Terra What?

First off, I don't know what the fuck a Terra Nova test actually does. I don't know what function it serves other than to pigeon hole kids into... fuck I don't even know that. I assume it is like the third grade equivalent of the SATs... but then I wasn't required to take the SAT, I had to give up a Saturday morning for the SATs. It is my assumption Terra Nova is part of the testing schools give kids in order to make sure they are getting their funding by meeting quotas. One site says... "Terra Nova is a standardized achievement test designed to provide achievement scores that are valid for most types of educational decision-making." So... is that on a school wide scale, or do they use his score to help him? It's somewhat vague at best. I bet it is part of that bullshit "No Child Left Behind" piece of bloated horseshit legislation that helps fewer kids than previous educational plans ever did. I would like some clarification of how these scores will be used to help the individual students once the results are calculated. In so much as I have found- the states make the tests... hmm... too many years of kids scoring poorly- they make the tests easier, or completely revamp the educational system to teach more or better? (Some kind of who-do about AZ from scanning the google results) It's a mind screw for sure.

In any case, they are having terra nova testing this week for my son. They had practice tests for it. The teacher sent home notes to remind us to give the kids "good breakfasts" with protein, and told us to send snacks and water bottles. (Shouldn't they encourage that every day?) The notes home asked for ensuring good sleep too. Shit, with all that, makes it sound pretty fucking scary. Like they are preparing for some kind of kiddie brain marathon.

Unfortunately, my son is not there. He is in bed, sick. A new form of crap is floating around the schools. In fact two weeks ago the school nurse sent out a letter because assclown parents were dosing their kids with Tylenol in the morning to mask fevers and symptoms and sending them to school. (Notice I used the word "mask" there? Hiding a fever or pain does not cure it.) Fucking stupid ass parents using the school as a daycare, and infecting my family with some creeping funk. The letter from the nurse said that there were kids coming into her office, not only with colds, but STREP and fifth's disease. Fucking FIFTH'S DISEASE?! (That's human Parvo, by the way.)

So, the boy-o is home for the second day in a row. The woman in the school office said a lot kids are out with it- including her own. I called Peds to try and get him in and they have no appointments today- go figure since so many kids are ill with the disease du jour. So it's a triaminic day, thanks to fucking asshole parents sending their gutter rats to school sick because they won't call their boss and stay home.

Maybe I can use the time to figure out what the fuck these tests are really for, as he will spend the better part of next week doing make up tests.