Oakland Teachers Accused Of Helping Students Cheat (Community Voices)

Stephen Allen Tue, 27 Jul at 6:57am
Used via http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/admissions/updates/images/test.jpg

Used via http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/admissions/updates/images/test.jpg

In school, we’ve all heard teachers say during a test, “I can’t help you on this one” or “I can’t give you answers.” I guess times have changed because two Oakland teachers have been accused of doing the opposite.

Redwood Heights Elementary and Skyline High School, both which are located in the Oakland Hills, are at the center of the scandal that involves the state’s standardized test, or STAR as it known.

According to the Oakland Tribune, a teacher at Redwood Heights reviewed answers from the students state tests and then marked the incorrect answers and allowed the students to change them.

The Skyline High teacher is accused of allowing students to use textbooks for answers they didn’t know. The teacher also, allegedly, didn’t cover up materials in the classes that could be used to cheat.

It’s not clear why these teachers allowed the cheating to go on, assuming they did. In my opinion it may be because these standardized test are biased against children in urban communities and cities like Oakland.

These teachers may just want to give their students a step up.

About Stephen Allen
Stephen Allen is an East Oakland resident and an OL student intern who loves to write and hopes to become a professional journalist one day. He's performed with Youth Speaks and writes poetry as well as blogs and news articles. Currently attending Laney College and majoring in Journalism, Stephen has decided to stay in Oakland after finishing his A.A. degree in the Spring. He's also the mastermind behind Oakculture.com which is a website dedicated to showcasing the unique cultures that make Oakland the city it is.
BayAreaGirl723 commented Array ago

Stephen,

We're talking about a state standardized test. Every student in California gets the same test, the same amount of time to take that test and once turned in, that test is then graded the same way. You took it, I took it. How are they biased against the youth living in urban communities?  

If these teachers are guilty of providing answers or letting students cheat, they're doing a HUGE disservice to those pupils and ultimately the urban communities in which they live. This is how high school graduates find themselves unable to read. This is why young adults who can't earn a good GPA, or fill out the essay portion of an application for college grants, choose crime instead of higher learning. This is one reason why schools that so desperately need change in the faculty and curriculum don't get squat. A closed mouth doesn't get fed.

 

Brian Cabrera commented Array ago

How are standardized tests biased against children in urban communities and cities like Oakland?

How can cheating be seen as wanting to give students a step up?