DS8 homeschools part time, academics at home, specials at school. He spends time with the 3rd grade at school. His homeroom teacher emailed me today because she is concerned about how DS will do on the state tests in May. She doesn't trust that he is actually working several years ahead in most subjects. So, today she gave him the 3rd grade end of chapter math test and phew - she feels better. Looks like DS aced it! (I am actually surprised that DS didn't do some kind of wise guy thing on the test.)

Anyway, just thought I'd share with this group. I just laughed it off and asked her to let me know ahead of time when she is going to pull a silly stunt like this.

Silly stunt about sums it up.

Good thing he didn't have some "fun" with it! Imagine the damage control you'd be doing!

It sounds insanely controlling but in my state, where we lost our NCLB waiver, if ONE child does not meet standards, then the entire school fails and loses a portion of its funding and has to bus children to another school instead of spending money on, say, science equipment or field trips to the natural history museum.

One child not passing by one point (that actually happened here).

Not only that, but the teacher can be penalized based on a child's failing the test.

So if I were the teacher, I'd definitely be doing work to make sure 100% of my students passed.

I'm glad you can laugh about it. My own situation was that my child no longer got after-care because so many parents moved schools that some became stiflingly overcrowded. They also had to change the start times for some children to serve children in batches.

For you, it's a joke. For that teacher, it's a livelihood, a career, and a passion that is at risk by this act. (If your state hasn't lost its waiver, lucky you--teachers see what's happening in other states and are getting ready.)

Edited to add: If you don't like the school, if you don't want to be in it with the general public, it sounds like you have options. Go for it. But don't mock the teachers who are simultaneously implementing higher standards, a new curriculum, facing lower budgets, and whose entire life calling is in jeopardy with the outcome of your child's test.

Mock the legislation, not the people who are implementing it against all odds. Please stop laughing at your teacher, or calling her preoccupation with the test silly. That test is her livelihood, unfortunately, even if she didn't sign up for that, and it is not silly.

(Some will say I'm exaggerating re: NCLB, but I'm not. Your child could be the reason an entire school loses field trips:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Chi..._student_potential_and_100.25_compliance

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023454246_statewaiverxml.html

Yes, it has really happened, and yes, over one child.

I think that what the OP meant was that the teacher should have given advance notice to the parent and student before pulling a stunt like that. I would not be happy if the teacher surprised my son with an end of grade test even though I know that he can handle it very well.