CATS is Crazy!

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Home : 2002 : February : 8

CATS is Crazy!
By Kentucky Teacher

I am a 4th grade teacher in Kentucky. We are also stressed out by our state assessment, CATS. Based on the recent bill signed into law in January, we won't be the only ones who are stressed out come 2005. If every state is
mandated to implement a state assessment as KY and TX, then I'm certain there will be an even greater teacher shortage. I get so sick of hearing about the "test." If Central Office and KY Dept. of Ed. would just leave us alone and let us teach, then our students would produce test scores, regardless. There is just too much pressure today when it comes to teaching. In fact, in a recent

Time for Kids issue that I do weekly with my students, the Feature Article was about more mandated testing. My students and I had a long talk after reading the article. Instead of me doing the talking I did the listening. I heard them saying to me that they feel "pressured to do well and stressed out with the mere mention of CATS." Fourth graders are too young to be stressed out about anything. No wonder so many Americans are taking some form of anti-depressant. The government is driving us crazy with the "test" and in return, we're driving our students crazy. I've actually had students who've developed ulcers while preparing for testing. I'm sick of! I love to teach, but they keep piling more and more on us in KY and never take anything away. I know how you feel, TX. The only way things are going to get any better is if we, as teachers, stand up for ourselves and say, "enough is enough!." The only problem is, that's not likely to happen anytime soon. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!