FORUM
It's education malpractice
not to focus on students
Henry
Pankey
Guest
Columnist
"From kindergarten to
12th grade, students attend
school 13,000 hours, yet
they oniy receive two days
of individualized instruc
tion" (E-Learning 2010:
Assessing the Agenda for
Change, Education Week,
April 28,2010).
One daily lesson plan is
presented to pupils with
various learning styles.
One size does not fit all in
learning or testing!
College professors lec
ture to future teachers.
Consequently, they emu
late the professors, many of
whom have never worked
in K-12 classrooms.
Undoubtedly, all chil
dren can learn, but the
adults charged with their
safe passage must create
student-centered schools
that increase opportunities
to achieve. They should
also provide a way for stu
dents to receive rewards,
recognition, grades, and
credentials related to their
multidimensional . intelli
gences. School- districts
pride themselves on train
ing in Howard Gardner's
Multiple Intelligences, but
their standardized tests
measure limited linguistic
and logical-mathematical
skills. School activities
and examinations ignore
Howard Gardner's
Multiple Intelligences:
If educators know of
the seven intelligences, it is
irrational and illogical to
only evaluate a few. Those
chosen may not be the
strengths of students. I do
not know the linguistic
ability of Michael Jordan
or the kinesthetic intelli
gence of William
Shakespeare. However,
based on their roads to
fame, it is reasonable to
surmise Michael is a kines
thetic-spatial genius and
Shakespeare possessed
remarkable linguistic intel
ligence. These are hypothe
ses that highlight weak
nesses of limited assess
ment instruments. Imagine
if Shakespeare was given
the kinesthetic tests and his
grades were a graduation
requirement. Let's suppose
Michael Jordan's writing
ability was his ticket to job
security.
What about dancers,
athletes, singers, visual
artists, the social butterfly,
mechanics, etc.? Stevie
Wonder and Jose Feliciano
are musical geniuses, but
today's test may have
placed them in the
Exceptional Children's'
program for the visually
handicapped. Would Joan
Rivers or Jay Leno's antics
result in school suspen
sion? Are African
American males doomed
for out-of-school suspen
sion because of their ability
as elocutionists, rap artists,
or oratorical skills? Maybe
pupils are giving us hints
how to teach. Are we stuck
in tradition? Why do we
refuse to address multiple
intelligences? Maybe low
test scores represent aca
demic rebellion or civil dis
obedience!
Is that Martha Graham,
Fred Astaire, ' Judith
Jamison, Beyonc6,
Michael Jackson, Bill
Bojangles Robinson,
Agnes Qe Mille, Alvin
Ailey, Debbie Allen, the
Dance Theatre of Harlem
and Usher dancing in the
halls? Are Celine Dion,
Leontyne Price, Pavarotti,
Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross,
Smokey, Stevie, Luther,
Gladys and Aretha Franklin
singing in the cafeteria?
Michelangelo, Glenda
Wharton, Gilbert Young,
Maya Angelou, Tyler
Perry, and Picasso are writ
ing-painting graffiti on the
walls. Richard Pryor,
Lucille Ball, Eddie
Murphy, Johnny Carson,
Freddy Prinze, George
Lopez, George Lucas,
Ginger Rogers, Joe Biden,
Rush Limbaugh, Steven
Buckley, and Rembrandt
refused to be quiet or stay
in their seats. They all may
have repeatedly interrupted
classes and defaced school
property.
In-school suspension,
time-out, discipline refer
rals, and parental contacts
appear to be useless.
School districts are con
cerned about the large
number of disciplinary
referrals. Does the school
have a discipline problem?
The ""behavior may be
caused by ? frustrated
geniuses trapped in tradi
tional status quo schools.
Twenty-first century
schools of excellence
require ongoing mecha
nisms capable of evaluat
ing, monitoring, and nur
turing multiple intelli
gences and technological
skills. Despite unwise
political pressure, state,
and national mandates,
children deserve education
activists with the unswerv
ing courage to fight for fair,
inclusive, and appropriate
tests.
Perhaps, we can raise
standards and increase test
scores by teaching and test
ing multiple intelligences,
too. As we analyze data, it
is important to think-test
outside old, nonfunctional,
or limiting practices. Did
we ever ask what test
scores and behavior pat
terns certifiably tell us?
