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Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014
The Journal
OPINION
www.journalpress.com
VIRGINIA VIEWPOINTS
Too many tests Everyone who has gone to school has had to take tests. There are the infamous pop quizzes, tests on chapters, midterms, and finals. As for the questions, they come in all types. There are multiple choice, fill in the blank, true or false, essays, and math and science questions that include David S. Kerr that infamous phrase, “show your work.” During the course of twelve years in the public school system the average student has to take hundreds of different kinds of tests. I am 55 years old, have been out of school for a long time, and still from time to time have a dream that I have showed up for
class and the teacher is giving a test I didn’t even know about. That’s how deep seated the testing experience can be to some people. But, those are just tests written and given by teachers. Teachers need them to measure student performance. However, about twenty years ago, in an initiative launched by then Governor George Allen the Commonwealth introduced the “Standards of Learning.” The initial goal was sound. There needed to be a better way to track student achievement against a recognized standard. This approach contributed to better curriculum planning and continuity of instruction between grades. It wasn’t an easy transition, but more and more schools, thanks to this use of educational have improved their performance. Unfortunately, like every government initiative there is a tendency to go overboard. Now entire sections
Letter to the Editor Good golly Miss Polly! Another jammed packed Town Council meeting driven by a combination of desires to learn more about the burning of the Old Colonial Beach High School, a first peek at our new/old town council member, the Honorable Mayor Bone, a planned presentation and for some of us, listening to the dry work of governing our fair town. Reports concerning the school from several department heads could be summed up as the investigation continues, the cause is unknown and it may be wrapped up by Saturday. Praise (was) offered to all of the first responders and heartfelt testimony concerning the reaction from the entire region to render aid virtually minutes after the first alert was sounded. (This was) followed by a presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation to Ms. Helen Moffett, for her years of commitment and work on the Colonial Beach Tourism Council. (It was) given with all of the pomp and circumstance that a small town can offer, to include an escort by our Vice Mayor, Mr. Edwards, for the conclusion. Next on the agenda, Citizen Input, the Colonial Beach version of what is behind door #3. Say hello to Ms. Polly Parks. Announced candidate for town council. Who, for the next four trips to the podium, three of which informed us that she domiciles on the Point and she works at home, shared her world view of things wrong with Colonial Beach. Offering corrections for most of the pending resolutions. Starting with the incendiary question; why hasn’t the Town Government informed the citizens of Colonial Beach that an arsonist was afoot? Next offering advice on Res#1-14 (Robert’s Rules), Res#6-14 (solar panels and weather vanes), Ordinance #645 and Res#7-14 (verbiage). While most if not all of the suggestions offered by Ms. Parks had merit and criticisms of any that wish to participate with insights should be avoided, it is my hope that in the future, Ms. Parks’ blanket statements concerning the availability of documents to the public, such as the budget and the proposed changes to the comp. plan, would reflect reality and avoid hyperbolical statement for political purposes. I wish Ms. Parks well in her political ambitions and I am sure we can look forward to seeing her again. Charles Green Colonial Beach
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Dear Editor: If anyone rode by a burning house, I am sure everyone would call 911 and run to the house yelling to see if anyone was in the house. We would do all we could to save lives. This is what I am doing with all my heart. I write this asking if anyone does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Time is running out. This verse can be seen at football games, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoso ever would believe in Him will have eternal life…” God wishes none to perish but all come to repentance. Have you ever stolen anything, ever lied, lusted in your heart or used God’s name in vain. If you broke just one commandment you are in desperate need of a savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible says that if we reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior when we leave this world we will go to a place where the flames will never be quenched; a place of eternal punishment where there is no end. This sounds horrible but there is a way out and only one way. Please do not reject so great a salvation. In Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Come to Jesus just as you are and He will do the rest by making you a new creation.
