By now, I'm sure you've heard all about the cheating scandal going on in the Atlanta Public School system. It sounds eerily similar to the one described in Chapter 1 of Levitt and Dubner's "Freakonomics" book - teachers filling in answers for students and erasing and changing answers on standardized tests.
We don't have children, so I don't know a lot about the details and impact of this hideous affair, but the fact that it's going on here and has been investigated in other major cities has me worried. I'm an extroverted, social girl, and I've never given serious consideration to home schooling. Until now. I certainly don't want my future children cheated (pun intended) out of a good education when I'm fully capable of teaching them, and teaching them well, I might add. I suppose I should be grateful that by the time I do have children in school, this will - hopefully - all be cleared up?
But in the midst of all this seriousness, the following quote had me doubled over with shocked laughter. Who says something like that?! Apparently, the APS teachers, that's who.
As long as the focus is on high stakes testing, we will continue to see these kinds of scandals. When the time comes, check out private and/or charter schools that aren't so testing oriented.
ReplyDelete