Linda Kern Dessoye
129 Laurie Lane
Hughestown, Pennsylvania 18640
(570) 655-4397
JDessoye@aol.com
Mrs. Linda Dessoye has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (1976), a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (1976), and a Masters of Science in Education (1984) from Wilkes University. She also holds a Reading Specialization (1990) and Principal’s Certification (2000) from Temple University.
Mrs. Dessoye currently works for the Pittston Area School District in Pittston, Pennsylvania as a seventh grade Language Arts teacher. Mrs. Dessoye has been teaching in this school district for approximately twenty-five years. Her teaching experience has included all grades and subjects from kindergarten to eighth grade. Dessoye is responsible for starting the first Young Authors Club and Pen Pal Program for the Intermediate Center. For approximately five years, Mrs. Dessoye was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. During that time, she worked with the State Corrections System setting up programs and teaching adults. A program helping incarcerated men reconnect with their children (D.A.D.S.) was created and implemented by Mrs. Dessoye. Acting as the elected union representative for the teachers during this time proved to be very challenging and rewarding. Mrs. Dessoye has also taught classes for Luzerne County Community College and McCann School of Business and Technology.
Some of the committees Mrs. Dessoye has served on include: Accelerated Schools, Middle States Evaluation, PSSA Reading and Math Standards, Technology in Math and Science, Teacher Mentoring, Wellness, Research for Better Schools, PSSA Writing Assessment, and Fullbright Exchange Program. Mrs. Dessoye belongs to the Luzerne County Reading Association, Keystone State Reading Association, International Reading Association, and Greater Pittston Women’s Network. She is honored to have been nominated to Who’s Who Among American Teachers.
Linda resides in Hughestown, Pennsylvania with her husband Jim, a nuclear planner. Linda and Jim were high school classmates and have been married for almost thirty years. They have two grown children, Jillian and Jim, and one incredible grandchild, Lauren.
Empirical Research
PSSA Panic and Paranoia: Effects on Student Teachers
Reviewed By Linda Kern Dessoye
Volume 5 - Issue 2
Jul 31, 2007 - 10:07:24 AM
It has been several years since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was renamed the No Child Left Behind Act. In this major expansion of the federal role in education, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 required annual testing, specified a method for judging school effectiveness, set a timeline for progress, and established specific consequences in the case of failure (Wenning, 2003). The Washington Post referred to it as the “broadest rewriting of federal education policy in decades”(Milbank, 2002). The effects of the overwhelming pressure to perform well on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests on teachers, students, and parents had brought about “PSSA Panic and Paranoia.” Although strides have been made in overcoming the stress and pressure created by these tests, teachers (veteran and new), parents, and students are still showing signs of panic and paranoia. Now, young professionals entering this challenging field of teaching are also affected by the implementation of the NCLB legislation. The domino effect is profoundly influencing the education profession. The government pressures the state, the state pressures the schools, the schools pressure the educators, the educators pressure the parents and students, parents pressure the students and teachers, and finally, the students pressure themselves. Panic as defined by Dictionary.com Unabridged is “a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, which produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group. Paranoia is defined as “a baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts” (Random House, 2006). Signs of this “PSSA panic and paranoia” are still present today. Dedicated educators had embraced the challenge that President Bush put before them. Just as Ronald Edmonds had lectured years ago, teachers believe that effective schools do have closely monitored student achievement and orderly environments characterized by high expectations. Upon recognizing the positive aspects of the legislation, it is important to recognize what it is lacking. Two of these weaknesses attributing to the panic and paranoia are the amount of skills tested in a specified time frame and unrealistic, not high, expectations placed on teachers and students.
<< prev page
next page >>
|