of the school calendar are taken up with standardized testing. Between the standards of learning and the “no child left behind” requirements there are nearly 46 different standardized exams our students have to take before they graduate. Even over twelve years that’s a lot of examinations. Add these 46 exams to the regular rotation of quizzes and exams and it’s a wonder there is any time left over for instruction. Also, being standardized tests, usually multiple choice in nature the emphasis tends to be on rote memorization. The nuances of a subject, history or English literature for example, are hard to test this way. As is writing, argument and more advanced reasoning skills. Most teachers don’t teach to the test. But, many still feel this overemphasis on standardized has made it difficult for them to teach the way they should. It’s become far more difficult, as many teachers would like to do,
to go into more in depth on a particular subject or even to introduce something outside the curriculum other than that mandated and tested through the SOLs. Standardized testing is valuable, but too much testing and feeling that everything revolves around these standardized exams, is not a good thing. Already, children, starting in elementary school, under heavy pressure from the schools, suffer test anxiety when the SOLs are given. Usually that kind of fear is saved for later years. But, that’s on top of all the other tests (the ones that determine their grades) they have to take. There are several bills in the legislature aimed at curtailing the number of tests and revisiting their content. That sounds like a really good idea. That is, before someone dreams up another test. —Reach David Kerr at kerr@journalpress.com
Op-Ed LORI DEEM 2014. So begins a new year for King George county government. Will this be a year of growth and prosperity? Or a year of in-fighting, personal agendas and not so much accomplished for the good of the residents? On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the KG Board of Supervisors elected their chair and vice-chair for the 2014 year, and now the work begins. There are unresolved issues leftover from last year and there will be new ones popping up throughout the year. We all need to work together. Be respectful of those that disagree with your ideas. Keep an open mind to ideas that are different from yours. There are a lot of folks in the county that have very strong feelings about certain issues. Too many to list in this op ed. There are strong opinions and reluctance to make changes by residents and board members. But,
we can all listen to what someone has to say. “Just because it’s always been done this way “may work in a church setting, but it should have no place in a county board room. The entire Board needs to put the needs of the residents and the county at the top of their agenda, personal issues aside. The residents need to make their supervisor aware of their feelings, opinions and suggestions. I might have a Pollyanna view of how King George works, but I also have faith in the residents and the board to resolve problems and work with respect and integrity. We can make King George county one of the top ten places people want to visit and live in. We all know what the county needs. We know what we want. Let your representative know or tell another supervisor. Best wishes and much success to the 2014 Board members, the residents and the county.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, you are drawn to creative endeavors these days and have less patience for tasks that are not nearly as fun. Find a healthy balance between the two.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, uncover the source of a disagreement with a friend and try to come to a resolution before the disagreement escalates. Handling things promptly will pay off.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, expect to serve as a mediator for your loved ones this week. The issue that arises is relatively small, but your calm demeanor and cool head will be needed.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, attention to detail this week will prevent delays down the road. Keep this mind when tending to personal as well as professional matters.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you may be floundering a little in the romance department this week. Stick to what your intuition is telling you, and you will come out just fine.
CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 You may find your mind wandering this week, Cancer. You cannot seem to focus on the tasks at hand, but work hard to limit distractions and get your work done. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, respect a loved one’s decision to keep a certain matter private. There’s not much you can do other than offer your support and respect. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, carefully schedule your time this week. You cannot afford to get behind in work or miss any important appointments. Stay focused and leave some time free for the unexpected.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, you are focused on your work, but distractions beyond your control figure to prove frustrating. Try to remain as patient as possible, and everything will work itself out. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, take a breather and stop to give some careful thought to your recent experiences and your expectations going forward. You will benefit from this reflection in the long run. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, expect some valuable insight on your future to arrive in the next few days. It won’t be difficult to set plans in motion.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Editor’s Note: I received an email from Dahlgren District Supervisor Ruby Brabo, from her county email address, that included information about a public meeting, at the Dahlgren UMW campus, a public building, where a rezoning that is currently before the Planning Commission would be discussed. The email was blindcopied so I have no idea how many people received it. I assumed Supervisor Brabo wanted to let people know about the meeting. And because we had not published one of her Op-Ed articles in October, I ran the email as a letter to the editor. At that meeting, Supervisor Brabo said The Journal was “unethical” for publishing the item as a letter to the editor. No, it was not titled “Letter to the Editor.” We were just trying to do what we do, which is provide public information. —Jessica Herrink
25th Annual KGBA & Journal Home & Craft Show will be held on March 1 & 2 at the KGHS.
Becky Taylor Spotsylvania
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ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, though you are eager to plow through your to-do list, certain plans may have to be postponed due to circumstances beyond your control. Go with the flow.
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