Incoming state school superintendent Glenda Ritz speaks with Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, while visiting Bluffton. Staff photo by Chet Baumgartner
The state’s impending public education superintendent, Glenda Ritz, is promising more local control during her term. Thursday, she visited with Wells County’s school superintendents and others at the Bluffton-Harrison administration building to discuss turning those promises into policies.
Before privately meeting with about 15 superintendents, state legislators, and other education officials, however, she spoke publicly, saying she wants to reverse the state’s growing reliance on standardized tests to measure school and teacher effectiveness.
“She is very aware of many educators’ concerns with the excessive time spent on standardized tests, and she’s looking for ways to maximize learning and minimize standardized tests,” said Northern Wells Superintendent Scott Mills.
In particular, Ritz said she wants to evaluate the A-F school grading system, which is not as insulated by state law as other recent education reform.
Her predecessor, current Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, and others created the new system to free the state from federal No Child Left Behind requirements, but to do so, they essentially created a system that uses only the ISTEP test to grade elementary and middle schools.
Furthermore, Ritz said she wants to abandon Bennett’s controversial “growth model,” which compares students’ test scores to their peers.
Instead, she said she wants to adopt a different growth model: Officials won’t compare students by their peers in different schools, but will compare students’ performances at the beginning of the year to their performances at the end.
At no point will students be compared to each other, she said.
Ritz also said she wants to use other variables, including “cultural assessments” such as the beginning-to-end growth model.
Finally, Ritz said she wants to embed DOE staff throughout the state’s educational regions to act as liaisons with school and city officials.
Through those connections, she said, she hopes to encourage a swath of community members and leaders to help schools with technology infrastructure, school safety and other initiatives.
Finally, she reiterated that she wants to work with the Republican supermajority — whose voting power would prohibit her from substantially altering, let alone repealing, much of Bennett’s reform.
In fact, State Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, relayed that Ritz said Thursday she doesn’t intend to change significantly the two-year-old reforms.
“That’s quite the opposite of what’s been said,” he said.
Holdman also said he appreciates that Ritz wants to de-emphasize tests, saying her position “resonated” with the superintendents.
Bluffton-Harrison Superintendent Wayne Barker agreed, leaving the three-hour meeting with a “positive” feeling, he said.
“I like a lot of her thoughts,” Barker said. “I’m excited about the direction she wants to take us. I’m excited that she’s very positive about public education and public educators.”
Southern Wells Superintendent Jim Craig said he believes Ritz will better foster communication between the DOE and districts, saying the current administration didn’t always explain its decisions clearly enough.
“In the past it seems like we had to seek it out a lot,” he said.
Craig also is encouraged that Ritz wants to review the A-F system, and he believes Ritz will make teachers feel appreciated again.
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