Comments on: Williams considers changing state’s math curriculum and ending CATS

By: Pam

Pam — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:14:22 +0000

I am a parent of 2 daughters who have now
graduated from high school and I must say that I agree with David Williams (I’m a democrat too!) CATS testing as far as I’m concerned has been pretty much useless. So has modern day teaching. We need to get back to basics and teach real math, reading
(starting out with Dick and Jane) and spelling. Most kids today have awful spelling habits because they were taught the “KERA” way. I respect education and teachers but we need to teach the way it was taught back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. We would have smarter children and teenagers I beleive. Lets take math back to the basics.

By: CATSisNOTthespice

CATSisNOTthespice — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:16:42 +0000

The comments of James are dead-on. I would venture to say that he has also produced incredibly bright children. Humble, even!

By: James

James — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:51:06 +0000

As a teacher in the state I can tell you that while the NCLB legislation and CATS as well as portfolio requirements brought about some great things, their implementation and effectiveness are a completely different issue. At the high school level, most teachers have been reduced to “teaching to the test” out of fear of losing their jobs as a result of not doing so. In addition, the ACT is a required test as well so not only must you teach strategies for one test but you have to turn around a month later and teach a completely different strategy. Portfolios are supposed to be representative of students’ abilities. For the most part they are teacher engineered out of the self same fear. Let us get back to the business of teaching our students analytical thinking skills instead of teaching to an exam.

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:29:44 +0000

A thousand David Williams and a thousand typewriters/keyboards —- he gets one almost right. And I don’t like that email method they’ve gone to, I prefer the phone in lines.

By: IMHO

IMHO — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:41:22 +0000

Careful Mr. Adkins, David Williams was outlining much of the same thing last night on Kentucky Tonight.

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:19:55 +0000

Obviously David Williams has been reading my mail.

By: agreement needed

agreement needed — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:52:13 +0000

Did Bill Adkins just agree with David Williams? The sky must be falling.

CATS is a joke and the way we implement testing is a joke. If eliminating CATS will jeopardize funding why other states get funds without CATS.

Why do we put so many people in jail and have to pay to keep them. I say put on a bracelet and let them pay their own way.

Why have we not heard anything about the cost of construction? Quit building monuments to mayors, judges and school administrators and start building functional buildings. Let the market decide wage rates not some union official with deep pockets from another state.

Come on Kentucky get a grip!

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:49:05 +0000

Department of Corrections has become an extravagance, because of its failure, that Kentucky can no longer afford. The proposal to cut education and leave corrections funding alone is backwards thinking. More education equals less corrections – I say increase education by at least 8 percent, look hard at higher education for increased funding so as to make it more available to PERFORMING students, and come up with alternatives to incarceration to those who\’ve committed non-violent and/or victimless offenses. The failure of corrections is an extension of the failure of the judiciary and the legislature. We\’re in a hole, people – time to stop digging.

By: IMHO

IMHO — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:23:10 +0000

test

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:49:42 +0000

Corrections should not be exempt from anything. We need to let more inmates have home incarceration, let them eat their own food, use their own electricity and have them check in every now and then. Then we can cut the Corrections staff, save on health care and finally get it under control. Look at the health care cost for inmates. They get better care than working people and that aint right. Corrections or any other 24/7 facilities should not be exempt from furloughs either.

The problem with the CATS testing is after it is administered in April, the teachers don’t do anything the rest of the year. Heck, might as well let the kids out early, cut the teachers’ salaries and save money there too.

Medicaid needs to be reformed too. We have too many people sitting at home just waiting for the check. We need to get them off their butt, turn off Jerry Springer and put them to work somewhere.