Last week our freshman and sophomores took the first round of STAAR EOCs for this school year (not including re-tests).  I am confident that they worked hard and did their very best!

There is a big debate happening across the state about the over use of standardized testing.  Some say that we need testing, some say we do not.  I do believe that we must have ways to measure where students are in their learning and how to respond when they do not get it.

The truth is that we have gone too far!  So many people have an opinion about education simply because they have been to school.  I want to be clear…Just because you’ve been to school does not make you an expert on school.  I have been in education for 10 years and lived with career educators through out my childhood.  I am still no expert.  I am, however, a principal of a school with about 1,600 students and I know that students will learn and they will learn at a high level without giving them high stakes tests in every core content class they are enrolled in.

If you do not work in a school you have no clue what goes into putting on a test in a mid/large high school.  It is an event!  You have to block off half of your school, and then send all the other students to other areas.  This is often a logistical nightmare.  While the test is being administered half of your teachers give tests or watch halls and the others attempt to continue to have class.  The students that are taking the tests lose instructional time as well as the students who lose their teacher because of test administration.

House Bill 5 passed the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly with only 2 reps voting against it.  House Bill 5 calls for 5 tests: Algebra 1, English II (reading and writing), Biology, and US History.  I am hear to say that 5 is enough!  I have said it before, and I will say it again: Taking more tests does not make our students smarter or more prepared for college.  Great teaching is what makes our students stronger!
Corsicana High School will work hard to prepare our students for every state test they have to take.  I do want all of our stakeholders to know that there is so much more to school than testing!

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Prom was yesterday (April 6) and it was great!  If you missed it you missed a treat!  Our students looked amazing!  Thanks to all the teachers/counselors/administrators that came out to help with prom.  It meant a lot to see you there.  The students appreciated it even more.  Shout out to Mrs. Fletes for doing an awesome job!  I have never seen anything so beautiful.