The IREAD Rant

Huddle up peeps.  If you don't know about this, you need to.  On Wednesday, all of our 3rd graders across the district will take a test called IREAD.  The test will take about 70 minutes to administer.  If the kiddos fail this ONE SINGLE test, they will get a chance to go to summer school and take the test again in the summer.  If they fail that time, they will spend another year in 3rd grade.  Other states have laws like this one, and now Indiana does too.  Every time I look at a 3rd grader at Artful School, I think, "Dumb luck that you're the first group of peeps who are going to be hurt by this idiotic and barbaric law." We've worked really hard this year, helping the third graders get ready for this test.  They've read, and read and read some more. Kids with special needs may qualify for a "good cause exemption" for retention.  Thanks, State of Indiana!  Thanks for the caring!  If you want to read about some studies that show retention doesn't help kids catch up with peers, check this out.  The article's not that great, but it does share some studies.  Everyone wants studies these days.  Scientific studies.  It's just common sense that retention is a moronic plan for any child.
Send good thoughts a third grader's way on Wednesday morning.  They're great kids who don't deserve what they're being dished up.  And if you ever want to send an email to a legislator about this unfair law, go for it.  So far, the emails haven't worked, but who knows?  Maybe some Congressperson will have a third grader in a public school (right!) who will figure out that a big mistake has been made when their kid's future is dashed because of unfair retention.