Soap Box

WOO! It's been a long week, and it's only Tuesday. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I don't really have a good excuse, other than just being lazy. Actually, being lazy is part of the reason I'm making this post. I'd rather sit here and type than go make dinner and do other chores.
I'm so ready for SPRING BREAK! Gary and I are going to Jamaica with some VERY great friends. I cannot wait. I don't think I have ever been in more need of a vacay than now! We have benchmark tests coming up, and if you're a teacher in Springdale then you know how stressful that can be, which leads me to my soapbox.
So, I hear Obama wants to give teachers merit pay. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's bonuses for teachers who have large groups of students with high scores on the state wide tests. Hmmmmmmm....let's think about this for a minute. Do you really think it's fair to give teachers bonuses based on test scores in Springdale versus, for example, a city like Bentonville? Do you REALLY think that's fair considering the demographics in those two places? For those of you who haven't been to Springdale lately, we have an EXTREMELY large population of hispanics, who don't speak English all that well. So do you really think it's a reflection of my ability as a teacher if those students don't pass the benchmark? Or maybe it's a reflection of the fact that these poor children haven't had a chance to become fluent in English and then they are expected to pass a test, a very difficult test, in ENGLISH??!?!! Really? Really??? REALLY? I don't think so! I would like to see how Obama did on a test in Spanish after he lived in Mexico for a year.
Sorry for all the negativity. Can you tell I need a vacation? Jamaica, here I come!!!!!!!!!