Your Opinion: Amendment would diminish quality of education

Dear Editor:

In 15 years of teaching, I have tried to do what is best for my students. But Amendment 3, which is on the November ballot, will make our job more difficult. Rather than teaching students to be problem solvers and critical thinkers, this poorly conceived amendment will require us to instruct all students to think alike. Instead of emphasizing innovative thinking, Amendment 3 focuses on standardized test scores. If passed, this amendment will have a negative impact on student learning.

As a former Teacher of the Year for the Jefferson City School District, I believe student performance on standardized tests has little relationship with how effective I am in the classroom. In fact, a recent study by the American Educational Research Association indicates student performance on standardized tests is not a good indicator of quality teaching.

Personally, I hope I have taught my students how to be analytical thinkers and effective problem solvers. If that process leads to a good score on a standardized test so much the better. Tomorrow's leaders will face new challenges that will require them to think "outside the box", and training our children to fill in the "right box" is not the right way to develop innovative leaders.

This amendment also diminishes the quality of education because it eliminates the value local school districts have placed in teachers and principals. Government bureaucrats far removed from educational settings will decide what goes on in the classroom, although they have no concept of how students and teachers interact on a daily basis. In short, Amendment 3 will strip away local control of our schools.

Proponents have made an inaccurate claim that teachers are not currently evaluated based on student performance. In fact, when administrators and instructional coaches currently assess teachers, student performance is a part of that evaluation process. The difference is that under Amendment 3, local school districts will no longer have autonomy in this process.

Currently, local communities, parents and school boards determine what they want from their teachers. Amendment 3 forces a "one-size-fits-all approach" that emphasizes standardized tests in place of problem-solving skills, independent thinking and individual student needs. For these reasons I urge you to join with me and your fellow Missourians who value education to vote no on Amendment 3 on election day.