A KENTUCKY TEACHER TALKS POVERTY AND TESTING
by ANDY SPEARS
ntucky Education Report is always looking to highlight teacher voices on education policy issues. Too often, education debates leave out input from the frontline players: The teachers.
Today, teacher Tiffany Dunn shares with us her thoughts on two key issues: Poverty and testing.
About Tiffany Dunn:
I am a parent whose child (3rd grade) attends one of the highest performing elementary schools in the state (Kenwood Station – OCPS) and a teacher in one of the lowest performing middle schools in the state (Lassiter Middle – JCPS). I am in my 6th year of teaching and this is my 2nd year as an ESL teacher at Lassiter, a “low performing” school.
How she became an education activist:
I became involved in education activism after starting my first year at Lassiter. Going into the position (after seeing their KPREP scores – oh my!), I thought “great, I’ll stay here one year and get the heck out as soon as I can apply for a transfer!” BUT I soon found out that Lassiter is an amazing school with so many wonderful kids…poor kids. I found out that Lassiter has many great teachers, that the reason for the “low performance” wasn’t the teachers, it was the socioeconomic status of our students. Who knew all the bad teachers didn’t just congregate at all the “low performing” schools?!?! Now I’m telling anyone who will listen about the real crisis in education, poverty.
How poverty impacts the kids Tiffany teaches:
Lassiter is over 85% free and reduced lunch. We have a large ESL/LEP population. These kids are at a disadvantage. Most of them started school behind and they will stay behind because of the conditions they live in. They worry. They worry about food. They worry about utility bills. They worry about clothing. No child thinking Kentucky Education Report | A Kentucky Teacher Talks Poverty and Testing:
Lassiter is over 85% free and reduced lunch. We have a large ESL/LEP population. These kids are at a disadvantage. Most of them started school behind and they will stay behind because of the conditions they live in. They worry. They worry about food. They worry about utility bills. They worry about clothing. No child thinking Kentucky Education Report | A Kentucky Teacher Talks Poverty and Testing:
