tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3410387772840321888.post7053731340800845206..comments2023-10-03T11:28:42.397-04:00Comments on Badass Teachers Association Blog: BadassTeacher Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06249079678877556839noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3410387772840321888.post-43792008931272468742014-09-27T15:32:43.068-04:002014-09-27T15:32:43.068-04:00My son who is in general ed and has an IEP for lea...My son who is in general ed and has an IEP for learning disabilities--slightly below level reading comp, writing, math and a medical diagnosis of anxiety consistently got a mid to high 2 on the tests, slightly below level, that is where he has always been in most areas. His teachers have consistently been fantastic, and he is a hard worker who wants to do well and learn. He tests poorly, he gets testing accommodations for both his learning disabilities and for his anxiety. But not on the state assessments. He only gets extended time on the state tests. No questions read, no words explains, nothing simplified. Doesn't do much good if he gets stuck on the third question and his anxiety kicks in and he blanks out for the rest of the test. He, his teachers, school and I all agreed it would be worse for his anxiety in the 6th grade to refuse and be singled out than to try to take it. He got 1's on both the ELA and MAth and filled his test book with the misspelled statement "this test is bad. My teacher is great. Dont use my bad grade to rate my teacher. She is nice." That sealed the deal for me. I spent the summer of 2013 educating him and my A student who was going to 5th grade in refusing the spring 2014 tests. Never again. My kids know that those tests do not show what they know. My A student that reads two grade levels higher than his grade got a 2. They in no way show what their wonderful and talented teachers taught. My kids and their teachers are more than a score. I will continue to refuse all assessments that rate my children's teachers, share my children's data and are waste of district money and classroom time even though our district is trying to push back with test prep and gung ho on testing and replacing teachers that teach to the whole child with young CC trained youngsters who won't question the prep and tests and data collection. It is very stressful. I worry every day about my older son who works so hard, and goes without electives and sits in extra math and English and the daily resource room that he needs to make honor roll and keep up with his peers, that they make the road to a diploma more and more difficult for him to achieve. This madness has to stop. All this has destroyed my children't love of reading and even my A student who once loved school hates it. I have seen teacher friends, rated highly effective, quit the profession. The casualties of high stake testing and profit in education are far and wide and will be emotionally life changing for our families and financially long lasting for our communities. I am determined to fight for my kids and my school. To get the love of learning back and to restore the joy of teaching creatively, with experience and to the whole child to our teachers. Not test driven one size fits all. JACBenMommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506601222000044432noreply@blogger.com