What are we supposed to do?
Mark went out yesterday with his Big, George, and they ate at the Subway in the newly revamped Westfield mall. They had completely redone sections of the mall and unveiled it a few months ago. Newly remodeled food court, new movie theater etc.
But apparently, the mall is still dirty. The food workers are still dirty.
Both Mark and George got food poisoning. George called here around 8ish to ask if Mark was sick. I said yes, he's been in the bathroom non-stop since around 6:30. It hit him pretty hard within 4 hours of getting home.
He was up all night with it coming out both ends, but where is my son this morning?
At school, taking the FCAT.
He can't miss any of the tests this week. It counts toward his final grade, whether or not he passes to the next grade level.
He has barely slept, he can't eat anything, he was in the bathroom every 10 minutes all night long, but he has to go to school.
They sent us notes home telling us what to feed them for dinner, what time to put them in bed, what to feed them for breakfast, to make sure they had a ride instead of walking or bike riding.
He was up all night sick. He couldn't eat. He walked to school because we don't have a car and his bike tires are still slashed.
I fully expect to get a call from the school after his morning FCATs are done, can he come home?
Of course he can come home, he shouldn't have even had to go to school today!
Just doing a quick scan of technorati tags for FCAT, I came across a bunch of blogs about it, many from the students themselves on Live Journal, complaining about the FCAT.
The students know how worthless this test is, they know what it's going to cost them if they fail. It's pointless to have report cards all year long if one single test is actually what determines whether or not they pass to the next grade up.
I'm with Sad Panda. Mad.
Technorati tags 
FCAT
Comments
I can't even list all the ways I hate the fricking FCAT...
Posted by: Solonor | February 26, 2007 9:45 AM
I was reading someone's blog (Colleen, from PPP) who wrote that she pulled her kid out of school for a dentist's appointment and the school balked at the very idea because the students were testing for FCATs. She didn't let them browbeat her!
Posted by: terry | February 26, 2007 10:52 AM
It's not a matter of being browbeaten, it's a matter of my son being able to pass to the next grade level which will be determined in May.
Maybe in her kids grade, it doesn't count against moving up a grade level, but it counts in Mark's grade level right now.
Posted by: kat | February 26, 2007 11:12 AM
I agree, what good are report cards if in the end the FCAT is what determines if they pass or fail. VA was the same way with SOLs and here in IN they have the ISTEP and that will decide if they graduate or not. All this testing is BS.
Posted by: Kelly | February 26, 2007 11:21 AM
The grades it counts in are 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th. If they fail the FCAT in any of those grade levels, the do not pass on to the next grade. Seniors in 12th grade will not be graduating till they pass it. They get two tries. If they fail both, they do not get a diploma.
Posted by: kat | February 26, 2007 11:51 AM
Your Remember Me stuff doesn't seem to be working. :-(
How come you had to send Mark to school? They don't allow makeups? What are the consequences if he doesn't take the test?
Posted by: Amy | February 26, 2007 12:47 PM
If he doesn't take the test, he fails the FCAT and will be held back.
Posted by: kat | February 26, 2007 12:51 PM
Spoke with my sister today at great length about the CSAP tests here and the FCAT tests there where you are. She was aghast that they actually count toward a student passing to the next grade! She is a a para-educator at our local Middle School, and couldn't agree more about how horrible it is that funding for the schools depends upon how well students do on these horribly draining tests. She too, said that for the first 6 months of school (2/3 of the school year!!) they are teaching what is going to be on those tests, over and over again, to insure the students do well. I think the TEACHERS should have to take the tests to see how well they are teaching! Let funding depend on THEM!!
Posted by: Leigh | February 26, 2007 7:09 PM
I have not even heard of that test. Now I feel old.
Posted by: Leesa | February 27, 2007 3:18 PM