Kid Suspended for Refusing to Answer Exam Question

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Fourth Grader Suspended After Refusing to Answer Exam Question

By David Evans

Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Tyler Stoken was a well-behaved fourth grader who enjoyed school, earned A's and B's and performed well on standardized tests.

In May 2005, he'd completed five of the six days of the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning exam, called WASL, part of the state's No Child Left Behind test.

Then Tyler came upon this question: ``While looking out the window one day at school, you notice the principal flying in the air. In several paragraphs, write a story telling what happens.''

The nine-year-old was afraid to answer the question about his principal, Olivia McCarthy. ``I didn't want to make fun of her,'' he says, explaining he was taught to write the first thing that entered his mind on the state writing test.

In this case, Tyler's initial thoughts would have been embarrassing and mean. So even after repeated requests by school personnel, and ultimately the principal herself, Tyler left the answer space blank. ``He didn't want them to know what he was thinking, that she was a witch on a broomstick,'' says Tyler's mother, Amanda Wolfe, sitting next to her son in the family's ranch home three blocks from Central Park Elementary School in Aberdeen, Washington.

Because Tyler didn't answer the question, McCarthy suspended him for five days. He recalls the principal reprimanding him by saying his test score could bring down the entire school's performance.

``Good job, bud, you've ruined it for everyone in the school, the teachers and the school,'' Tyler says McCarthy told him.

`He Cried'

Aberdeen School District Superintendent Martin Kay ordered an investigation. ``My suspension was for refusal to comply with a reasonable request, and to teach Tyler that that could harm him in the future,'' McCarthy told an investigator. ``I never, for a second, questioned my actions.''

Tyler, who's 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and weighs 70 pounds (32 kilograms), hasn't been the same since, his mother says.

``He liked the principal before this,'' she says. ``He cried. He didn't understand why she'd done this to him.''

Now, Tyler blows up at the drop of a hat, his mother says. ``They created a monster. He'll never take that test again, even if I have to take him to another state,'' she says.

Tyler's attitude about school changed. He became shyer. He's afraid of all tests and doesn't do as well in classes anymore, his mother says.

`Blatant Defiance'

McCarthy's May 6, 2005, letter to Tyler's mother detailed her son's suspension. ``The fact that Tyler chose to simply refuse to work on the WASL after many reasonable requests is none other than blatant defiance and insubordination,'' McCarthy wrote.

In the letter, she accused Tyler of bringing down the average score of the other 10 students in his class. ``As we have worked so hard this year to improve our writing skills, this is a particularly egregious wound,'' McCarthy wrote.

Her accusation was wrong, state regulations show. There is no averaging of the writing scores. Each student either meets or fails the state standard.

Tita Mallory, director of curriculum and assessment for the Aberdeen School District, says school officials feel tremendous pressure because of the high-stakes tests.

While there's no academic effect on elementary school children taking the exams, there can be repercussions for school administrators. When schools repeatedly fail to show adequate yearly progress, as defined by No Child, the principal can be fired.

``In many ways, there's too much emphasis on the test,'' Mallory says. ``I don't want that kind of pressure on our kids.''

Out of 74,184 fourth graders taking the WASL test last year, 42.3 percent failed to meet the state standard for writing.

Juanita Doyon, director of Mothers Against WASL and author of, ``Not With Our Kids You Don't! Ten Strategies to Save Our Schools'' (Heinemann, 144 pages, $14.95), says Tyler's experience is representative of what's wrong with tests like the WASL.

``They took a student who loved his school and crushed his spirit,'' Doyon, 46, says.

``We've elevated test scores to be the most important part of school. The principal and teachers are so pressured by the test that they've lost good sense in dealing with children.''

As if I needed more than personal reasons to oppose the WASL (Sadly as a person wanting to become a teacher, I will be dragged into the web of "teach to the test")

Personally, I think the principal went too far and clearly has lost sight of why she's in education (that or she likes insulting little kids). I know if I was the teacher, I would feel terrible that my superior made a student of mine feel ashamed about school.

How ya doing, buddy?

Its terrible what they did to the kid. Its gonna be hard for the student to regain his faith in the educational system.

