I have been gratified to hear all the positive response my campaign platform has generated in the county. I am especially pleased that the other candidates, for the most part, are supporting positions that I have been advocating for several years. While most of the buzz has been positive, I’m also aware that there are some negative comments out there as well. I’d like to address the one I hear most often.
I’ve heard that some people have said that I hate sports and as superintendent I’d try to do away with athletic programs. This is so incredibly untrue that I was tempted to ignore it, but I decided it might be better to set the record straight.
I love sports, especially football. In high school I was on the football, baseball, and track teams. When I was cut from the basketball team I became the scorekeeper. In my twelve years as a public school student, our high school had one winning season. My senior year we went 5 and 4, and we were ecstatic! We played some tough teams. Our rival across the river had a quarterback by the name of Joe Theisman. They had one basic play: hike the ball to Joe and let him go. It didn’t get much better when Joe went to Notre Dame. He was replaced by Drew Pearson.
I guess that’s why I fell in love with Weir football when I came to the school 20 years ago. I’d never been associated with such a winning tradition. I didn’t miss a game for over a decade. Not wanting to miss a thing, I walked up and down the sidelines following the ball rather than sit in the stands. For a few years I did the play by play from the press booth.
Later, when I began to teach half a day in Weir and half a day in Ackerman, I became an Indian fan too. I know that some Choctaw Countians feel that’s like rooting for Ole Miss and State too, but I couldn’t help myself. The year the Lions and Indians both went to state was as good as it gets. During the time that Dicenzo Miller, Conner Stevens, and the McKinley brothers played at State, I covered the games for the Plaindealer.
I guess the nonsense of me being against football began in the 2001-2002 school year when I was chairman of the Weir school improvement committee. The state of Mississippi made us come up with a school improvement plan because of extremely low standardized test scores. I and five or six of the best teachers in the school came up with a plan that had to be, and was, approved by the school board and accepted by the state department of education.
Among other things, the plan contended that we needed to stop using classroom instruction time for athletics. I don’t know how it is now, but in the past students were taken out of class to pick up garbage under the football bleachers. Some students in a two-period class were let out halfway through the class to lift weights in the fieldhouse. Some students were actually on the practice field during their study hall. As I said, I loved Weir football, but any competent educator knows that these things are plain wrong.
When the plan was released the feces hit the fan! Since there wasn’t anything in the plan that its opponents could attack, they attacked me. It was said that I wanted to do away with football. It was also said that I was a bad father, a bad pastor, and a bad person in general. I’m surprised I wasn’t accused of being Osama Bin Laden’s right-hand man. Believe it or not, I actually received one physical threat.
Of course, the accusations were completely false. I didn’t then, nor would I as superintendent, ever want to do away with athletics. Like most parents in Choctaw County, I believe athletic programs are essential to the success of our schools. My position is simple, straightforward, and honest. While I believe a good athletic program is vital, sports should never be a higher priority than academics.
It is unfortunate that some of those who oppose my candidacy are telling folks that I hate sports and will try to do away with athletics if I’m elected. To their credit, they’ve not yet said I’m a terrible person. I expect that will come later this summer. So be it. I will never back down or apologize for telling the truth, and the truth is that public schools must always put academics ahead of athletics.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Candidate Debate
If you weren’t at the courthouse last Thursday night you missed an historic event. For the first time in the history of the Choctaw County School District, or at least for the first time in the 20 years that I’ve served the district, candidates for superintendent came together to discuss the issues with the public. Although it wasn’t meant to be a debate, when it was over folks kept asking me who I thought won. That was the easiest question of the night. The public won.
The public won because for once they know the candidates’ views on school issues. They were also able to see how well the candidates can think on their feet. Just as importantly, they were able to see how well each candidate can communicate his or her ideas.
The biggest surprise of the night, for me at least, was that all the candidates present had apparently been studying my blog. They all said that they are in favor of recruiting widely for teachers and administrators, that they are for involving teachers and parents in hiring teachers and administrators, and that they are for empowering teachers and parents by giving them input in policy and program decisions. That surprised me because when I formally presented these ideas to our school board on February 11, 2002 I got very little support and a great deal of criticism.
In all fairness I should say that my opponent in the Republican primary, Glen Beard, did not jump on that bandwagon. Of course, he didn’t come to the meeting, but if he had I’m sure he would not have endorsed these positions. His record for hiring certified personnel at Weir Attendance Center would seem to rule that out.
My biggest disappointment of the evening was that Glen Beard chose not to show up and tell the public his positions and what he would do if he were the superintendent of schools. I’d like the public to know where he and I differ on the issues because I feel certain that we differ significantly. In the August primary I won’t be running against Donna Nail, Terry Stacy, or Freddie King. I’ll have to beat Glen Beard first. If you want to help me do that please remember to ask for a Republican ballot in the August primary election. In November, of course, you can vote for a combination of Republicans and Democrats if you chose to.
In closing I’d like to thank Kenny Clark, Charles Thomas, Laura Sandiford, Tricia Robinette, Lee James, and Robin Fulce for volunteering their time to make the evening’s discussion possible. There was so much happening Thursday night that I’m sure I’m leaving others out who helped as well, and I’m sorry for the omission. I’d also like to thank all the Choctaw Countians who came out to show their interest and express their concerns for our schools. I’d love to see this event repeated before the election. I’d be happy to go anywhere at anytime and give the public my views on educational issues.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
The public won because for once they know the candidates’ views on school issues. They were also able to see how well the candidates can think on their feet. Just as importantly, they were able to see how well each candidate can communicate his or her ideas.
