Russell teacher to testify at Senate hearing today

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February 27, 2008

By MIKE JAMES The Daily Independent Wed Feb 27, 2008, 11:09 PM EST

RUSSELL — Art teacher Tim Decker would rather see students drawing and painting than penciling in bubbles on standardized tests.

He is frustrated by what he believes are unfortunate changes in Kentucky’s educational system, changes made in response to the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990.

He is scheduled to be in Frankfort today to address a state Senate committee about it.

It’s part of the debate on Senate Bill 1, which would make sweeping changes in Kentucky’s accountability system, including eliminating the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System.

Decker, who teaches art at Russell Middle School, said he believes the laudable intentions that brought about KERA have been subsumed into a system that emphasizes testing.

More particularly, Decker believes emphasis on testing has weakened art instruction in Kentucky, substituting academic exercises for actual artwork.

Initial visions of student art portfolios were dropped in favor of an academic approach, what Decker calls “grocery lists” of art facts.

He believes Senate leaders, including Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, are being criticized unfairly for trying to change the system.

Whatever happens to the other parts of the CATS test, Decker hopes arts and humanities will be removed and a statewide assessment of student artwork will be initiated.

More broadly, he believes CATS tests are ineffective because, although they hold teachers accountable, students aren’t.

“If you’re going to blame teachers and hold them accountable, then students should be, too,” he said.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.

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