Brian Alone

I was at school the other day, helping this kid with his math homework. He says to me, "Why do we even have to do this? I already took the ISAT test. We should be done with math." I told him that we don't come to school to take a test, we come to school to learn. I guess he doesn't really get that and I can see why. We put so much emphasis on testing that the kids forget that they're there to get an education. But what can we do? Test scores are the only tangible measurement that we can show to the public to say, hey, these kids are doing a good job here.

I hate the fact that we emphasize tests so much. What about those kids with test anxiety? Some kids just don't do well on tests whether they know the material or not. And the thing that irks me the most (being a history major) is that the drive to pass these standardized tests pushes aside other subjects. The kids spend a majority of their time with reading, language, and math. Things like social studies, science, art, music, and physical education have to take a back seat. Why do we have fat kids that can't think on an abstract level?

I work with a student who has autism. He's not going to graduate from high school. He can't pass the required state test. Does he do all the work we give him? Yes. Is he learning? Yes. Is he making a meaningful contribution that benefits his fellow students? Yes. If, as a school district, we are emphasizing inclusion, then why can't we include him?

I also work with a student who has trouble reading. He's not dyslexic, but there is something wrong with the way he looks at words on a page. He is proficient in language and math, but because we can't read the reading test to him, he is having trouble passing that test. He is making progress, but will he ever reach the state minimum level for graduation? Maybe, maybe not.

All that said, I just want to say that my elementary school achieved the highest scores in the whole district. We rock.