Too much big government? New York State spending hundreds of million of dollars for testing 8-14 year old children? Which causes their entire 3rd-8th grade school existence to be centered around test prep instead of learning a full curriculum? Crash courses in fractions for 3rd graders?
I am as anti-Republican as the next gay person. But when the Republicans talk about government that is too large, I agree when my son is the victim of New York State’s biggest over sized government scam – standardized testing. Hundreds of millions of dollars go to private firms for this cause. And for what? The students curriculum work all but ceases for 6 months. In my school many students are required to stay after school for extended day test prep. They learn fear of tests at a younger age than necessary.
I am incensed. What happened to a teacher grading a student based on a curriculum, his class work, his knowledge? Are report cards being replaced by these tests? These standardized tests are repetitive and unnecessary. And a waste of hundreds of millions of dollars. Which we don’t have.
So who’s ego is this fulfilling? Why is this massive amount of money being funneled from the taxpayers to the testing firms? Seems like one big scam to me.
And my poor son. The curriculum is already far more advanced than when I as in school, at least 2 years ahead. What’s the hurry? Why the need to add 6 days of standardized tests to the mix?
Last year the tests went on for 4 days, this year 6. My son will do fine but I just bristle at the absurdity of this nonsense. And next year his fourth grade scores determine what middle school he can get in to. Hey, we have a tutor so we are covered. But then doesn’t that make this whole standardized test scenario biased towards those with money for tutors? Is that fair? Does anyone care? This also helps to create a further divide between the rich districts and the poor districts. This is no secret, than are they doing this to increase that divide on purpose? I tell my friends that it behooves the government to keep a low class of less educated people so that group has to become fodder for our military – I think that is a horrible path for our country, to not offer equal education for all.
The thing that makes me the angriest is the poor way the students are now taught. My son did 1-2 weeks of fractions and then it became part of the test prep. This is not how to teach. Let these poor kids absorb the knowledge, but no, they are rushed through the material.
New York State students are getting a raw deal.
*SMH* I couldn’t of said it any better. It’s a travesty for kids, as well as families. And one of the top reasons our family have chosen homeschool.
It’s not any better here in Jerz. And I agree completely with everything you’ve said. And I can’t stand the number of future things that depend on the test results as well, or the inequality between those with tutors and those without. I recall feeling the same way when we lived in NYC and had to test my not-quite-four-year-old to get into kindergarten. And now, here we go again….
I love this! I work for a school with special needs kids and I have a son who is special needs. The school I work at has a big celebration getting the kids in the school all riled up about taking these test. These test are a joke and they do not test for creative thinking or critical thinking. Other classes like art and PE are cut down so that the kids have more reading like an 1 and a half everyday. My son cannot read, he has a very hard time retaining the words he learns and it is a frustrating thing for him as well as me, but every year he gets sent on to the next grade with passing grade like freaking A’s in reading when he still cannot read. As a teacher with special needs kids I have to test these kids in a different way but it is still the same idea, and I hate having to do it because I do not believe that it should be done in this way.
It’s a horrible way to teach. 🙁 I’ve always so hated those standardized tests for my daughter… especially in the lowest grades. Okay so when they’re ready to enter high school, a test or two may be in order (but NOT using teaching as a fear tactic for a test!) and ready to graduate and move into “the world” (who came up with that term anyhow?!) sure, there’s going to have to be some kind of testing. But elementary age? Come on! 🙁
Katharina angelsandmusic[at]gmail[dot]com