It is important that we
accurately measure what
students know and are. able
to do. Consideration
should be devoted to multi
pie intelligences not meas
ured by today's limited
evaluation tools. The
child's real curriculum and
authentic experiences
extend beyond die tradi
tional classroom into a
technical stratosphere that
was once inconceivable.
Today's students' mechani
cal skills supersede those
of ancestors. Elementary
school children are masters
of video games. They can
program remote controls
for adults and explain com
puter mechanisms to their
teachers.
Students are very com-,
plex individuals with
unique ? skills, talents,
dreams, characteristics,
intelligences, and knowl
edge not measured by lin
guistic-logical standard
ized tests. We know mare
than we need to know to
teach and assess pupils. We
have known for years that
insanity is doing the same
thing and expecting differ
ent results. It is because it
resists change that we say
"pride goeth before the
fall."
One hundred percent of
schools may overcome the
stigma of low performing.
We have unprecedented
levels of genius that will
remain untapped if educa
tors do not change. Schools
hurt our future generation
by staying in the assembly
line model. The world is
different. The incompre
hensible abilities and mul
tiple intelligences of stu
dents are beyond the imag
ination of education leaders
and test developers. We
cannot afford business as
usual or testing the way we
did in the "old" days. The
current standardized tests
have not allowed us to fully
measure the multiple intel
ligences of our pupils. We
may find millions of stu
dents with untested genius.
Action Steps:
Explore new exams
inclusive of various intelli
gences and give students
credit or points that could.,
be added to exam scores.
The baby boomers need to
get out of the way of the
new generation of educa
tion technocrats and allow
for the full infusion and uti
lization of E instruction
and E tests that give imme
diate and ongoing feedback
during classroom instruc
tion. Credit visual, per
forming arts and hands-on
projects as part of standard
ized tests. We may find
that our teachers and stu
dents are not low perform
ing. We can no longer
ignore a multidimensional
world evolving at
megabyte speed!
Henry J. Pankey is a
Democratic candidate for
N. C. Superintendent of
Public Instruction. He is
the author of: "Standing in
the Shadows of
Greatness,"
"How to Turn Around
low Performing Schools,"
"The Eagle who Thought
he was a Hip Hop Funky
Chicken," "Fly on Sweet
Angel" (a play), and
"Hooked on Tongue
Twisters" (an educational
interactive speech game)."
His website is
Henrypankey.com.
Spaulding aggressive in Cooper faceoff
If one
Cash wondered
Michaels Yhy State
ivucnaeis Attorney
General Roy
Analysis Cooper has
consistently
ignored chal
Durham
attorney Ken Spaulding to debate prior to
the March 15 Democratic gubernatorial
primaries, their first, and so far only, face
off last Friday gave good reason.
Both men sat next to each other during
the N.C. Democratic Party African
American and Hispanic Caucuses debate
on Jan. 29 before a packed room at the
Goodwin House. Spaulding stayed in the
hunt, accusing the state attorney general of
everything from colluding with the
Republicans in defending the controversial
Voter ID law in court, to not doing his duty
in deciding not to retry a Charlotte
Mecklenburg police officer who fatally
shot an unarmed black motorist in
September 2013.
Cooper, for the most part, remained
calm and stoic amid Spaulding's blistering
attacks, showing virtually no emotion at
all. Spaulding, however, remained fiery,
not only taking his opponent to task, hut
also assuring voters that he is a man of the
people, not a career politician, and that
North Carolinians would have a fair man
as governor if he was nominated after the
March primary to defeat Republican
incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory Nov. 8.
At stake during the debate were black
and Hispanic Democratic voters, who
comprise over 40 percent of North
Carolina's Democratic base.
For Hispanic voters, both Spaulding
and Cooper said they supported President
Obama's immigration policies, despite
Republican opposition in Congress. They
also objected to Gov. McCrory joining a
lawsuit against Obama's Executive Action
on immigration.
Both Cooper and Spaulding vowed that
if elected, they would strive to make their
respective cabinets and administrations as
diverse as possible.
"That's what we should be about, being
inclusive," Attorney General Cooper said,
indicating that he already has a diverse
office. "The first thing we have to admit is
that racism does exist."
"I see nothing wrong with having an
? . b
Roy Cooper
African-American being the governor of
North Carolina," Attorney Spaulding said
to applause. "Those who serve in my
administration are going to be African
American, going to be Latino, going to be
within the white community. [They] will
be very qualified people. Even unaffiliat
ed."