The biggest surprise of the night, for me at least, was that all the candidates present had apparently been studying my blog. They all said that they are in favor of recruiting widely for teachers and administrators, that they are for involving teachers and parents in hiring teachers and administrators, and that they are for empowering teachers and parents by giving them input in policy and program decisions. That surprised me because when I formally presented these ideas to our school board on February 11, 2002 I got very little support and a great deal of criticism.
In all fairness I should say that my opponent in the Republican primary, Glen Beard, did not jump on that bandwagon. Of course, he didn’t come to the meeting, but if he had I’m sure he would not have endorsed these positions. His record for hiring certified personnel at Weir Attendance Center would seem to rule that out.
My biggest disappointment of the evening was that Glen Beard chose not to show up and tell the public his positions and what he would do if he were the superintendent of schools. I’d like the public to know where he and I differ on the issues because I feel certain that we differ significantly. In the August primary I won’t be running against Donna Nail, Terry Stacy, or Freddie King. I’ll have to beat Glen Beard first. If you want to help me do that please remember to ask for a Republican ballot in the August primary election. In November, of course, you can vote for a combination of Republicans and Democrats if you chose to.
In closing I’d like to thank Kenny Clark, Charles Thomas, Laura Sandiford, Tricia Robinette, Lee James, and Robin Fulce for volunteering their time to make the evening’s discussion possible. There was so much happening Thursday night that I’m sure I’m leaving others out who helped as well, and I’m sorry for the omission. I’d also like to thank all the Choctaw Countians who came out to show their interest and express their concerns for our schools. I’d love to see this event repeated before the election. I’d be happy to go anywhere at anytime and give the public my views on educational issues.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
No Child or Dentist Left Behind
No Child Left Behind
Perhaps the most talked about and controversial topic in public education today is the No Child Left Behind legislation. For most people, the biggest bone of contention in this law is the provision requiring high-stakes testing for students. The premise behind the testing is reasonable: since the federal government provides local school districts with federal tax dollars, the federal government tries to hold local schools accountable. Simply put, the feds require us to test our kids to prove we’re using all that money to provide the public with effective schools. Nearly every public educator I know is frustrated with the No Child Left Behind Act. So am I. This frustration is well illustrated by the following story written by John S. Taylor, a school superintendent.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't' get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. “Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health.”
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools." I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
THE STORY ENDS HERE, BUT PLEASE READ ON
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind is here and we have to deal with it. So far, our strategy seems to be to “teach the test.” A few years ago I actually heard a school board member say that all we needed to do was get a copy of the state tests and study them. Our strategy misses the point. The goal is not to improve test scores. The goal is to improve education. A few years ago I was lucky enough to win a Fullbright Fellowship to travel to Japan and study their school system first hand. Japanese schools are widely regarded among the world’s best. Their test scores go through the roof. Like most people, I suspected they were obsessed with test scores and made their students drill, drill, DRILL! I was wrong. Their philosophy is to teach the whole child. They concentrate on curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies.
I agree with the dentist in our story: When asked how he would measure good dentistry he said, "Come watch me work. Observe my processes." Yes, it is complicated and time consuming. But that’s how you improve education. You observe classroom teachers and help them get better. The school principals should be the best teachers in their schools. They should be willing to take the time, and have the ability, to show teachers how to improve classroom instruction. They should see to it that curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies are the rule rather than the exception.
As Superintendent of Schools I pledge to get out of the office and into the schools. I will work with principals to improve classroom instruction. If you’re considering other candidates for superintendent, ask them to tell you about the various instructional strategies they are familiar with. Ask them if they’ll work with principals to ensure that best practices are used in our classrooms. If they’re not, find another candidate.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Perhaps the most talked about and controversial topic in public education today is the No Child Left Behind legislation. For most people, the biggest bone of contention in this law is the provision requiring high-stakes testing for students. The premise behind the testing is reasonable: since the federal government provides local school districts with federal tax dollars, the federal government tries to hold local schools accountable. Simply put, the feds require us to test our kids to prove we’re using all that money to provide the public with effective schools. Nearly every public educator I know is frustrated with the No Child Left Behind Act. So am I. This frustration is well illustrated by the following story written by John S. Taylor, a school superintendent.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't' get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. “Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health.”
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools." I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
THE STORY ENDS HERE, BUT PLEASE READ ON
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind is here and we have to deal with it. So far, our strategy seems to be to “teach the test.” A few years ago I actually heard a school board member say that all we needed to do was get a copy of the state tests and study them. Our strategy misses the point. The goal is not to improve test scores. The goal is to improve education. A few years ago I was lucky enough to win a Fullbright Fellowship to travel to Japan and study their school system first hand. Japanese schools are widely regarded among the world’s best. Their test scores go through the roof. Like most people, I suspected they were obsessed with test scores and made their students drill, drill, DRILL! I was wrong. Their philosophy is to teach the whole child. They concentrate on curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies.
I agree with the dentist in our story: When asked how he would measure good dentistry he said, "Come watch me work. Observe my processes." Yes, it is complicated and time consuming. But that’s how you improve education. You observe classroom teachers and help them get better. The school principals should be the best teachers in their schools. They should be willing to take the time, and have the ability, to show teachers how to improve classroom instruction. They should see to it that curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies are the rule rather than the exception.
As Superintendent of Schools I pledge to get out of the office and into the schools. I will work with principals to improve classroom instruction. If you’re considering other candidates for superintendent, ask them to tell you about the various instructional strategies they are familiar with. Ask them if they’ll work with principals to ensure that best practices are used in our classrooms. If they’re not, find another candidate.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
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