Tim Decker

Last week, two Russell Independent School District teachers - Tim Decker, an art teacher at Russell Middle School, and Jason Chapman, an orchestra teacher in grades two through 12 - told that committee that the CATS testing system drives classroom activities and drives some students away from the arts.

RUSSELL - Art teacher Tim Decker would rather see students drawing and painting than penciling in bubbles on standardized tests.

He is frustrated by what he believes are unfortunate changes in Kentucky's educational system, changes made in response to the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990.

He is scheduled to be in Frankfort today to address a state Senate committee about it.

It's part of the debate on Senate Bill 1, which would make sweeping changes in Kentucky's accountability system, including eliminating the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System.

Decker, who teaches art at Russell Middle School, said he believes the laudable intentions that brought about KERA have been subsumed into a system that emphasizes testing.

More particularly, Decker believes emphasis on testing has weakened art instruction in Kentucky, substituting academic exercises for actual artwork.

FRANKFORT - Tim Decker and Jason Chapman know how to inspire students interested in the arts - when they can keep them.

But, according to the two Russell Independent Schools teachers, they lose students who drop out of their orchestra and art classes in order to take arts and humanities classes so they can score well on state tests.

Decker is an art teacher at Russell Middle School and Chapman teaches music and orchestra from grades two through 12 in the Russell District.He has been recognized by the Governor's Awards for the Arts program and oversees the largest orchestra program in the state.But he loses some students to music appreciation classes.

"Now schools say, if it is not tested, then we will not teach it," Chapman told a Senate Education Committee Thursday."I do not teach standards - I teach students.I cannot teach music to a kid by having him write about music."

Decker said it is "wrong-headed to evaluate someone's art ability through a written test."
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It's so bad, Decker said, a new Russell administration "had a lust for higher test scores - they took half my students away from me.They were then taught by an English teacher in an arts and humanities class," a subject contained on the CATS tests.Eventually, Decker said, the administration relented and he got his students back, but he's no fan of the emphasis on testing in Kentucky schools.

Frankfort - Tim Decker and Jason Chapman know how to inspire students interested in the arts - when they can keep them.

But, according to the two Russell Independent School District teachers, they lose students who drop out of their orchestra and art classes to take arts and humanities classes so they can score well on state tests.

Decker is an art teacher at Russell Middle School and Chapman teaches music and orchestra to grades two through 12.He has been honored by the Governor's Awards for the Arts program and oversees the largest orchestra program in the state.But he loses some students to music appreciation classes.

"Now schools say, if it is not tested, then we will not teach it," Chapman told a Senate Education Committee on Thursday."I do not teach standards - I teach students.I cannot teach music to a kid by having him write about music."

Decker said it is "wrong-headed to evaluate someone's art ability through a written test."
...
It's so bad, Decker said, a new Russell administration "had a lust for higher test scores.They took half of my students away from me.They were then taught by an English teacher in an arts and humanities class," a subject contained on the CATS tests.Eventually, Decker said, the administration relented and he got his students back, but he's no fan of the emphasis on testing in Kentucky schools.