Attack the Teachers! Attack the Teachers!

Apparently a new law is in legislature to update the current No Child Left Behind Act to include holding not only schools accountable for the education of our children, but individual teachers as well. This scares me. Today Freshman took a practice test preparing them for next year's AIMS test (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards test).

Ordinarily, my students have always taken this test seriously, but that was when I taught the eighth grade. I always explained to them that the AIMS would determine what courses they would be placed in at high school. As expected, they took their test seriously.

Now I teach Freshman. My classes and students have been a joy and the experience working at the high school level has been refreshing until today. You see, today my students participated in a practice test and many did not take it seriously. I heard more often than not that "it didn't count anyway" when inquiring quietly why a test that should take at least 30 minutes was finished in five. More and more I heard, "I don't care" or "I don't need this to graduate." Soon whispered conversations were taking place between students during testing. Once again I reminded, privately, that although this test was only practice, that perhaps it would mean something to someone wanting to grant a college scholarship someday.

When the day was finished, I could not help but notice how many tests were not finished. Now I wonder... when this law passes, will my job be in jeopardy?