We just finished up SAGE testing. I wish I could share all the things I think and feel about the testing. But as an educator, I can lose my teaching license. Any teacher can tell you the internal struggle they have as they give the tests and how they feel about end of testing only if you are another educator. It is like a cult of sorts.
John Oliver really hit close to home with me when he talked about end of year testing. https://youtu.be/J6lyURyVz7k . I actually tossed my cookies during the last section on the math test. I said part of a question, then I would run into the coat room and throw up into a garbage can. I would come back and finish reading the question. It was quite the spectacle. I can guarantee my students did not do so hot on that section. I think I will the prize. Not to mention that I am the laughing stock of the entire faculty at my school. It's good to be me.
There is a movement of parents opting out of testing. This movement is stronger among charter schools where parents have more contact with each other. I think of the demographics at our school, where 75% of my class speaks English as a second language. It is rare that my families can communicate with each other. I wonder how fair it is to compare schools with different amount of parental voice than others. So my school, with 75% English Language Learners are compared to another school where a greater majority of the students have opted out.
I can hear family and friends arguing already. I am not trying to start a dispute. But until you come to my school, meet my kids, and understand my school's demographics, you don't really understand the discrepancy.
Somewhere through the grapevine I heard that any student that opts out, will receive a score of 2 (out of 4) on the test. I am actually for that. Now let me explain. I have opted two of my children out of testing and had my other two children take the end of year testing. Teachers are not allowed to tell parents about opting out. Schools are not supposed to advertise the option of opting out. But in some communities, it is common knowledge. What about the communities where it is not common knowledge? The scores of the students that take the test are compared against each other. What if all of the underscoring students opt out of the test in a higher scoring school? But all the students, including underscoring students, take the test at my school? How is that fair? My ability as a teacher is determined by these tests.
The whole testing system is flawed.
John Oliver really hit close to home with me when he talked about end of year testing. https://youtu.be/J6lyURyVz7k . I actually tossed my cookies during the last section on the math test. I said part of a question, then I would run into the coat room and throw up into a garbage can. I would come back and finish reading the question. It was quite the spectacle. I can guarantee my students did not do so hot on that section. I think I will the prize. Not to mention that I am the laughing stock of the entire faculty at my school. It's good to be me.
There is a movement of parents opting out of testing. This movement is stronger among charter schools where parents have more contact with each other. I think of the demographics at our school, where 75% of my class speaks English as a second language. It is rare that my families can communicate with each other. I wonder how fair it is to compare schools with different amount of parental voice than others. So my school, with 75% English Language Learners are compared to another school where a greater majority of the students have opted out.
I can hear family and friends arguing already. I am not trying to start a dispute. But until you come to my school, meet my kids, and understand my school's demographics, you don't really understand the discrepancy.
Somewhere through the grapevine I heard that any student that opts out, will receive a score of 2 (out of 4) on the test. I am actually for that. Now let me explain. I have opted two of my children out of testing and had my other two children take the end of year testing. Teachers are not allowed to tell parents about opting out. Schools are not supposed to advertise the option of opting out. But in some communities, it is common knowledge. What about the communities where it is not common knowledge? The scores of the students that take the test are compared against each other. What if all of the underscoring students opt out of the test in a higher scoring school? But all the students, including underscoring students, take the test at my school? How is that fair? My ability as a teacher is determined by these tests.
The whole testing system is flawed.
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