off the test, what if I choose not to come and test, and so many more. I understand the reason why students are asking these questions; they don’t want to take the test, and they do not see its importance. Many tell me to my face that they don’t care. Folks, I get it. There seems to be a disconnect. Do people really understand the ramifications of these statements and attitudes? They should because they are real! Disenfranchised students fight back in this manner. Is this making things any better? No, it only is perpetuating the theory that most teachers are not doing their jobs. Think about this on a greater scale. Is society saying that colleges are not preparing teachers either? I think not!Do any other people besides teachers understand that the school grade is calculated on this testing data? What about in the years to come and with the Race to the Top Initiative coming down the pike that will penalize teachers for poor scores; does anyone care that teacher’s pay will be effected and their livelihood? Even worse, what about the teacher who is willfully teaching classes to remediate students in reading and writing that house, more often than not, unmotivated students; should they be penalized for caring for their students or being willing to go into the trenches and work harder than Honors teachers?
So, while the world is sleeping tonight, many teachers are hoping, and I am going to say it, praying that their kids will care and do their best tomorrow on FCAT Writes. I do not see any politician taking a student into their meetings and asking them how this assessment will benefit the students. Isn't that what this about: the student? But I do see a lot of people pointing their fingers at teachers. They can’t all be bad; can they? What about parents and students; do they play a role? Does holding a student back hold them accountable? Not really, it just makes them more at-risk for not graduating or worse yet, ending up in jail. Read the research and get informed.
If Rick Scott was going to fine parents for student absences, missing assignments, homework, and assessments, would parents stand up and fight back? You betcha they would! What if parents were mandated to pay for tutoring if their kids were not passing standardized tests? Do you think they would obey this rule? No, they would revolt!
I have to keep it real tonight. I am a hard working teacher, but I will sleep tonight. I have to believe that God is bigger than all of this. I do my job unto Him first. What else can I do? I can’t strike; I’ll lose my job. So, for now, I’ll do my best and hope that the powers that be will see that teachers are the scapegoats right now. All stakeholders need accountability. This includes parents and students, which for many teachers seem to be the missing link.
Yes, I know that there are some teachers that do not their job, but this can't be all of them. So, why do we continue to make decisions based on the few who do not do their jobs? And while our nation continues to see illiteracy rates increase, when will they decide to get to business? The standardized testing horse is dead; it's time to dismount.
There has to be a better way. Why not try making assessments relevant and authentic? I understand these types of assessments are hard to measure and get data from, but do you really want to find out if students are learning, or do we want data to banter with other countries, states, districts, and real estate agents with to determine the school to send our child to, they best state to live for education, or the best part of the city to purchase a home or rent? For some, they want to brag about their school or district report card, but can anyone tell you what is really involved in calculating these grades? I bet most parents, students, lobbyist, and politicians could not. I am not against students writing essays to illustrate learning or taking a test to demonstrate reading proficiency, but I am against the policies behind the FCAT. These are the hard questions and issues that need to be addressed.
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