I really can't stand the "no child left behind act" which is weird b/c I usually lean towards republican. I am just sick of my 11 yr old taking tests all yr long. It's like they don't even cover the types of things that a 6th grader should be learning. They are to busy preparing for the tests for "NCLA"!
Elizabeth is a discussion leader for arizonamoms she writes about everything from her needing mommy advice to crazy and silly stuff that happens. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and 3 children, Joshua 12, Brooke 2 and Mason 10 months
No kidding! I am so opposed
No kidding! I am so opposed to testing and standards, not to mention of how the school system is so limiting kids' thinking, creativity, and freedom that I've started researching homeschooling. I've been reading John Holt's "Teach Your Own" and it's ringing true with me and giving me a lot to think about.
Allison
Mom to Talia (10/03) and Trip (3/07)
That's great! Wow, I wish I
That's great! Wow, I wish I could home school. That is one hard thing to do. Way to go for the moms that do... right!
Elizabeth is a discussion leader for arizonamoms she writes about everything from her needing mommy advice to crazy and silly stuff that happens. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and 3 children, Joshua 12, Brooke 2 and Mason 10 months
I'm with you! As a mom of
I'm with you! As a mom of an 8th grader, I hate it. As a teacher, I hate it again! I understand the intentions behind it, but it's actually doing the kids a disservice.
Several of my relatives are
Several of my relatives are teachers and they hate it, too. What a shame for both teachers and students.
I hope whoever gets into
I hope whoever gets into office fixes or removes it!
So there is nothing as parents that we can do????
Can't we tell the school we don't want our child tested so much????
Elizabeth is a discussion leader for arizonamoms she writes about everything from her needing mommy advice to crazy and silly stuff that happens. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and 3 children, Joshua 12, Brooke 2 and Mason 10 months
My son is a special needs
My son is a special needs student in 7th grade. Last year he was forced to study test material that he did not understand, or retain, so that he could take these standardised tests. I was extremely concerned that this was not what he needed to be doing. I believe that his teacher was too busy following this "agenda" to be concerned that my son was not being placed in the proper junior high.
I agree with everyone here.
I agree with everyone here. My sister is also a teacher - middle school math- and the teachers have a lot of pressure to make sure all the kids test well. My sister was saying how frustrating it is that she has to make the numbers...you can't control who is going to do their homework and who is not. It's puts pressure on the teachers, and are the students really learning anything? Again, I understand the thought behind it, but I don't think it's the best solution.
Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
The more I read the more I
The more I read the more I wonder how we end up with laws that no one agrees with and sanctions we don't want to impose and well... I just wonder if voices are ever heard!
Aymee C. Buckhannon
Independent Executive
http://www.GilbertMom.com
I think the problem is we
I think the problem is we complain in forums with one another but do not share our thoughts with those in control. We have become so complacent, and never take action - just say oh well or complain amongst one another ... (I am not meaning this as an insult to anyone posting, don't get me wrong) ...but I think if everyone who is opposed to it contacted their senators, congressmen and the president, it would have ended long ago... they would have so much mail and so many calls they would have to take action to get anything else done ;)
I homeschool my kids - have since before the act went into place but it makes me more thankful for choosing it because my kids do not have to handle the pressure of the mess they have created in the public school system.
I completely agree with
I completely agree with everyone! All my kids do are prepare for more and more tests. When we had conferences I even heard fustration from the teachers about this. My third graders teacher was upset because my daughter loves to journal but was trying to show my daughter the way she needs to write in the tests i.e. less conversation between the subjects. Its def frustrating amongst other things this administartaion has brought on. Lets see what the new admin has in store for our children.
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
I completely agree with
I completely agree with everyone! All my kids do are prepare for more and more tests. When we had conferences I even heard fustration from the teachers about this. My third graders teacher was upset because my daughter loves to journal but was trying to show my daughter the way she needs to write in the tests i.e. less conversation between the subjects. Its def frustrating amongst other things this administartaion has brought on. Lets see what the new admin has in store for our children.
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
It is frustrating that
It is frustrating that teachers must teach to tests. It seems like it was well intentioned, but government bureaucracy hurt it.
For those voting...here are the stands of the candidates on no child...
Clinton - voted for it in 2001, but now is calling for "total change" because states need more flexibility to measure progress.
Obama - says its well-intentioned effort to bridge achievement gaps, but Bush administration has ruined it through inflexible application.
Huckabee - supports it.
McCain - calls it a "good beginning" but says it has problems in testing students with disabilities and English language learners.
Romney - has concerns about federal intervention, but likes the general principles of accountability in no child.
I moved here from another
I moved here from another state and have found myself researching schools for my daughter who will be starting soon.
Where I'm from you didn't really have to choose and aside from specific teachers there wasn't a problem w/ schools in general. You went to the public school in your neighborhood or you paid for private school. That is it.
Here is what I've found...
There are three schools in our area we looked at here...
Hern Academy
Valley Academy
Constitution Elementary
Both Hern and Valley are “Excelling” and Constitution is performing.
Constitution received 61% on 3rd grad Aims reading test and about the same on the math, they got 37% on the terra nova reading and about the same on math.
Hern got 82% on the aims reading and about the same on math, and about 63% on the terra nova test.
Valley got 96% on the aims, and 74 on the terra nova tests.
Ok, here comes the clincher…
Constitution percentage of kids learning English 36%
60% of constitution’s students are Hispanic and 30% are white.
Hern percentage of kids learning English 0%
17% Hispanic population, 74% white
Valley percentage of kids learning English 0%
10% Hispanic population, 71% white.
I find that very amazing. The number say a lot about about a very complicated problem that legislation has tried to solve with the no child left behind act.