Who’s Keeping Scores?

State testing scores came in today. Everyone is pouring over the results like they contained the secret to living a happy life. For some, that maybe the case I guess. The word in the teachers’ lounge is that the district will use the results to give teachers the old heave-ho. Even this year’s TOTY is crapping her pants.

It is crazy. I compare the tension around here to the village from “The Lottery” short story by Shirley Jackson. Which page of test results has the black spot on it? Do you know what I mean?

I’m not too worried though. I’ve chosen not to live in fear of such a scenario. Having a job where you can get fired from a standardized test that students take is silly to worry about. Plus, being a junior in high school is the result of years of schooling. That means that their learning is based on their education prior to the teacher getting them. Does that mean all of the kid’s previous teachers get canned as well?

If I’m told to beat it on such principles, then I wasn’t meant to be a teacher anyway. Oh, well….