Standardized Testing

No truer words have ever been spoken. My educational career has mostly been spent teacher grades pre K-1st. This year I entered a whole new world of compartmentalized 4th grade! I teach ONLY math and science! This has been a whole new adventure for me, and it's mostly because of that lovely standardized test we have to give in April. I remember my teachers in school using the phrase "...and on the TAKS test.." over and over and OVER again and I thought if I ever become a teacher (which I had no plans of doing) I will never say that to my kids. I'll just teach them and then they will pass.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Ok, now that all you teachers have stopped laughing and picked yourself off the floor I will continue. I was WRONG. DEAD WRONG.

This stupid test is more pressure for teachers than kids now and there is something wrong with that. I do believe we need accountability standards, but not in this format. Not teachers having to explain why Johnny Student didn't pass and Susie did, or having to justify themselves as a professional just because so-so teacher had a higher passing rate.

I am not saying it's like this at any school I have taught at, at both Jessup and Dabbs I have had understanding administrators who are believe just as strongly that they system is broken; but their necks are on the chopping block too.  We all have to answer for our kid's performance and the kids.... have no responsibility. No one calls them in and demands answers as to why they scored this or that. No one sits the parents down with the district representative and demands to know what the parent's plan of intervention is.

I'm just saying when E does something great (like say a new word) I would like to think that it's at least partly because his momma has worked with him on that word for months, and vise versa if E decides at 6 years old that he wants to throw a temper tantrum at Wal Mart I am also responsible for that behavior.

Just sayn'

AND now I will stop preaching.