a soapbox about spending

as was mentioned in an earlier post i might just be getting hooked on this blogging thing. we'll see i suppose.

i can tell you the number of days until the end of the school year. it keeps me sane. but in some ways it depresses me. i don't want to be that teacher that everyone knows is waiting for the end of the year. because i really do love what i do. next year i am going to miss my current 8th graders like crazy. i suppose that is par for the course somehow.

state testing is next week for my campus. it is going to suck. i'm not afraid to say that. i don't think it is any secret that i think standardized testing is a toally bullshit way of "grading" students or teachers. especially looking at a special education program. there has got to be a more holistic way to judge an educational program besides some state developed test. when did we stop caring about the individual student? yes, of course it would cost money to develop, doesn't anything? how much is the current war costing us? how much did bush and kerry spend on campaigning? will anyone deem that kind of money necessary for education? will anyone deem education important enough to devote large amounts of money to? sure, in a cursiry glance "large" amounts of money are being spent on education. but when you look at it in a realistic fashion, when you look at how many kids are being educated, it is a disgrace to our country that we clearly care so little about the education of our youth.