This week, every Texas school will be administering the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test to students. For four days this week, all learning in our great state will cease. Some students will be involved in filling in circles with number two lead pencils being careful not to make stray marks on their paper or reading ahead to the next section in the test booklet. Teachers will be there reading the instructions from the printed script - actively monitoring - the TAKS police - who are actually TAKS prisoners themselves. Other students will be killing time. Some students will stay home while others (like the ones I will spend the week with) will be sitting in classrooms with nothing to do, all the while being quiet and staying out the hallways as to not disturb the test takers. As for me, I will spend four days with 30 freshmen who will only be testing on Thursday. What are my plans for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday????? I just left Target with a basket full of crayons, color books, playdoh, board games and DVDs. My district will pay me full salary to babysit 15 year olds for three days at a rate of approximately $350 per day. Let's see..... my total TAKS babysitting fee for this year (including the earlier TAKS administration days)has now reached $1,500. Multiply that by the other highly educated babysitters in my building, in my district, throughout the state of Texas and the cost is staggering! Just saying...........
5 comments:
sooo true!
I'll switch schools with you. Tuesday and Wednesday I have to "sit and stare" while 2 kids take their tests. At least on Thursday I get to give an oral admin. That should at least keep me awake. :)
At my school, I have endured now my 3rd TAKS training of the year, each one being more than 2 hours. I also watched the online TAKS modules that are new this year, taking about 1.5 hours. I have now a full 8 hours of training to, as you put it, babysit next week 1 student for the 3 days we will be testing. Earlier this month I spent 2 days with only 2 students. In March I had 2 students also. The really bad news is that I have heard that the new End Of Course exams might be even worse; then again, when has the high stakes testing ever been made better?
ABSOLUTE INSANITY
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