Study, Jodie, Study
The good folks in Michigan have come up with an idea.
Since we are testing the h-e-doubleL out of our kids in school, why not test the legislators and education committee members to see if they can pass the tests.
A bill in Lansing would put to the test the elementary school-level skills of Michigan’s 110 state representatives and 38 senators, as well as the governor, state superintendent of education and state Board of Education.
All would be required to take standardized tests required of Michigan’s third- eighth- and 11th-grade students under the proposed Mandatory Public School Test Validation Act. Their results would be posted online.
Remember Texas State Representative Jodie Laudenberg who thought emergency room rape kits “cleaned out” a rape victim? And who had to have escorts to the podium when she was answering questions after that?
Honey, I not only believe that she couldn’t pass it but I think they’d have to have someone show her which end of the pencil to use.
I ain’t making any bets about David Dewhurst or Rick Perry either.
Thanks to Mike for the heads up.
I love that idea. Where do we start? Of course I doubt I could pass the 11th grade tests myself but I’m not holding office.
1The first thing that would happen would be lots of people not running for reelection. I was amazed at the number of school administrators and teachers who retired abruptly about 30 years ago when we first had to take a test for certification.
2I work in an elementary school but I’m sure there are math skills on the 8th and 11th grade tests I have long forgotten. However, the 3rd grade tests (which I have administered many times to my students) include very basic reading and math skills that anyone who holds office should certainly be able to do, especially if they’re writing legislation and controlling budgets.
It’s only fair that the people who blame teachers for every evil in today’s world should have to pass the same test our kids have to endure.
3Oh Lord, I’d make bets about Dewhurst and Perry if I could find anyone stupid enough to bet they would pass.
4They’d just pay someone to take the test for them. Just like I’m sure Bush or Perry had to do in college on occasion.
It should be done verbally during the debates. With scoring.
Or put it on Pay Per View and we could finance elections & end the ingrained system of legal corporate bribery.
Either way, we get popcorn!
5We need to target that dimwit Jodie Laubenberg for defeat. I think she may be the Texas ALEC Chair this year, too… ALEC’s gurus obviously wrote that abortion bill for her… then there was that female Senator, I think she is, that is an ophthalmologist who claimed to be the women’s health expert, then that adorable mouthy young lady got thrown out of the Chamber over protestations that all the information being presented were simply wrong and lies, and she couldn’t let it go on any longer . Lots of folks in the Lege are dumber than rocks. Need to GO wherever defeated Republican liars, bandits, and thieves go to hang out and tell tall tales to one another. Must be very hot there, and I’m not talking a beach location.
6Given our current political climate flunking the test would probably be a sign of virtue to the radical right. Especially if they flunk the science part.
7I love this testing idea. Possibly require anyone holding public office to take the test required for citizenship. No way most of the teabaggers would pass.
8I doubt legislators write bills anymore. That is what ALEC and lobbyists get paid to do.
9That unfit-to-be-a-woman ophthalmologist is Donna Campbell. She’s a menace to society.
10This is a brilliant idea! For the first test, we could give our legislators a year to study, and/or resign before implementation so they won’t have to face the embarrassment of their inevitable low test scores.
11And second – – my usual suggestion in cases like this, pay-per-view of the test as it takes place. Before and after interviews with the test-takers, and an hour of priceless facial expressions as they try to remember their algebra and English grammar. Or for some, addition and spelling.
I admit that I do like the idea of giving our dear lovely representatives in the Lege the same proficiency tests that students are given, and if they fail are declared unfit for holding office. But then again, in the words of Molly Ivins, “Hell, if you took all the idiots out of the Lege, it wouldn’t be a representative body.”
12Sounds like a plan to me.
When do we start?
13Oh, yes, my long awaited day has come! I hope this bill will pass. As a retired special ed teacher, I am quite familiar with the old MEAP tests. I think they do a really poor job of measuring student progress, school progress, and teacher competence. But here is one of the things they do really, really well: make children with Down syndrome, learning disabilities, and ADD cry–a lot. I would love to see legislators take whatever tests are written for students in this state.
