Re: Virginia Officials Decry NCLB Intrustion into Schools

[Kenneth Bernstein <kber@earthlink.net>]

I read something like this, an d i cannot believe that ridiculous of what our elected and appointed government officials think we need to do to 'fix" education.


So I will make my usual proposal.

Let's require all members of the legislature and the state school board to pass the SOLs every year as a condition of holding their jobs, and in the case of elected officials, to qualify to be on the ballot.  Better yet, let's make those legislators pass the test required of those who want to become citizens, since so often they seem to know so little about ieither the US or Virginia Constitutions.   And maybe, just maybe, beside passing a test in American history and in math (which most would fail, since they think the way to raise money is to cut taxes on rich people), we could give them a little test or two on Virginia history

let's see what they really know about Jefferson and Madison {Virginia Statute of Religious freedom, anyone?) and George Mason {Virginia Declaration of Rights, anyone?}.

But of course, the intent of their punitive legislation and regulations has nothing to do with educational quality, as I can assure you the Praxis II tests have nothing to do with the ability to teach, and represent a pretty random non-representative sampling of the domains tested, ---   NO, they are designed to impugn public schools and demean publics school educators.

I am not a fan of Mark Warner, because he persists in the silly belief that SOLs represent rigor in our educational system.  What hogwash.  

But people will say I am merely a dsigruntled school teacher.  Since I do not teach in Virginia, but merely live here, I am not directly affected by SOLs, or by the ridiculous idea of repetitive administration of Praxis II.  I am, however, a taxpayer, and I think this is a ridiculous waste of already scarce resources (time and money) for education.   That's why I bother with a post like this.


Kenneth Bernstein
Arlington VA

Kenneth J. Bernstein