Stop the Testing

A couple of weeks ago the newspapers published the district by district results of the TAKS test.
Today's Chronicle carried an article about a TAKS Revolt. Now that it's time to go back to work, my attention can turn back to the matter of what the TEST has done to education in this state.
Accountability was an idea that had appeal for the taxpayers who fund public education because they needed to have some way to be sure they were getting their money's worth. Standardized tests allow the state to prove that they are providing comparable education at every level of the socio-economic scale. It has become a tool of the real estate market to orient consumers to the "good school districts" based upon their TEA accountability rating and the TEST scores.
But, if anyone would care to listen to teachers, we can tell you the truth about what the emphasis on standardized testing has done to education in this state.
I teach seniors in high school. I teach government, but I can tell you that no one cares if your kid learns anything about government or civic responsibility because the subject is taught in twelfth grade after students have taken the exit test. The content of the course is not tested, so it is of no importance.
I happen to believe that the Constitution is an important document, and that if the Bush-Cheney administration hasn't completely abandoned it, we may return to the rule of law, at which time Americans may once again realize that in a democracy it is necessary to have an educated and informed electorate.
But the flaw is not just about the subject that I teach. The problem is that I am receiving students in my class who are on track to graduate from high school and they are functioning far below grade level. These kids can read, but they are word callers. They derive no meaning from what they read, because they haven't been taught to read for context and for connections. They have been taught to look for key words by scanning. This helps you narrow down your choices when you are guessing on the TAKS test.
The failure of the accountability system is now becoming apparent to the business community and to interests outside the realm of education because our kids are not prepared for college, and they are not prepared to enter the work force.
They don't know how to think! They aren't creative, they are not problem solvers. Their written and oral communications skills are abysmal due to formulaic writing requirements on the TEST and their reliance on electronic communications replete with its peculiar abbreviated forms.
Teachers have known for a very long time how detrimental the testing system is to education. But, no one values the opinions of teachers. How can you take the word of people who will work for such low pay?
Hopefully organizations such as Raise Your Hand Texas will be able to influence the legislature to make the changes that are necessary before it is too late. You only have to read a little history to know that ignorance is the condition of the enslaved, not of the free.