Teaching vs. Test Scores

Teaching is changing. Has been for a while, but it's beginning to be very noticeable; at least to me lately. Maybe I'm late on the bandwagon or it is starting to affect CTE now too, but it's changing. It reminds me of what Galadriel says at the very beginning of the movie Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings:

The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.

The students notice it more than anything. Many students know that they don't really have to try too hard and they can move forward with the rest of their peers. They know that all they have to do to completely derail a teacher's career is to say something (whether true or not) and that teacher is automatically put under suspicion (has happened to me already). But I was sent this graphic the other day:

The resulting conversation was interesting. Apparently it got a few people to actually think, but I doubt that parents will end up believing it. Most don't want to believe that their student could do no wrong. "It's the tests fault. . .", "It's the teacher's fault. . .", "It's my neighbor's fault. . ." that they aren't passing tests.

As a teacher, I am not with students 24/7, so I can't tell them constantly to study and get ready. I have about 45 minutes a day with them (90 minutes on extended days) and then I can only remind them during that time.

Teacher's pay is beginning to be attached to those test scores. Teachers will no longer be teaching things; they'll only be teaching students how to pass a test. Nothing more. 

I was asked just a bit ago to go speak to a few 1st years in the program that I graduated from. So I went. When I was asked if I would do it again--go through with a teaching license--I said "To a point." Another student asked "What would you tell someone that was thinking about becoming a teacher?"

"First, I would ask them why they are thinking about it? It can't be for money," this got a chuckle. "I would tell them run. Run the other direction. Run away from the Education path as quickly as they could." The room was silent. "If you want to become a teacher to teach, you're not going to be able to. You won't be teaching what you want to teach; what you think the students should know. You'll be teaching them how to beat a test. You'll teach them that because your pay, your salary, will depend on how well they do."

Sad, isn't it?