Teacher rep supports PRAXIS testing but…

Teacher representative Ambrose M. Bennett expressed disappointment yesterday over the Board of Education’s decision to start requiring teachers to take the PRAXIS test—an exam required by some states as a measure of competence.

Bennett stressed that he supports the testing but added that certain scenarios “may” be raised due to the lack of consideration for teachers.

“I’m for the testing, but teachers deserve the right to have some input before a final approval,” Bennett said in a letter to the Board. “With PRAXIS testing not being a requirement under the present teacher contract, there could be some opposition to the testing being forced on teachers.”

Further, he accused the BOE of keeping him in the dark about plans to implement the policy.

“The purpose of the BOE teacher rep is to represent teachers, especially in matters that have the potential for their dismissal. The committee had a constitutional obligation to teachers to have their representative as part of this decision process, but I was not formally informed of it,” he said.

Bennett also questioned the timing of the implementation, saying that majority of teachers were not on island and are not aware of the policy.

“They expect the teachers to read the newspaper to find out about this. Why couldn’t they just send out a memo to each school or wait until teachers return? Like I said earlier, I was not informed about it [and] I found out by reading the paper.”

Further, Bennett stressed that teachers may raise concerns about shouldering the cost for the testing.

“The financial burned under NCLB is on the State Boards, not teachers. It is reasonable for new employees to bear cost if they want the job. [But] present teachers deserve the respect to have formal input through their teacher rep and they also have the right to place the issue in collective bargaining,” he said in the letter.

Bennett said he learned of this during a Board meeting but that he was not given ample time to address the issue as it was “quickly passed.”

“The reason I did not object is because the teachers have the right to rehash it through collective bargaining,” he said.

Under the new requirement, more than 500 Public School System teachers will be required to take the PRAXIS test. The board has given the teachers the whole of the school year 2005-2006 to pass the exam or they will lose their jobs.

Praxis is also administered in 44 states in the U.S. mainland.

Education Commissioner Rita Inos was earlier quoted as saying that the test is meant to raise the bar for quality teachers.