questionnaire to get “input” about a subject, it usually is constructed to become a self-fulfilled prophecy that is only a win-win situation for DPI’s image.

Here is the latest one:

It’s really not that long.

Publicity stunt pure and simple.

Why?

BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THESE GRADES ARE UNPOPULAR AND ONLY MEASURE HOW POVERTY AFFECTS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

When everybody gets a chance to give input into how schools are graded and labeled, it really makes one question how well the public knows the ins and outs of public schools. As a teacher, public school parent, taxpayer, voter, and public school advocate, I would caution anyone to not place too much validity in a questionnaire that asks people to say “Yes” (“Agree”) or “No” (“Disagree”) or “Unsure.” So many people could mark the same selection but each person could have totally different reasons for marking that answer. And a “Comment” section which only allows for 20 words? That’s not a comment. That’s a nice way of saying, “We really don’t want your input.”

The survey itself suffers from the simplistic construction and the absolute polarizing nature of the school performance grades themselves: 80% on test scores and 20% on growth. And those measures focus on a few classes and some interesting data analysis behind closed doors by SAS and their algorithms. That’s the same SAS owned by the Goodnights who have given the maximum campaign contributions to Catherine Truitt when she was running for state superintendent in 2018.

If Truitt really wanted feedback on school performance grades, then all she had to do was listen to teachers, parents, and students these last 8 years who have screamed that this system is a sham.

Like this survey. Because Truitt is not going to change how powerful EVAAS’s molds public perception our schools.

If Truitt really wanted to put out a survey that would give her real input, then she should survey teachers in this state about the new licensure / pay proposal and allow for comments to not have a word limit and for each question to have multiple selections to choose from – not three.