Then get out of the sticks, Gomer. Maybe teachers don't want to discuss it with administrators who assess them. But the decry has been national news for years. You should be aware, at least. No Child Left Behind: Frustrated Educators, Advocates Call For Overhaul Cardinal Scholar: Elementary school teachers' perceptions of No Child Left Behind Because she's smarter than you. :grin:
Red, this is true everywhere, especially in science. Science is about inquiry, following wrong leads, turning around, going somewhere else, and discovering something interesting, often not related to where you started. Standardized tests, but more accurately, stringent state standards have destroyed this. I have so much cool stuff from the NC oyster replenishment folks, that is unusable due to lack of time, in the chock full over-crowded quarter when the water objectives are taught. THere is not a state standard about oyster replenishment. The great satan, IMHO, is not the standardized tests but the idiotic standards that I am to teach too. THey are too broad and to long. Now the test assesses how well the students know the standards, so one could argue semantics, but that would be shallow. I teach to the NC Standard Course of Study Standards. Period. I do not even look at the questions on the state end of grade test because I want to make sure I can look parents and critics in the eye and say I don't teach to the test. But, when 9/10 of the second semester is devoted to slope of a line and two formats for expressing that slope, you better bet highly that the test is gonna focus on that subject matter, too. The big problem is that the standards are based on the assumption that the students master the material that they pass in prior years. WRONG. They pass the test, do a data dump, and we start behind the eight ball every year. What was that definition of insanity......quite apropos. geaux tigers
The More things change the more they stay the same! Archie Bunker on Democrats - YouTube John Wayne on liberals - YouTube
Watching a SOTU is funny and sickening at the same time. It was obviously a campaign speech which is not suprising considering the timing. We've seen the same from many administrations. It's just funny to see how pretentious the audience is and how they clap for everything. That should be a sign to us. If this Congress is clapping...then it's probably a bad idea. Regarding Congress...isn't it amazing how the administration claims they turned horrible overnight? We had the worst Congress in history so the American public made a change. This president had total control but yet couldn't pass a budget or get a jobs bill passed (or many other things NOW on his agenda) but now blames EVERYTHING on the House of Representatives pretending they're stalling all of his "great" ideas. Where were these ideas and plans when he had the Oval Office, Senate, and House? Why can't people understand this guy has nothing and constantly blames anybody and everybody but NEVER holds himself accountable for his failures? He had two years with total control so why are these issues just becoming problems? If his major accomplishment was Health Care Reform why didn't he dicsuss it? Wouldn't you constantly remind people of your major accomplishments if you wanted to be re-elected? Why would attempt to avoid it? Are you realizing the majority of America opposes it? Do you have guarded information it will cost much more than what you claimed? What's the deal? If you've had 3+ years to demonstrate how wonderful you are...then do it. If you've had 3+ years to demonstrate how wonderful you are yet you continue to blame others and point fingers...then you obviously have nothing to offer and aren't the person we need as Commander in Chief.
Pfft, gimme a break. You cite a source FROM the AFT National Convnetion? lmao THEY are always bitching, it's job security for them. Otherwise they're not needed. It's also a situation in which the Democrats are trying to make NCLB a political football with it. I'll stay in the woods *cough* real world. Good chance she is. As for needing to be ditched, THAT I agree on. When you have a system that: 1/ Penalizes schools for student absences but not their parents, 2/ Penalize them for dropouts and counting a student as a dropout even though they got to a GED program run by any given Parish, (BTW, for several years a student who died while in HS was counted as a dropout) 3/ Special Education" students administered same tests, held to same standards and school penalized for their lack of achievement even though they're in SPED program because they can't read...I could go on and on red. It's not as much the "time", moreso about being "fair". As for teachers complaining, in general, teachers are always bitching about something. "Time" is one of their favorites; curriculum, very seldom. Again, in general,The ones who b1tch the most are the ones most often found sittin on their azzes in the teachers' lounge. The empty wagons make the most noise. That's only scratching the surface so don't bring me some shyt you googled on a subject I'm in the middle of every day and know more about than I have time to tell you or that you care to hear.
teachers will quit the unions when you fire them for walking out or striking on union orders. ronald reagan made quick work of the air traffic controllers. it isnt hard. you make them perform, or fire them. this isnt possible with our current labor laws. so they need to be thrown out.
Sure, But I'll remember to ask the same of you when you have an opinion on a subject that I'm immersed in. Do you really imagine that your viewpoint is shared by all your colleagues?
Why you think I seldom post in here? Not at all. I do know that "spending their entire curriculum on preparing students for the test", though IS heard, it's not widespread and rampant either. Discipline, lack of parental involvement, now those two... Also, LEAP testing is in March. Teachers have all of April and May to teach whatever they want. Unfortunately, many don't teach at all after the LEAP tests are administered- which is another HUGE problem with NCLB. We have to give the tests 8 weeks before the end of the year. Kinda unfair to the kid who barely fails when the test had to be given with so much instructional time left. Could've made a difference. I know 6 week summer remedial programs lift many scores enough to get students a "passing" level of achievement.
You didn't answer the question. Many districts in Louisiana, especially in rural areas, are not able to hire enough certified teachers. So when you start firing teachers for not "making the grade", where are you going to get new ones? Don't get me wrong... There are a lot of bad teachers out there, but the system that Jindal is planning to put into place is not the way to go. Basing employment on test scores that effected by a thousand different factors other than the teacher is just asinine.
