Einstein, Mali, and tests....

It's finally almost Fall but most schools in this country have been in full swing for a while. Some are on the tail end of the first semester. One thing is for sure - they have all gotten their testing in.  My 5th grader was MAP testing in his second week of school.

Because testing will fix everything. Right? It must be what we all believe because there is no group fighting school testing.  There are no outraged mom's picketing the PTA chanting "Hell to the No! Testing must go!"

There should be.  I have yet to see the test results that prove that test results fixed the problem.  I did just now finally receive my 5th-grader's 4th-grade test scores. Thank goodness! I was waiting on pins and needles for those to make sure he was on grade-level.

It's an election year - and while I do not want to discuss that- we all know that Education will be dissected by each candidate.  Common core will be brought up yet again as both the Sinner and the Saviour.  No child will be left behind to STEM for themselves.

There is a lot of talk about Education in the news this week.  Some of the interviews I have listened to have brought me to tears while others had me hopping mad. Each with its own worth. But every time the topic comes up I am reminded of what Albert Einstein said "Everyone is a Genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid."

Taylor Mali, a Teacher and amazing poet writes in a moment of brilliance something like How can a chicken give birth to an Eagle.  Well my friend, it can not. And a cheeseburger can not fall to far from the apple tree. And a fish can not climb a tree. But a school can get funding from their test scores.

for more Taylor Mali see his Poetry Slam - What Teachers Make