State Testing

State Testing

State testing.
"learning disabled"
Twelve year olds
Drumming fingers,
Panicked eyes searching,
Squinting,
Hoping concentrating on shapes of letters
Will bring eurekas to their confusion.
Squeezing foreheads
As if answers will ooze through their arms
To tools
Of pencils ready and oh so willing to answer
Questions.
Questions which reflect paragraphs
Made of words, mysterious symbols
Created to measure the worth of a twelve year old mind
If only reading were possible.

State testing.
"Learning disabled"
twelve year old terrified to admit
His confusion.
Two hours trying to
Fill in bubbles slowly
As if to make the effort would create success.
Each minute sinking deeper into
The despair of self loathing.
The garble on the pages pointing their
Defiant arrows toward his inward
Feeling of stupidity
If only he could read.

Testing
"learning disabled"
Reading…..
Like everything would come together
If effort prevailed.
Twelve year olds
Teachers
Parents
Even the president says it's possible.
Too bad
That touted belief
Couldn't heal
The helplessness
In a twelve year old's eyes.

— Glenda Puett
a teacher's note
2008-04-15

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Read the Declaration of Independence From High Stakes Testing

Declaration of Independence

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