Finally! I love it, this teacher stands up and puts his job on the line for the benefit of our young children. The WASL does more harm than it's worth. The stress induced on these kids is ridiculous. My wife just told me in my son's school that during the 2 week WASL testing, the school feeds the kids breakfast. The reason being is that it fills their belly and helps stimulate their mind so they test well. Hmmm.......is it done to get the scores up so the district/school looks better on paper? If it is that important and proof shows they will learn better, why not do it all year long? No funding, try to push it through, I can bet it will be funded IF the right choices of food are given. Donuts and HOHO's don't make breakfast. Please read the article below:
http://www.komotv.com/news/17985524.html
5 comments:
What is wrong with a little testing. We had SAT, PSAT, Standard test and so on. Kids need to test to get into College. I think learning to take tests is very important. What is next, dead lines are too stressfull, lets let kids just do whatever they bloody want. The WASL is easy for most kids and if they teach what needs to be taught to take the WASL, will they really be worse off? Maybe they should not give out awards in the olympics...too much competition. What a farce, take the freaking test and if you can't pass the WASL your not going to make it in the real world either.
If the test is easy for most kids, then how come the school has to offer classes that MANY students need to partake in to pass the test?? The big deal is that IF they are doing their job and teaching like they should be there doesn't need to be so much pressure put on the kids to pass. They offer all kinds of classes for the kids to do well and increase their scores. The point of the test is to be sure the teaching is doing what it's suppose to, teach the kids. NOT teach to the TEST! Some kids actually DO have a hard time with the test becuase they freeze on tests....or what about kids like mine, who are ADHD and have severe problems focusing? They make NO accommodations for kids like that. The worst part, is the test is in place to hold the teachers accountable for doing their jobs, but now our kids have to pass the test to get a diploma upon graudation....how is that holding the TEACHER's accountable???
The teachers will only be held accountable only so much as the fear of losing teachers. Teachers already think they are paid unfairly imagine making them accountable to the results, too tough and some will bail out.
Just because you pass the WASL does not make you smart,a hard worker,a better person. The test is not for the student so why tie it to whether that get a diploma or certificate. The test is a measurement of how well the education system has educated our children. I can bet there will be a kid that would get decent grades, pull a 3.0 then fail the WASL because of the the kid simply can't test well. What are you going to tell that kid now? Sorry Son, your grades in school were good but because you didn't pass the WASL you can't have a diploma like your buddies. Nice system, really thought out and make sense!
Not all children learn the same so we should stop trying to cookie cutter them. You will never find a test to measure all people equally.
In the real world, employees are held accountable for results. What is holding the teachers accountable to their results?
SAT's are not even close to being the same so there should be no comparison. If they were good why wouldn't we just use that as a test?
I did not do well on any SAT, PSAT or whatever and I have been able to become a successful person of society. Guess you can say my parents allowed me just do whatever I bloody wanted? or I didn't "take the freaking test and if you can't pass the WASL your not going to make it in the real world either."
Just because you didn't do well on your SAT's does not mean you did not pass. No one is asking all kids of all kinds to ace the test, just pass. Just pass.
Your whole accountability thing is tough because no matter how great a teacher is, without good parents to help the kids the teacher will fail. Also a crappy teacher will produce good kids if the parents are properly involved.
The teacher who refused to test his kids is breaching his contract. I guess he is not accountable in any way to any one.
If the kids don't get a certain score or level on the WASL they will get a certificate instead of a diploma, that is segregation and don't think employers are not going to sort that out. Not all kids find the WASL an easy test to "just pass". That's the problem the general thought process is that it is an easy thing and "all they have to do is pass". Well if it was easy for all then what's the point in making a kid get a certain score?
On the accountability, somebody has to be accountable. The districts and teachers love to pin it on the parents, it's an easy out.
I personally think more schools need to go year around and teachers should be at school 8-10 hours. This way that gives them plenty of time in case an student needs extra help or time to plan a better curriculum.
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