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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

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Saturday, November 15, 2008

I don't understand...

This morning our breakfast club met. There are four of us who taught together at Johnnycake Middle School in Baltimore County in the 80's. We meet about four times a year for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. There were five of us, but Colette passed about three years ago. Debbie is still teaching social studies, but Jo (Guidance), Ann (Social Studies), and I (English) have all retired. Conversation is always animated (although we haven't been asked to leave, yet) and somehow always comes around to state mandated testing, which is a royal pain in the ass. Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) always designs the aircraft in flight. No Child Left Behind doesn't help and now many school systems have seniors who will not graduate this year because they can't pass an assessment. This may sound fair, but the State insists that ALL kids take the assessments even those in special education and those who are new to our country in English as Second Language courses. We don't know what the schools are going to do with those who don't pass. Supposedly they're to do 'projects', but there's no one on board to teach grade 13...

There's something I don't understand. Why in the Cialis add are the two people sitting in bath tubs looking out at the sea? Are they yearning for function? Why are they sitting in bath tubs, anyway? And if they really wanted to get it on, shouldn't they be in the same tub? Can anyone clear this up for me?
Also,why do roadside signs say "Falling Rock"? If they know it's that bad that a rock is going to come crashing down on a car, shouldn't they do something about it? And why the warning? Just so we don't have a heart attack when it happens? It would seem to me that there's no way a driver could get out of the way in time anyway. Can anyone explain this to me?

6 comments:

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

Don't get me started on state standards. As a textbook writer, I have to deal with standards from many states, not just one. Some states have standards with outmoded views of history. Some have standards that are historically inaccurate. Some have standards that if met, would require 8th grade students to do graduate level work. Sigh.

I don't get the Cialis ads either. And all those Falling Rock signs do is make me nervous, which can't help my driving much.

Lena said...

Wow, it is interesting to read Ruth's perspective on the state standards and how they vary state to state. With such crazy expectations, what kids have a chance?

I agree, falling rock signs make me nervous! I guess it means that you don't slow down and don't pull the car over to take pictures or something. It also probably has something to do with the town covering their behinds so they don't get sued.

Nice that you still keep connected to your former colleagues!

MIME said...

When I drive through falling rock areas, I am more watchful for the large rocks that may be sitting in the roadway. I don't even watch for the ones that may be careening down the mountain side! MIME

KathyA said...

Some schools are forced to administer so many tests that there's almost no time to teach. Some of these poor kids are just "tested out"! The high school assessments are administered in every high school usually the second week of May. During that time EVERYTHING ELSE STOPS. Because testing must be done in one part of the school -- all teachers and classes are affected by being dislocated and yet the expectation is that teaching will continue. MSDE wants us to use the various tests as final exams. Sounds nice but there are four to six weeks of school left after the final? Does this make sense to anyone?

Gin said...

I don't know why kids are "assessed" by testing anyway. I think the teachers are better equipped to assess the kids and proceed accordingly! You're sure right about the whole school grinding to a halt when testing is going on!!

I think those falling rocks signs are to let you know there may be rocks on the road. But they sure make me look up!!!

Re: the Cialis ad...and who'd want to take a bath outdoors anyway??? But can't you see some poor schmuck installing a bath tub outdoors because he thinks it will help his erectile dysfunction?!! Wahahahaha

Anonymous said...

It seems like our teachers are forced to teach to the test. Every single grade takes some version of the WASL and those poor kids are taught to stress out about it because the teachers are so stressed. Ugh.

Um...I have no idea what Cialis is. I'm guessing a viagra type stuff? I'll have to look it up