================================================ Subject: Re: General "Survey 1 of 2" Stuff From: "Tara" To: Date: Mon 6 Aug 2001 09:07:19 -0400 ================================================ I managed to get through half my teaching degree before having to drop out of college (stupid tuition increases...), and my mom's a high school teacher, so I know a bit of how poorly the educational system is set up, at least in Michigan (grrrr at Engler). Schools that want state/federal funds HAVE to do well on the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program, I believe) tests... the more students who pass, the more money for the school. Plus, the year I graduated, it was made a requirement to pass the MEAP test in order to get a state-endorsed diploma. So teachers are encouraged to teach using the MEAP test as a lesson plan, so their students will pass it and the school will get some of the money it needs. All the test is, is reading comprehension, basic math skills, English, etc... things that students SHOULD be able to understand just from their regular classes without having to study for. And in the school district I went to, there was no foreign language requirement... I was a "gifted" student, so I got to go to special summer classes at the college while in middle school, and so took 6 weeks of German, and I took an year's worth of French as an elective in high school. If I remember correctly, the school didn't even offer foreign language past two or three years, for the last year or two students had to take a special ti-in class over a satellite program. Same thing if a student wanted to take Latin or German. The details are difficult to get into, but basically, it's a poor system... but public schools are poorly funded as it is, so it's imperative that they receive that funding from proficiency tests. Tara (maybe I should run for Governor and fix the system? lol) ----- Original Message ----- From: Lee Reed To: Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 12:07 AM Subject: Re: General "Survey 1 of 2" Stuff > well, if they'd quit wasting all their money on these damn 'proficiencies' > they'd be able to fund it...don't know about indiana, but here in ohio, the > teachers end up teaching proficiency testing as opposed to the '3 r's'... > Lee To unsubscribe or change your preferences for the Creed-Discuss list, visit: http://www.winduplist.com/ls/discuss/form.asp