I never liked standardized testing. It always seemed excessive and pointless.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Wow that's really pushing it. Seriously, tests are not a great form to judge or base a student's performance in school. I really hate the emphasis of tests and one of the reasons why I refused to take SATs or ACTs because they are complete and utter bullshit and don't amount to anything.

The only reason there was pressure on the kid was because of the pressure on the administration which has got to change. The No Kid Left Behind is faulty and doesn't work. Perhaps someone who actually knows something should reform that plan.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit

I really hate the emphasis of tests and one of the reasons why I refused to take SATs or ACTs because they are complete and utter bullshit and don't amount to anything.

I cant imagine a stupider waste of time then the SAT. It seems almost more like a tradition then an actual evaluation.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

What the fuck?

I can just see the principal lathing on the sarcasm and hatred in the line "Good job, bud, you've ruined it for everyone in the school, the teachers and the school". Her attitude is disgusting and screams that she has some serious power problems (insulting a NINE YEAR OLD, WAY TO GO, SOME SERIOUS STREET CRED FOR THAT ONE GURL), and I really hope she gets some serious reprimands for this.


edit: argh, I just want to punch her face in. cannot express how dirty this is, she needs to be fired honestly, no one can be head of a school with an attitude like that

I was speaking idiomatically.

Disgusting. Utterly repugnant. As though we need another reason to believe the school system is failing in it's duties to society...

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Kinda remindes me of my schooling experience...

I have always had a problem doing math, it was the only subject I had issues with. My math teacher in the 6th grade always picked on me for this, and again when I was in the 8th grade. He really pushed it when he called me to his desk about my work and said "the best students in this class is having trouble with these questions and here you are trying to do it"

I was so close to just dropping my book and leaving the school on the spot, I cried when I got home. My mom said that she would talk to the principle about this teacher seeing that he always put me down and pick on me.

Teachers and principles are there to teach and encourage you to do a good job, not judge you.

FELIPE NO

Sadly, like in Britain too, it seems teachers are under so much pressure to meet government-defined targets that they see a school as a production line for grades, and they'll take every shortcut they can to force kids into reaching those targets so their school doesn't look bad. They don't care so much about forming meaningful and decent relationships with their students, and so I think a lot of teachers are in their profession for completely the wrong reasons. It's no wonder so many kids are being home-schooled now; they usually do better, too.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by *AkirA*

I cant imagine a stupider waste of time then the SAT.

Do what I did and just skip it. SATs don't mean shit to anyone any more.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I feel pretty sorry for the kid, especially at the fact that he was suspended for five days for it.

I think the principal should apologize to him and should not be such a pompous ass!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Koneko

I would feel terrible that my superior made a student of mine feel ashamed about school.

Ah, yes. But would you actually do something about it?

The principal wasn't in the right mind to suspend the child, seeing as he wouldn't answer just that ONE question. One question isn't going to bring anybody's score down as a whole. Unfortunetly, every state has that test, so it's completely unavoidable as to which state you go to hide.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

so the principle IS a witch on the broomstick!!! she made the poor kid cry!!!

school is evil

How ya doing, buddy?

Well, that was messed up. Apparently they just contradicted their own system suspending the kid for 5 days. I could understand it from the view of the principal to get high scores, but exactly HOW small is this school that the WHOLE writing score rides on ONE child? Sounds a little fucked up though. It was ignorant of the principal to even do that in the first place considering the age of the kid.

Ugh, you can't help but just feel angry about this. >_<

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The suspension was uncalled for. I feel sorry for the kid, he has every right not to answer the question.
When the principal tells him that him that his score will reflect badly on the rest of the schools' overall score, I find this to be too much for a fourth-grader to be burdened with.
The principal should apologise to the kid, it may be too late for that though, as he will have lost faith in the education system after this incident.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Geez. Personally, if it were my kid, I would've lit into the principal quite hard. Educational folks are there there to teach and encourage, not belittle. I place my child there for ~8hrs/weekday and expect to get a benefit out of it, not something that'll require therapy.

