Oh, great. Johnny can’t read or make change, and now we won’t know if he’s able to put together a cogent sentence.

It’sw about time we doesn’t bes hab to write any more. We can rap what we needs to say.

Isn’t it a shame that people from other countries that learn English can speak and write it better than natural born Americans? Shame on us. No wonder most teenagers use the f* word as every other word – they don’t know how to speak English, they don’t know how to spell, they can’t sign their names, they don’t know proper grammar and they don’t even have social skills any more. No wonder our country will be part of a European Union sooner than later.

There is still a written portion of the test. This is just eliminating the writing test that includes expository writing. Students still have to write a written extended response, which is actually more difficult.

This is the best news that Ed Burke has heard in a long time, now there will be enough money for him to keep his bodyguards. Who cares about the students, his safety is worth much more.

The extended response is writing about ideas based on the topic. Spelling and grammar is not a large part of the score. The score is complied by how well the ideas is written and transition skills. I was at a school 10 or eleven years ago and the reading specialist (who had NEVER taken a reading course in her life) stated that grammar and puncuation was not importane therefore, do not focus on it. Those directives came from the regional office. That is the reason writing skill ar so poor among CPS students. It is not taught for the most part in the elemenmtary schools. Not all schools do this but most of them do.

Me no need no lernin about ritin me right very good enuf now.

Why have Pension Reform and make adults mad when we can just rob our kids of a good education. They only care about summer vacation so this is an easy one! Quinn’s 6 month “grace period” is over…we need a politician to start the recall preceding!

I know of a student that was in an honors english class that literally scored in the 25th percentile on the written portion of the state exam. He scored above the 95th percentile in everything else. He had advanced writing skills that were not appreciated by the person grading the test. When questioned about how this could have happened to an advanced writer, his mother was told that the people grading the test were making $10/hr and that this was not an uncommon occurrence. In my opinion they are getting rid of a useless test.

The test probably is useless, but it shouild be replaced by adding a writing proficiency requirement for graduation. The ability to write is closely tied to the ability to critically analyze a paragraph; and the ability to critically analyze a paragraph indicates an ability to think. Recently I had the opportunity to take a look at some letters to the editor of an east coast newspaper circa 1915 (Somerville MA). It told me a lot about the state of American education. The criteria of literacy also are in a nose dive. But who really cares?!

But it couldn’t have been because they did not want anyone to know about the results of the writing exam?

Again, Pat Quinn you are a fool! Why must you continue to cut money from education? Have you even thought about the kids of this state or their futures?

While I believe that the government school system has dumbed down our kids, these tests are ridiculous. Since No Child Left Behind, kids spend an inordinate amount of time taking these stupid tests, and teachers end up teaching to the tests. I wish the Dept of Education would be done away with, ditto with Teachers Unions, and let us hire competent teachers who do their jobs properly, or else fire them. The fact is that we spend more money than ever on public education, and it contiues to decline. Kids were learning more in a one-room schoolhouse with nothing in it but a chalkboard. Ever wonder why?