NYC Educator: What Real People Think about State Exams

Yup. Yup. I feel like all us teachers should post our real-life conversations with real-life non-teachers about how messy the system is against us. For example:

Me on testing (in September, January, and May):

Me: I have to test my kids this month.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Wait, what do you mean, month?
Me: Well, they have this test called the NWEA. They have to take three tests: reading, math, and language. And the worst part is, I have to miss teaching my kids while testing them.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Well, won’t they be testing with you? You shouldn’t miss any teaching days, then.
Me: No, I teach a kindergartener, four second graders, five, now six third graders, and five 4th graders, and they all test at separate times. So I’m going to miss 8 to 12 instructional days while I’m testing the other kids.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Wait, so you’re saying while some kids are testing the other kids don’t get you? Who gets them, a sub?
Me: No, either they’ll be taught by their aide who I give the lesson plans to, or I have to create a big review packet for them to do on their own while the gen ed teacher teaches material that’s too hard for them because they haven’t been in the gen ed room, or they just learn under the gen ed teacher and don’t get my services as their special ed teacher.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Wow, that must suck.
Me: Yup, it does.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Well, at least it only happens once a year, right?
Me: Nope, I had to do the same thing two more times this year. Meaning I was basically testing for three months while trying to figure out when I could give my kids their minutes according to their special education services.
Friend/Dad/Brother: Wow, I could not do that.
Me: I hardly can myself.

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