General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Report Shows US Invasion, Occupation of Iraq Left 1 Million Dead [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)I wonder whether she will come out against the constant testing in the schools. That testing is evil.
My mother was a great mother. She studied child development way back in the 1930s. When I was a little girl and beginning my baby-sitting career (my second of a number of "careers" , she told me, "There's positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, and positive reinforcement works best."
I have never forgotten that advice when I deal with children. This constant testing is the worst form of negative reinforcement I can think of. Children are constantly being told that they have to measure up on absurd tests that do not and cannot test what is really important: how they apply what they have learned, the facts and methods they have learned, in real life.
I am hoping that Hillary will propose legislation that will drastically change the testing culture in our schools. At the very least, if they are going to require testing of public school children, they should also require it of home-schooled and private-schooled and charter-schooled children. There is no point in only requiring it of public school children. And I understand that it is only required in public schools. If tests are to be required or if the giving of tests is to be rewarded, then the tests should be national and required of all school-aged children. The tests are meaningless if only given in public schools. They do not reflect the academic progress or standards in our education in general. They only reflect the standards and progress in public schools. That is pointless.
So I am waiting to see whether Hillary will prove to be a champion of children and propose and end to the frequent testing. That will be a test for her.
I also want to see whether she supports teachers' unions. That will tell us just how far to the right she will go.