I took this exam my sophomore year -- they called it Cassie. Okay, CAHSEE. Otherwise known as the California High School Exit Exam.
In a nutshell, the exam is a total joke. At best, they're breaking into algebra, and the reading is somewhere in the fourth or fifth grade level. They told me as a sophomore that I would have to pass it by my senior year to graduate.
Of course, after a whole lot of much-publicized vacillating, they threw the exam out as a requirement for my class, and they almost took it out for the class of 06. When they didn't, it disqualified a few thousand California seniors, who couldn't walk at graduation.
I'm not convinced we really need Cassie's approval before graduating. I simply can't see too many people passing the basic requirements for graduation and being barred by a low score with Cassie, so it seems a bit extraneous. If you can't pass with Cassie, something went really wrong, and I think it's far beyond blaming the school system for.
What's ridiculous is people saying that Cassie is discriminatory to the poor. What?!?!
Let me repeat: WHAT?!?!
There is no skirting the fact that the poor will perform more, well, poorly in school. It's inevitable. For one, the poor are almost always on the lower levels educationally. That's why they are poor. If they are less educated, they usually place less value on education or they are less qualified to help their kids in school. That generally leads to poorer performance on tests, poorer performance in school, poorer performance on life. Translation -- perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Poverty is a awful. It's at the root of crime, crummy neighborhoods, F's in school. But to say that Cassie is discriminating to the poor is absurd. Everything in life is "discriminatory" towards the poor. Even Walmart is discriminatory towards the poor cuz I can't buy the cartful of junk I want if I don't have enough money.
Yeah, being poor stinks. But we already knew that. It's just how a capitalist society works.
Now instead of blaming poverty for an algebra ineptitude, do something about it. Use the resources that a free nation provides -- libraries, public education, employment -- and work a little harder.
And, if in this free market, capitalist society, a little hard work and initiative aren't enough to break the chokehold of poverty, THEN we can go around saying it's an algebra and reading multiple choice test that's the bane of our existence.
But for now, let's take some personal responsibility and lay off Cassie for a bit.
The Big Stink I Call Cassie / Stating the Obvious
Sincerely,
Michelle
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
4 comments:
wow. we're gettin' serious now. theres one thing i would do for the poor if i was president. i would build clinics in every town in america and help the poor get back on their feet again. lets use all that war money on the poor and the homeless.
Yeah, but I still hold that it's not a lack of charitable institutions, in both public and private sectors, that is perpetuating poverty and other ills. I think in all, institutions can only go so far, and, as Relient K so aptly put it, "The rest is up to you." What needs to change is the will of a person in a tough situtaion. I hold that a lot of the poor and destitute don't want to change ENOUGH to carry through with it. I mean, in the church, we dangle eternal life and the fruits of the spirit in front of the faces of people, and they STILL are content enough to wallow in sin that they lack the will to change. The institutions are there -- churches, recovery groups, shelters, ministries -- but what's absent is the will.
What the heck, I could hardly read your article, because I was soo terribly distracted by the lovely photo of the public restroom toilet. Now first of all that thing is disgusting. Second, it has no relationship what so ever to an exam. Thirid, I find it hilarious that you took a picture of a tolit while in a public restroom. And fifth, and final, that is sooooo funny...and I give you props for your creative photo taking.
The legality of that photo is still questionable, but it was published in the paper and thus far I have not been sued for libel... I think Tamara would be proud I'm using my intro to photo skills for such noble purposes!
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