My friend, Gail Richmond, posted the below photo, which was shared by a parent. In class, apparently the lesson was that some of us are not being all that we can be. Therefore, it was time to start doing some goal setting! Children, if your RIT score is not high enough, you need to apply yourselves and reach the new number. If you don’t, Pearson will tell your teacher, your school, and your parents that you are not “proficient,” but merely “emerging.”
My goal is to be a Pearson child!
As many have commented, whatever happened to what I want to be when grow up? What my hopes and dreams are?
When my handwriting looked like this, my goal was to be an astronaut, or a fireman, but never a better test score.
I can’t tell which is worse:
- Either the teacher told them verbatim what to write, and the kids have no idea what it means,
- Or the teacher spent way too much time trying to explain the concept of this nonsense to the kids.
In Philly, large posters of the state standards and scoring rubrics must be displayed in each classroom and used as a daily reference while teaching, even in Kindergarten.. Such a misguided waste of learning space.
I have seen these live. And yes the goals are posted all over the room. They are spoken about all the time. There is no choice but to answer that way. It is what the kids are expected to expect!
No kid would ever set a “goal” to do better on a test unless…?
We have to spread this image to politicians, NYSUT, Richard Iannuzzi, and anyone who will listen. It’s heartbreaking when you see what we have been warning about in a child’s handwriting, isn’t it?
I was shocked when I saw this on facebook and my reaction has not changed. Shameful.