I guess we are supposed to quit teaching after testing?  It seems that they have saved a hundred interruptions for the end of the year.  To start with, the week after state testing we had to DIBLE progress test, then we have writing benchmark tests, then we have math and reading progress monitoring tests and field trips, and assemblies, and fishing derbies and every other kind of monitoring or interruption you can think of.  Some of the teachers have quit teaching and are just doing "fun" things."  BUT! There are 4 weeks of teaching time left!  I have lots of stuff left to impart to these educationally starved children.  They are not ready to go on to 5th grade.

I admit this is the least motivated bunch of students I have had in years.  I am having a terrible time getting them to study, let alone do their homework.  I am at wits end as to how to prepare them further.  In the old days, I kept a class for two years and I knew what they were capable of doing.  I hope the next class teacher can get them to do their work with a little more enthusiam.  They prefer it if the teacher who assigned the work, did the work, and took the tests and then gave them an A for being there to take part.  Now they are all telling me that they are not coming to this school next year they are going private.  As if that is going to solve the problem.

How sad a world this is that we have allowed these children to think they can get away with this.  How sad that parents have caused this to happen by complaining when they have homework, complaining when they don't, not taking part in the classroom as volunteers, and not even come to conference.