Working on the public dime, I understand the need for local, state, and even federal government to have some oversight into what goes on in classrooms. However, given some of the idiocy that sometimes comes from politicians (and I do not count NCLB as part of that idiocy), I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't spend just a day in a random urban classroom before passing any education-related legislation. At least then they might know of which they speak.
And then idiocy like this happens.
I've blasted NYC schools before (here), but they just keep going one step further. Excerpt:
NEW YORK - City officials recalled preparation material for math tests that had been sent to teachers after discovering they were filled with math and spelling mistakes.
.....AND it was written, "those who cannot teach or those whom have NEVER TAUGHT shall tell those who do teach how to teach and design flawed assessments to truely prove to those who teach that they are truely at one with being the first three letters of the word assessment."
ReplyDeleteThe SAME thing happens in my district. My wife, who taught h.s. math for 8 years before becoming a domestic engineer (mom and housewife), volunteers in our sons classrooms; she took one look at the "simple" 20 multiple choice question 'district' math assessment for third graders and wondered if a chimp could have produced an assessment with fewer math errors. IT is really sad. And, these 'coordinators' are getting much more money than classroom teachers. Another waste of tax dollars.