guess what?

WE'S CUTE!!!

SO i know that i haven't updated in a while but here are the important things:

We are alive

We are in school full time

Joe works part time

Lesley is in third grade all day 2 days a week

Joe is Johnny in Arsenic and Old Lace

Both of us are very very busy all the time!!!!

So in one of my classes today we got in a heated discussion about how messed up this countries education system is and how the changes we have coming at us have some good parts but also have some very negative things. As we have reformed our education system we have changed the focus so that testing is the priority- seriously you would be shocked if you went into a school and saw how much we are testing the students. NCLB (no child left behind) has increased testing and the targets are consistently changing. Obviously the people making policy have no understanding of child development either because the standard for proficiency is 100% in 2014. How many of you really know a kid that can do anything 100% perfect every time. Well in 2014 they would have to be 100% perfect 100% of the time to be considered proficient according to testing. Obama's Blueprint would change some of this and some of the things that he is proposing are good ideas but surprise surprise he is going proposing that we add MORE testing! It is just so surprising to me and I wish that the policy makers would actually observe some regular classes. As the policy makers push more and more tests there are more and more teachers who are teaching to the test. And do you know what? It's hard to blame them. The way our system is set up, and will continue to be set up (only with even more severe consequences) with Obama's Blueprint, teachers are the ones that are being held personally responsible for student proficiency scores. I agree that teachers need to do all that they can to help students learn to be proficient but if we threaten teachers with tests then all that occurs in the majority of schools is that teachers teach to the test! we need to hold students responsible for learning and put value on teacher evaluations. anyways with all of my frustration this is a video that you have to watch because it is so sad and so hilarious because it is so true!!!!

www.notonthetest.com

Just think about what message we are sending to our children about life.