Take it to superintendents, school board, school distict, etc and make sure that lady's career is fucked over big time. This should be a huge red mark on that bitch's record. Kids bother me at times, but they're kids. Stuff like this doesn't float the boat. Someone who lets loose lines like that even on ACCIDENT shouldn't be teaching, much less in a principal's position.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit

The No Kid Left Behind is faulty and doesn't work.

Yes it does. Just in the opposite direction. The woman should have told the boy it didn't matter what he wrote on the test--she wouldn't be mad at him.

But instead, she lied to him, and made him scared of school....

Idiot

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by ^-^

Ah, yes. But would you actually do something about it?

The principal wasn't in the right mind to suspend the child, seeing as he wouldn't answer just that ONE question. One question isn't going to bring anybody's score down as a whole. Unfortunetly, every state has that test, so it's completely unavoidable as to which state you go to hide.

It's not a matter of 'WOULD' as much as 'COULD'. Judging from the additude of the principal, I do not think there is much reasoning with her. So rather than try and battle the principal endlessly over what she said, I think I'd do evrything I could to encourage the student and pray I undo some of the damage she did.

I'm in the midst of a class where I volunteer in a classroom (gaining the required 40 hours (min) to apply to the certifying program). I recall being one of the last series of classes to take the WASL and not have to worry about passing to graduate... Although I failed the writing portion and passed math (which makes no sense because I excell in english and suck at math).

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no child left behind has always bothered me and now i've got another reason. i can't wait for some real education reform... only about 2 yrs and 2 months left of waiting until (hopefully) a president with better ideas is in office

There's nowhere I can't reach.

On an aside, somehow reading that reminds me of Kanzaki and her schooling (lol anime). On topic though, it's sad, but not uncomprehensible, that they'd (the principal and the school) want to focus more on boosting their "educational image" rather than comfort and try to understand Tyler's point of view of the question. He was being courteous and minding how others would feel, especially his principal. In the end, it's unfortunate he got punished for this.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

This is entirely the fault of "No Child Left Behind". It's got to be the worst way of going about fixing our educational system anyone could dream up. Unbelievable.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

It strikes me that this principle shouldn't have a job anymore. I've always seen the principle as being the head authority when it comes to the responsibility of the well being and development of all children at their school.

In this case, the principle blatantly brushed aside the well being and development of a single child for the sake of her own personal image. Its not even about the rest of the kids taking the test, its about the school getting high scores so the principle looks good. This woman's vanity crushed a fourth grader. Despicable.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I personally can't stand the No Child Left Behind Act, or standardized tests, or anything of the sort. I can barely stomach public schools as a whole. My girlfriend and I got in a huge argument because I saw a campaign sign on someone's front lawn that said "No Excuses! Invest in Public Schools!" and laughed derisively and said "how about NOT."

You'd think a principal would be a little more grown up, and not so childish that she can't find out WHY the kid wouldn't answer the question, and try to understand from his point of view. She shouldn't be in any leadership position at all, period.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The interesting thought that came to me when I read about this is that the child is in a very terrible position and couldn't garner anything positive out of it either way.

We've already seen one result.

The other would've been if he took the chance and wrote exactly what was on his mind. Imagine the potential uproar that may cause: a call to the parents, counseling, and a possible suspension over "disrespect to authority".

Look, the kid is damned either way. It's bad luck at its finest.

FELIPE NO

Okay, while I AGREE that it's a really stupid thing to have suspended a kid for, both morally and as far as intelligence, I can not, for the LIFE of me, figure out why you people think this is such a HUGE BLOW to this poor child.

You're all acting as though he was raped and hung up on the town fucking square to writhe in the hot, summer sun.

He was suspended. For insubordination. This is fucking LIFE, and while I think it's a little early for him to get a taste of it, its something everyone will need to go through. Sometimes, you play by the rules. Othertimes, you don't.

I think BOTH reactions from each side are equally as ridiculous, here. "O my poor son is wounded for LIFE."

He didn't answer a question. He shouldn't be punished for that. The end.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Wow, this is very stupid. That principle should lose her job for telling him he ruined everything for everyone in school.

Jam it back in, in the dark.