Re: Virginia Officials Decry NCLB Intrustion into Schools

[CMWUNCHEEL@aol.com]

Ken -
    Please send your legislators a little e-mail or call w/your last 3 para. 
about Praxis, etc., as the message. (The only tests worshipped more than SOL 
in VA are Praxis  I and II. You know, VA - home of highest Pr. I cut scores on 
the planet and proud of it).
Roxie

In a message dated 2/10/04 7:50:04 PM, kber@earthlink.net writes:

<< 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


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From: Kenneth Bernstein <kber@earthlink.net>
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