A personal perspective on adults taking tests of this type: my father was a math-using, smart engineer. Everyone in my extended family turned to him for answers to their math-related questions. He used to say to me (occasionally), “what’s wrong with Michigan teachers? Why don’t kids do better on these tests?”
So, one day, I took him a sample of the 3rd, 8th, & 11th grade math tests. He was shocked at his results. I was shocked. Now, part of the problem was changes in terminology (or “weird questions,” as he put it), but the results: he did quite well on the 3rd grade test; he did OK on the 8th grade (and he found a serious error on the test); and he bombed the 11th grade. The most pleasant result was that I never again heard, “what is wrong with the teachers in Michigan?”
14I don’t think they could be automatically removed because they failed the test; pretty sure that’d be unconstitutional. On the other hand, publishing the results *ought to* be much more effective, except for the TP’s almost incomprehensible ability to excuse/deny/play victim/ignore the inconvenient obvious! Heck, just scroll down a couple of entries right here on TWMDBS–“I don’t consider Canada foreign soil”?!? I’m still gasping in disbelief over that one! So trying to unseat these morons with sheer embarrassment may or may not be effective; sure as heck would be FUN though. Heh.
15Are some of them smarter than 3rd graders? Probably not.
16GeeJay, I had reason to give the guy I work with just half of the written part of the citizenship test and he flunked. Born in the U.S.A. Total bane of the test for him was he couldn’t name the longest river in the country. The citizenship test isn’t really that hard from one point of view. If you answer a certain number correctly, you’re in. And a lot of the questions are not a written situation, either. The tester gets to see how well you speak English by doing it orally! I know a lot of born Americans who can’t get a coherent sentence out of their mouths no matter how hard they try. The folks who have a hard time passing the test are those who have never experienced a systematized formal education. Hmmm. could that ever happen in this country?
17We REALLY do need to register voters… get out the vote. Clean House at the State House. Quit sitting on your backsides and go make a difference.
OMG… I am beginning to sound like Marge Wood… the champion of voter registration and taking absentee ballots to nursing homes….. hahahaha
18It’s apparent that a majority of the congresscritters cannot read, much less comprehend. Certainly Jodi doesn’t know enough about women to even qualify to be called a woman. .
Maybe if I were a nicer person I would feel sorry for them, but they are ruining our state and our country, so I just cannot. Testing seems like a great idea to me.
19Jodi and Perry would fail for sure. Dewhurst might pass the reading tests; not the math, though.
20Don’t ever show compassion for nutbags. They are always the victims of unprovoked attacks from the Left. Never forget,a nutjob’s idea of compassion is more tax breaks for the wealthiest and their false idol’s idea of taking care of the least among us,translates to dumb bass dubya’s idea of supporting minorities-millionaires and billionaires. If you can’t say something nice about them,nuke ’em.
21Don”t you think they also should pass a test by peeing in a cup?
22If just hitting the cup was passing……they would fail!
23Paul, I live check by jowl with congresscritters and enough of them have had to do the cup thing after they have been caught doing something they shouldn’t. Just wish that kind of testing had been pre-emptive rather than way too late. The results may explain the “thinking” exhibited by a great many of them that refuse to do any work at all except make life hell for the first African American president of this country. Note I said first. I do believe there will be others. And firsts. Such as a woman president. And an Asian. And a Hispanic.
24As a teacher from Michigan I say, “oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please! I’ll be good and I won’t ask for anything for my birthday or Christmas either!!!!!. CerealCity Sue, are you from Battle Creek? I’m in the Detroit area.
25These 3 tests should be given to every public official every day:
1. Touch your nose with your pointing finger.
2. Walk a straight line.
3. Polygraph questions: Did you lie yesterday?
Will you lie today?
Over and above those with adequate knowledge, we need people of integrity.
26I think Cornyn’s cardboard cutout could pass before Jodie and some others.
27http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/08/conservative-activists-pack-town-hall-to-chat-with-cardboard-cutout-of-sen-john-cornyn.html/
Do this in Texas! I bet Rick Perry would fail the STAAR test! I bet!
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