OGT News: Another teacher speaks out on the OGT
A guest column in the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum by the local high school band director makes an interesting point about his school district's priorities, finances and the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).
He criticizes the lack of importance regarding "humanities" in the school curriculum - in other words art, music, athletics, government and philosophy. He notes these subjects will likely be the first to go in Bucyrus if a proposed levy renewal fails. The school must teach core subjects like science, reading, math, social studies and writing because those are the subjects covered by the critical OGT. This year, for the first time, high school seniors must pass all five sections of the OGT to get a diploma.
Consequently, cash-strapped school districts are reduced to focusing on subjects "necessary" to get their students through. Unfortunately, the classes that make them well-rounded people - the humanities- are left in the dust.
These subjects are important to the people who will eventually guide the town, even if they are not important to the Ohio Department of Education, the teacher notes.
In Bucyrus, the levy renewal will cost the average homeowner $318 a year or about $26 per month. The band director thinks that is very little to pay for developing well-rounded, "conscience-driven, thinking humans," the kind of students he wants to teach.
He compares the $26 to the $50 he spent last month on pizza and says it wouldn't hurt anyone in the town to do without a little pizza for the sake of the school system.
It's interesting to note that the band director's column drew a number of blog comments from local residents - many of whom agreed with his assessment.
He criticizes the lack of importance regarding "humanities" in the school curriculum - in other words art, music, athletics, government and philosophy. He notes these subjects will likely be the first to go in Bucyrus if a proposed levy renewal fails. The school must teach core subjects like science, reading, math, social studies and writing because those are the subjects covered by the critical OGT. This year, for the first time, high school seniors must pass all five sections of the OGT to get a diploma.
Consequently, cash-strapped school districts are reduced to focusing on subjects "necessary" to get their students through. Unfortunately, the classes that make them well-rounded people - the humanities- are left in the dust.
These subjects are important to the people who will eventually guide the town, even if they are not important to the Ohio Department of Education, the teacher notes.
In Bucyrus, the levy renewal will cost the average homeowner $318 a year or about $26 per month. The band director thinks that is very little to pay for developing well-rounded, "conscience-driven, thinking humans," the kind of students he wants to teach.
He compares the $26 to the $50 he spent last month on pizza and says it wouldn't hurt anyone in the town to do without a little pizza for the sake of the school system.
It's interesting to note that the band director's column drew a number of blog comments from local residents - many of whom agreed with his assessment.
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