Teacher tells candidates MAP test is too hard (Can't pass 4th grade social studies)

Columbia Daily Tribune ^ | March 20, 2002 | CORY de VERA

[mgc1122]

A second-grade teacher stirred debate on the state’s standardized tests last night when she told school board candidates at an election forum that she would flunk Missouri Assessment Program exams.

"I’ve taken the test," Emily Stephens said of the fourth-grade social studies exam. "I would have flunked the test. With a master’s degree I would have flunked the test completely."

Stephens then asked the candidates why people assume that MAP scores are low because students and teachers aren’t performing. She suggested the test is just too hard.

Stephens’ comments came during a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at West Boulevard Elementary School. She got a variety of responses from the four candidates competing for three available seats on the Columbia Board of Education that will be filled in the April 2 election.

Candidate Henry Lane said the test is a requirement imposed by the Missouri Board of Education, whose president is former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Russell Thompson.

"I can’t see Mr. Thompson putting out something we can’t handle. It just doesn’t make any sense," said Lane, who refers to the MAP as a test of "basic skills." Lane said the district really needs to pressure or challenge children to perform well.

[mgc1122]

There are plenty of good teachers out there. Unfortunately, there are even more of these who are prime examples of the brain dead types permeating our "edu-kay-shun" system.

A woman, who is a certified teacher, publicly admitting she would have flunked the test on social studies.

It is clear this kind of idiot is the perfect patsy for the Democratic Party and its willing allies in the teachers unions. These people howl their demands to lower the bar to turn out more idiots like her as drags on society.

IMO, this gal isn't qualified to ask if you want fries with your order much less teach 4th graders.

[meyer]

"I would have flunked the test. With a master’s degree I would have flunked the test completely."

If I were her, I would go to the college where I received my masters degree and demand a refund.

[bluefish]

I believe this. I knew a college education major that stayed up all nite working on some 4th grad math problems. His "homework," aka "studying" was to simply do the problems in the back of the math textbook each night. No special writing about how to teach it or anything. Just do the problems. We were laughing at him and his response was "DUDE! These are hard!"

[tenderstone jr.]

"With a master?s degree I would have flunked the test completely."

It's a good thing she's teaching second-grade and not fourth-grade. We wouldn't want her teaching subject matter she isn't qualified to teach.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[Bogey78O]

2nd Grade teacher admits to being as smart as her students. It's refreshing to see someone stand up and announce that they are retards. It's so rare since most the time I have to assume they are.

I've argued with education majors and liberal arts majors online. It's sad but true that most would be better off had they just took their money and flushed it down the toilet.

[reg45]

A woman, who is a certified teacher, publicly admitting she would have flunked the test on social studies.

The test probably had tough questions like:

#1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

a. 1776

b. 1776

c. 1776

d. Any of the above.

e. The Declaration of Independence is unimportant because it was written by a white, male, heterosexual slave owner.

Now you know what her answer was!

[cactmh]

The funny thing is she acts as though a Masters degree in Education means that the holder of the degree is intelligent.

[CharacterCounts]

"With a master?s degree I would have flunked the test completely."

Then she must do the only morally acceeptable thing. Get out of teaching at once.

[Jonathon Spectre]

Simply stunning. I am working on becoming a teacher right now and am ACTIVELY SEEKING OUT tests I can take to prove I know my sh*t backwards and forwards. What professional, in any field, fears evaluation of BASIC SKILLS?

[Bogey78O]

I have 2 years of Electrical Engineering under my belt and dropped out after my grades dived. However I have every confidence that I am smarter than morons like this. My only regret is that people like this with degrees most likely feel smarter than me.

[Exigence]

If I were her, I would go to the college where I received my masters degree and demand a refund.

No kidding, especially since the sentence she used to explain her position doesn't even make sense. Would she only flunk the test with a master's degree? Are those without master's degrees smarter than her? I predict with skills like these, she will flunk the English/writing portion of the test as well.

There's a reason that ed students have both the highest GPAs and the lowest standardized test scores on most university campuses. The schools of ed are self-protection devices that train bad teachers and then work hard, using junk studies, to keep them teaching.

[Exigence]

The funny thing is she acts as though a Masters degree in Education means that the holder of the degree is intelligent.

Exactly. LOL

[Exigence]

The test probably had tough questions like...

Or, here's a classic from Street Smarts:
When was the war of 1812?

Yep. You guessed it. Not everyone gets this question right. *sigh*

Now, quick, who's buried in Grant's tomb?

[mlmr]

Does anyone have a sampling of the questions on the test?

[AD from SpringBay]

This reads like a scene out of Atlas Shrugged.

[PetiteMericco]

If I were her, I would go to the college where I received my masters degree and demand a refund.

No, she needs head on over to that college and just hand her diploma back to them. It's obvious she can't, and shouldn't, use it.

[gieriscm]

I have 2 years of Electrical Engineering under my belt and dropped out after my grades dived.

Too bad you didn't stick with it. The first two years are designed to weed out the "unworthy". The junior and senior year classes were a lot of fun. Tough, yeah - but a heck of a lot more interesting than the basic stuff.

As for this "teacher", she should be fired.

[Salvation]

With a master’s degree I would have flunked the test completely."

Then she should not be a teacher in a classroom!

[longshadow]

A woman, who is a certified teacher, publicly admitting she would have flunked the test on social studies. [emphasis added]

This is prima facia evidence of gross incompetence on the part of this teacher, and as such, constitutes reasonable grounds for her IMMEDIATE dismissal.

Failure to do so would constitute prima facia evidence of incompetence of her superiors......., and so on....