When asked what they would do as
governor to improve the economy of North
Carolina without hurting low-income and
middle-class families, Spaulding said he
was already doing it by helping to attract
an estimated $2 billion in investments to
the state, bringing with them thousands of
jobs.
He added that he supported business
incentives, including film industry incen
tives in Wilmington.
Attorney General Cooper blasted Gov.
McCrory for signing legislation that pro
vided "... big tax giveaways to out-of-state
corporations at the expense of the middle
class and our public schools." Copper
accused McCrory of supporting a "... tax
structure that makes it harder on everyday
hard-working people." Cooper said if
elected, he would stop that, invest in North
Carolina's public schools, pay teachers
more, and promote economic development
plans in "minority communities" and rural
areas.
The political fireworks began when
both candidates were' asked if they sup
ported the reinstatement of the 1965
Votj^g Rights Act (VRA) in Congress, and y
Ken Spaulding
if elected governor, would they lead the
fight to have the 2013 N.C. voter restric
tions repealed if Democrats take back the
N.C. General Assembly.
Spaulding said that he would
"absolutely" have the N.C. voter restric
tions repealed, calling them "unconstitu
tional." But then the Durham attorney and
former state lawmaker lit into Cooper.
"My opponent sittirtg with me today,
he's been in court with the Republicans,
fighting on behalf of them, and against the
NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the
people of North Carolina, on a constitu
tional issue he did not have to represent the
state on," Spaulding charged.
x "So I want you to understand, there is a
clear distinction here. My opponent has
been oh the wrong side of this issue."
Unfazed, the state attorney general told
the audience not only does he "strongly"
support efforts in Congress to reinstate the
1965 VRA, but'that his office joined with
the N.C. NAACP in filing an amicus brief
in court supporting the VRA.
"There is no question that I'm very
much opposed to the voter restrictions that
were put in place by Gov. McCrory and the
Republican leadership," Cooper said,
reminding all that he sent a letter to
McCroiy to veto the law.
The state attorney general indicated
that despite his personal opposition to
Voter ID, his office is obligated to defend
the state any time it is taken to court, as in
^ the case of the federal trial in Winston
Salem where the voter ID case wrapped up
Feb. 1.
"It is the duty of the office of attorney
general to defend the state when it gets
sued. One of the reasons why I am running
for governor is I am sick and tired of the
laws that are being passed by this gover- _
nor, and this General Assembly. What I
want to do is change it," Cooper said.
As to how, as governor, each man -
would address high unemployment rates
among African-Americans and Latinos,
Cooper said beyond investment in improv
ing education, he would push for a living
wage to help lift people out of poverty, and
better employment opportunities.
. Attorney Spaulding said he supports
raising the minimum wage to $15.00/hour.
"At the end of a Spaulding term, we will
have that done," he pledged.
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U1 1UO VlVillll^ * VliUU IVU) vi?Mllwy%?
people for coming out to "this spirited and
very informative forum," a clear reference
to the attacks from his opponent, Ken
Spaulding. (^ooper did state categorically
that "Gov. McCrory has the wrong priori
ties for North Carolina."
Spaulding, in his closing two-minute
remarks, continued to put heat on Cooper.
The Durham attorney denied being "an
angry black man," but did describe himself
as "... having passion about these issues."
"I'm a fighter for the people. I'm a
fighter for those who are voiceless. I don't
run away from my ethnicity. Black lives do
matter. As an African-American or black
man myself, my life does matter. And I dis
agree with an attorney general, who in
Charlotte with the [Police Officer] Kerik
[shooting unarmed black man] case, where
you had an opportunity to have a second
trial, when a young man who graduated
from Florida A & M, was shot 10 times
and killed, and they couldn't summon up
enough energy, enough effort, to be able to
have a second trial. That's not right!"
Spaulding went on to openly challenge
Cooper to "stand up strong, and make sure
that our criminal justice is one for all North
Carolinians."
Attorney General Cooper was offered
the opportunity to defend his decision not
to pursue a second trial, but he declined.
Currently, Cooper is leading Spaulding
substantially in the polls, and neck-and
neck with Gov. McCrory. Attorney
Spaulding has been campaigning for gov
ernor for the past two years.
r