In Praise of Marfa Elementary School

By Kathleen and David Walstrom

No Child Left Behind legislation and its subsequent rules, regulations and labels remind us a bit of the Federal Tax Code.  Put in the hands of politicians, both are difficult to understand, and both are constantly changing.  In the case of the TAKS test, now named the STAAR, our experience indicates that once educators figure out how the system works and what is expected, the rules change.  Each change sends educators scrambling to understand, revise, and adapt to the new system.  Who benefits from this system, the children, the schools, or those who are able to line their pockets by writing, publishing, distributing and scoring the exams?  Also, did you realize that some of the data used in churning the numbers and deriving a school’s “rating” can only be gathered from parental voluntary self-reports?  Schools have no control over those pieces of information!

Is accountability for student learning important and necessary?  Absolutely!  Should we be measuring individual student achievement and growth from year to year?  Of course!  Is it important to analyze the success of all ethnic and socio-economic sub-groups?  Without a doubt!  Measures help us know where we are and where we need to go.  However, the pressure that is put upon individual students, schools and school districts across Texas with the convoluted and complicated system created by the state is appalling.  Students feel the pressure, curriculum is dictated, and passing the test/achieving a particular label necessarily becomes the single academic focus.  Unfortunately, this often results in crushing much of the spontaneity and excitement of teaching and learning.

As two retired educators with 55 years of combined experience as teachers (regular and bilingual programs), administration and supervision, we spend an average of 5 hours each week volunteering at Marfa Elementary School.  Here is some of what we have observed:

• The Principal and staff members demonstrate a sincere desire for all children to do well, not only academically, but also creatively and physically.
• Through collaboration of staff members, parents and community volunteers, the program for Gifted and Talented students has been expanded to provide more enriched and meaningful learning experiences.
• Curriculum is strictly aligned PreK through 6^th grade to ensure that no concepts fall between the cracks.
• Parental participation has increased – 81% of the parents attended the evening program this fall – PASS (Parents Are Star Supporters).
• Science Fair participation is required for all students grades 3 – 6.
• Periodic, coordinated exams (Benchmarks) indicating progress toward learning goals are scored and analyzed for each student school-wide.
• Multiple, creative, and hands-on ways of teaching the concepts are used in the classrooms.
• The expectations for students to understand ideas, not simply memorize information is pervasive.
• Students voluntarily remain after school for help with homework,  making corrections, and reading.
• Staff members come early and stay late to provide additional tutoring on state tested concepts.
• School subjects are taught only in English.  Non-English speaking students receive assistance with language transition, but classes are never taught in Spanish or other foreign languages.
• In addition to all of that, students are provided creative outlets through an exemplary art and music program!

Hats off to Marfa teachers!  We know you realize the expectations at hand, and we see you working hard to have every single student succeed and achieve higher goals.

The old saying “It takes a village to raise a child” continues to apply.  Will you be a part of the village?  Get involved, volunteer, help a neighbor, attend a school related event, become informed from the inside of campus life, and please don’t paint a picture of the school with a wide, uninformed brush.  Be a part of caring for our children, our school and our town.  It belongs to all of us.