STAAR - It's not what you think

Oh sure the by the TEA's definition (Texas Education Association) the meaning of STAAR is State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. 

But my description it means STAAR is a STUPID, TERRIBLE AND AGGRAVATING REQUIRED test. I like my description better. And that's the clean version. 

Every year teachers and students here in Texas stress themselves out to see if the children they have been working with all year will fit into this mold the state says they must in order to achieve what they define as academic readiness. To me it's a bunch of BULLCRAP!

There is so much wrong with this test, but here are just a few points.

* Not all children learn the same. Even a child learns who does not have a learning disability does not process things in their brain the same way the child sitting right next to them does. 
Everyone is different, God made sure of that.

* Not all children think within the same box. Learning disability or not. Because 6+1=7 but you know what so does 3+4. It really doesn't matter how you get to the right answer as long as you get.

* Children with learning disabilities struggle to fit into the mold the state says they must fit into. Does this mean a child can not learn the same information that a child without a learning disability can, NO! A child with a learning disability can be extremely smart, their brain processes things in another way. 

Yes, lets repeat that last part, THEY LEARN DIFFERENTLY! No where in that statement does it say they stupid or dumb. What is says is that because they have a learning disability they think differently. It might take them a little longer but that's OK, they will get it.

So, here's the deal, should my child with dyslexia be exempt from this test, no he needs to learn the required grade material just like every other child in his grade. But what I am saying is this. He is an intelligent child. The way his brain works and how he just gets certain parts of things he is learning is awesome to witness. But why should he or any other child be made to fit into a box. Aren't we always telling our children think outside of the box? Be different, be yourself? Be a leader not a follower? 

I would love for the bureaucratic pencil pushing (which his kindergarten teacher probably taught him to hold properly) person sitting behind their desk who designed this test actually go sit in an elementary school classroom and take this test. I bet they would fail and fail horribly. I bet they wouldn't even have a clue about the material on the test. 

And I'll just leave it at that. Oh it's also a SENSELESS, TAXING AND ANNOYING REQUIREMENT!