Jockeys

There are but a few racetracks left in the Chicagoland area where horses race.  There used to be quite a few.  Now, horse racing in this area is on the verge of extinction. Balmoral Park in Crete is the closest track and I believe that is closing.  The granddaddy of all horse races is the Kentucky Derby.  Big event. Big money. Big hats. Big prices. I find no thrill in watching a horse race; probably because I have not bet on a horse race.  Truth be told, I have never been to a horse race.  Thus, my knowledge of horse racing is not deep. However, there are a few things about horse racing that I understand.  I understand that there are horses that are placed in a starting gate.  I understand that there are jockeys who ride, guide, and whip the horses during the race. I understand that jockeys wear colorful clothing during the race and are small in stature. I understand that billions of dollars are bet on horse races.  I understand that the horses run fast and that the first one across the line wins. Here is what is true in every single horse race – you never see a jockey carry a horse across the finish line. 

As we move to the first round of ISTEP next week, I am reminded of this fact.  As we never see jockeys carry their horse across the finish line, the opposite may be true in teaching.  Kids don’t carry their teachers across the ISTEP line.  They do not.  Teachers carry their students across this ISTEP line.  Actually, we carry them to the starting line back in August, keep guiding them throughout the race, and stay with them throughout.   In late November, we received our scores from last year’s state test.  A school that has been a perpetual “A” school was now suddenly a “D” school.  A middle school that has been the top-performing middle school in the four counties (Lake, Porter, Newton, and Jasper) that compose “Da Region” was suddenly in the middle of the pack.  That caught my attention.  How about you?  Our Math staff has regrouped and bound together in a team effort in resetting the scope and sequence of standards to be taught.  They feel the sense of urgency.  We have offered after-school tutoring for all grade levels in Math.  Our RtI Period focus shifted.  Our English staff has worked hard to make certain that we are aligned with what is to be assessed. Encore teachers have infused more LA and Math skills in their teaching. We all sat in a meeting on December 18^th and watched a segment from the movie, Miracle (This past week marked the 36^th anniversary of that great victory over the Soviets…hmmm…). We determined that what happened on last year’s state test will not happen again. WE MADE A DETERMINATION TO NOT BE “DEFINED” BY THOSE SCORES, BUT TO BE “REFINED” BY IT.  We adopted the slogan of “NOT THIS TIME..NOT TODAY”.  You need to take that chip on your shoulder in to these two rounds of ISTEP. You need to impress upon your kids that this is all business.  You need to encourage them, stand with them, support them and let them know continually that you believe in them.  We have to be the ones that carry our kids across the finish line.  Bring your game face – it’s go time.  NOT THIS TIME…NOT TUESDAY…NOT WEDNESDAY…NOT THURSDAY.