Race to Nowhere

Another film has come out this past fall highlighting the pressures that students are facing in school. We are asking student to produce, produce, produce to score high on tests so they can advance in their education. The government, school districts, teachers and parents are putting more attention on student's performance on a test rather than determining if they actually learned the material. Unfortunately, test score numbers outweigh the love of learning. We are raising wonderful test takers not critical problem solving individuals. Techniques that encourage students to develop critical thinking skills are pushed aside due to high stake tests that are looming in the future.

I know that my students as well as myself feel pressure on the ever so lovely FCAT

//24 days away\\

I have never been a fan of these influential tests; although I do not reveal my true feelings to my students in fear that they will not see these tests as important. The group of students that I teach historically score low on these tests for several reasons. I hate that tests determine what a student knows and does not know; when in all reality we know that not everyone is a good test taker! Creativity, problem solving, thinking critically and the love of learning should have more value than a test score

//but this is just my opinion\\