So, okay, if I break my no cross-posting rule once, I may as well break it twice in succession. This was my reply to a post by a friend on the daily "Writer's Block" challenge on LJ
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In my state they are considering expanding achievement tests to college level. As a prof, I have no control over whether Jenny or Johnny read, study or get wasted... no parents around either. I can hold 3 hour reviews before exams on Saturdays (which I do for no pay) but if the reviews come to pass I could lose my gig because I don't teach to someone else test...
I feel for my pre college/uni sisters and brothers... I can tell you if the university level "tests" pass, the huge sucking sound you hear is all the faculty leaving the state
Oh, Christ! Is THAT ever a terrible idea! May I ask, sweetie, which state we're contemplating here? And, please, what field are you in?
Is it even possible to fuck up American education any worse than it already IS ?
My "favorite" pernicious influence in the past decade on so-called "higher" education was the Dept. of So-Called Homeland Security screwing down the visas for foreign students in the wake of 9/11. Fewer "furriners" worsened university finances here; simultaneously the less impressive schools deterred not a few OTHER international students -- a vicious circle!
schools couldn't afford citizen grad students, much less furriners... Texas is contemplating it, as is Florida ( no shock, the Bush family, and friends are getting paid handsomely by testing companies)
I do Government/ Political Science/ Political Economics
Actually, 'tis said that foreign students are a big "earner" for both public & private higher eddevifemmeMarch 5 2011, 14:48:35 UTC
Yeah, I'd heard about the FL thing. I wonder about Jeb Bush's role; he seems too intelligent to fall into that trap. (Though money talks, evidently.)
PolySci, eh? What're you going to do when you grow up? (That's only a self-doubting jab at my own minimal academics; ironically, I have stayed profitably employed in that field, though never teaching it.)
There are times that I thank my stars that I actually -CAN- force my students to study (teaching for the military has its advantages). I'm all for standardized testing for elementary and secondary schooling, until someone comes up with something better, but if you're teaching adults, that's just absurd. If a student wants to waste his/her tuition money, so be it.
Of course, I also believe that graduation rate should be removed from college ratings. I don't care about those who don't make it through; what is the quality of the GRADUATES?
FORCING study...devifemmeMarch 5 2011, 14:41:05 UTC
Ken, you actually MAKE SENSE here. (Let's keep you on the subject of education -- depressing though it be...)
Coincidentally, last evening at the local Greek Festival, over a bottle of excellent retsina, I had a long convo with two of Joanne's friends on No Child Left Behind. (I think there oughtta be a companion law called No Child Right Behind -- avoiding, at least semantically, the risk of a half-assed outcome.)
It WAS depressing, although we all tacitly presumed standardized-testing is here to stay in public schools. I hadn't yet taken in ULust's info on university-level testing, but I suspect we'd all agree that, at college-level, it's downright nutty.
A little joke, to lighten the moment...ahem, TO LIGHTEN...devifemmeMarch 6 2011, 02:02:05 UTC
NO ONE noticed my little "half-assed" remark??? It was, I firmly believe entirely original with me, and you all saw it HERE first! (That is, IF you saw it...)
I feel for my pre college/uni sisters and brothers... I can tell you if the university level "tests" pass, the huge sucking sound you hear is all the faculty leaving the state
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Is it even possible to fuck up American education any worse than it already IS ?
My "favorite" pernicious influence in the past decade on so-called "higher" education was the Dept. of So-Called Homeland Security screwing down the visas for foreign students in the wake of 9/11. Fewer "furriners" worsened university finances here; simultaneously the less impressive schools deterred not a few OTHER international students -- a vicious circle!
Sorry, sweetie, bad news all over!
Hugz,
J
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I do Government/ Political Science/ Political Economics
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PolySci, eh? What're you going to do when you grow up? (That's only a self-doubting jab at my own minimal academics; ironically, I have stayed profitably employed in that field, though never teaching it.)
Hugz, J
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When I grow up? Hopefully some day the economy will be such that they hire professors again!
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Of course, I also believe that graduation rate should be removed from college ratings. I don't care about those who don't make it through; what is the quality of the GRADUATES?
Reply
Coincidentally, last evening at the local Greek Festival, over a bottle of excellent retsina, I had a long convo with two of Joanne's friends on No Child Left Behind. (I think there oughtta be a companion law called No Child Right Behind -- avoiding, at least semantically, the risk of a half-assed outcome.)
It WAS depressing, although we all tacitly presumed standardized-testing is here to stay in public schools. I hadn't yet taken in ULust's info on university-level testing, but I suspect we'd all agree that, at college-level, it's downright nutty.
Thanks!
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*Sigh*
Hugz, J
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