Latest Breaking News

However, it got damp at some point and is pretty much decomposed.

ID isn't a big threat. In most places where it's mentioned, either the teacher plays it up himself or it gets scant mention. Texas has typical "anti-evolutionary" language in its standards, and really, ID might get mentioned at some point, then it's off to point mutations and homologies. Why?

Because to teach everything required would take a year, not 9 months with weeks off for Xmas, T-day, spring break.

To teach everything at the cognitive level specified isn't going to happen.

The result is that CC = what's on the test. If it's not on the test, it's not going to get taught. Unless all the states give the same test--not a test aligned with a certain part of the standards--there is no CC except on paper.

All that matters is the test. All hail the test.

Jindal's ditching CC doesn't matter. They'll still have a test.

In all fairness, I'm on a team that was under the gun. The Test was approaching for our topic under the new, beefed up guidelines. We worked our butts off. Got so-so results, but learned a lot about what didn't work and some things about what did work. Then The Test was vanquished, and the next year half the teachers on the team ditched 1/3 of the fall content, skipped a few units in the spring, and dropped out harder content or stuff they personally had trouble with. Some teachers refused to fail anybody. "Hey, it makes my number look good. You fail 20 kids if you want, but you'll be in trouble and told to observe me next year to get your fail rate down." Another said he was tired of fighting and was saving for his retirement--keep them busy, entertained, and pass them to pay off the new car.

I understand why some teachers need The Test. No test, no motivation. All that matters is the grade and passing the evaluation. (Crap, that sounds like my low-performing students. All that matters is passing the test, not the "job" of learning.)