patrick.net

Math is hoodoo, invented to humiliate ethnic groups, and should be banished on principal!

My father taught high school after he retired, and would have me correct test papers for him. High school seniors were challenged by stuff that I learned in the first and second grade, and multiplication was quantum mechanics to them.

Most public high schools graduate functional illiterates, and math skills aren't even on the radar. Nice return on the investment, taxpayers. Who is surprised that the teacher's unions are just another grifty grafty form of welfare with moronic teachers who probably can't even tell when their students are wrong.

TwoScoopsOfWompWomp says

So much so that 2400 of us flunked the Math portion of the Licensing Exam testing very basic, lay math that anybody who got passed the 8th grade should be able to answer. Unions blame Test Administrator, of course.

We end up with kids who can't do addition, because we have teachers who can't do addition themselves. And we have bad teachers because we have bad, greedy unions that make sure bad teachers don't get fired. And these are states that are well ahead of California, the most fucked up state.
I really don't mind paying good salaries to good teachers, but with unions in the middle, good salaries only end up with bad teachers. The rotten unions are not only hurting our pocket books, but also the future of our kids, the future of this country, and good teachers who deserve higher salaries.
We are so fucked up it's depressing.

Idiocracy is here, folks!

"“Many of us have taken each one 3-4 times each,” she wrote in an email. “There seems to be a magic number of about 4 times per test before Pearson ‘passes’ you.”"

"Steele said she attended a training session to help her pass the math exam: “I sat and cried in this training with TONS of other beginning teachers who can’t pass these tests.” She’s expecting her scores on her latest attempt at the end of this week. Between retesting and test-prep classes, “these test are costing new teachers hundreds and thousands of dollars,” she said."

Pearson seems to have found a great revenue stream here.

HowdyThere says

"“Many of us have taken each one 3-4 times each,” she wrote in an email. “There seems to be a magic number of about 4 times per test before Pearson ‘passes’ you.”"

"Steele said she attended a training session to help her pass the math exam: “I sat and cried in this training with TONS of other beginning teachers who can’t pass these tests.” She’s expecting her scores on her latest attempt at the end of this week. Between retesting and test-prep classes, “these test are costing new teachers hundreds and thousands of dollars,” she said."

Pearson seems to have found a great revenue stream here.

I'm also willing to bet accusations of racism will soon emerge from these tests. It always does.

Strategist says

I'm also willing to bet accusations of racism will soon emerge from these tests. It always does.

It's quite possible that accusations of racism will come up. We'll have to wait and see. That doesn't mean that Pearson isn't gaming the system to increase profits. I know this is unlikely as a car company hiding faulty ignition switches because the math said it would be more profitable, but it could happen.

HowdyThere says

It's quite possible that accusations of racism will come up. We'll have to wait and see. That doesn't mean that Pearson isn't gaming the system to increase profits. I know this is unlikely as a car company hiding faulty ignition switches because the math said it would be more profitable, but it could happen.

I'm sure Pearson would like to maximize their profits. All companies do. How would they have to game the system to increase profits?

Strategist says

How would they have to game the system to increase profits?

They make the test more difficult that is necessary so the teachers have to try several times to pass. Why make $100 when you can make $300-400 per teacher. There's reference to test preparation products as well.

https://www.nc.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/SA003_TestPage.html