Public School Teachers Face Federal Test

Associated Press via Yahoo News ^ | Sun Aug 31, 1:13 PM ET | BEN FELLER, AP Education Writer

[Calpernia]

>>>"It's not fair to change the rules in the middle of the game. ... I have prided myself in staying current and being active in the field. For all that to be reduced to a multiple-choice test is an insult."

to be reduced to a multiple-choice test is an insult.

Sounds like she sets a fine example to the students she teaches.

[Calpernia]

ping

[Eaker]

I take a proficiency test every day. It is called keeping my job!!!

I haven't taken a physics course since college 25 years ago, but I bet that I could ace the test.

[RS]

""It's really unfair, but what am I going to do about it?" Ingle said. "I'll suck it up, like we always do as teachers, and I'll take more classes."


...take more classes ??? Why ? Don't you knopw the subject you've been teaching for 25 years ?

[pacpam]

Sounds like this teacher is not so sure of her own mastery of the subject she teaches.

I would take the test in a heartbeat. If I can't pass it, then obviously the curriculum I'm following is flawed. Guess there are those who would remain ignorant lest they be found lacking.

[Mo1]

It's not yet clear if she'll satisfy the third option, her state's evaluation.

"It's really unfair, but what am I going to do about it?" Ingle said. "I'll suck it up, like we always do as teachers, and I'll take more classes."

It's not fair to make sure these teachers actually know the subject that they are teaching to our kids??

HELLO ... if you as a teacher don't know the information how the heck can you teach our kids?

[Calpernia]

Her attitude stinks too.

[lakey]

For all we know, she may be one of those who teaches that blood is blue, that it only turns red when exposed to oxygen.

I've even heard of a teacher calling World War II, World War Eleven.

[Graybeard58]

I have been driving a car for forty plus years and the state still expects me to take a vision test every three years. Lifes just not fair darn it!

On a more serious note, my daughter is a teacher and has taken a proficiency test and she says its a joke and if someone fails that test they have no business teaching.

[Born Conservative]

Pennsylvania teachers don't have to worry about losing their job; once they have taught 2 school years and 1 day, they have tenure; it's then next to impossible to fire them.

[Dianna]

By the end of the 2005-06 school year, federal education law says, every teacher of core subjects from English to the arts must be highly qualified.

I have outstanding timing. I'll be finishing my student teaching at the end of 2005 and I have no worries about passing any kind of test.

[Calpernia]

I've actually met some of those!

[Graybeard58]

I swear I am not making this up: back in the 70s the Chicago school teachers were on strike and a local TV station was interviewing picketing teachers. The interviewer asked one teacher what subject she taught and she replied,...are you ready? She said, "I teaches English".

[Eska]

Most teachers I have talked to are not worried at all about testing. I have taught many classes out of my certification. Teach alg, trig, and calc for several years and anyone becomes proficient. There was talk of teachers being required to take another 2 years coursework for each certification; the academics just luv those ideas. Recently, it was announced that teachers will have to take tests in specific areas; for certification. Testing to me seems more acceptable than 2 years of classes ($$$$$$$$$$). The test will be at the teachers expense but then most teachers spend a couple of thousand on their classrooms and supplies every year anyway.

In larger schools, the certification requirements will work just fine. How about small rural schools that only have say 2-3 teachers for 30 students. Will teachers all retain 5-6 certifications? Will states just raise taxes as usual to fund more teachers? No everyone can homeschool for various reasons. Do you actually think that govt schools and all the big govt programs and power will disappear?

I have been around long enough to understand politics is a pendulum; as much as I detest the clintons some one of their filthy caliber will be back in power again. Then what?

From what I see of the NEA, they are coordinating their efforts to meet fed & state guidelines. They will then expect all other entities to match them also.

What if a family had homeschooled their kids for 5-6 years and then the kids couldn't pass the benchmarks. You think that doesn't occur. Not all homeschoolers are as dedicated as most people on FR. From what I have seen, about 1/2 homeschooled kids don't make the grade. You best believe the NEA will expose the bad.

Education is much more complicated than most from both sides realize. It is also too political. I was a certified teacher when I started on FR. Still a repub, still a teacher, and still get most of my news from FR. Just wish other people on FR could stand in a public school teacher's shoes for 6 months; they would see a wider perspective.

[lakey]

I believe you!

[Jeff Gordon]

DO we really need the Feds sticking their noses into public education? This is just another fine example the continued loss of State's Rights.

[Calpernia]

>>>From what I see of the NEA, they are coordinating their efforts to meet fed & state guidelines.

The US government of the government of the CPUSA.org?

[Graybeard58]

The feds have had their noses in public education since the first school district accepted the first federal dollar.
The same way the feds mandated 55 mph speed limits on the states. They simply threaten to cut off federal aid if the states don't comply. They did the same thing with the 21 year old drinking age and if I am not mistaken the voting age too.

[Akira]

teacher bump

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"It's really unfair, but what am I going to do about it?" Ingle said. "I'll suck it up, like we always do as teachers, and I'll take more classes."

This woman needs to take classes to pass an eighth-grade science class???

What has she been teaching the kids?????