DAVID HENDRICKS: Accountability hurts students, businesses

There are a couple of quotes in this column that really hit the nail on the head. The column is based on a speech given by San Antonio ISD Superintendent, Robert Durón.

Calling testing an “obsession,” Durón said no test can determine if students have learned what they need to be employable.

“You can't test for punctuality. You can't test for initiative. You can't test for problem solving. Those are things that you can't bubble in on a test,” Durón said.

The problem goes beyond the limitations of assessment tests.

Teachers have to “teach to the test.” When they do so, they have to concentrate on the 10 percent of students who will have the most difficulty passing the test. That exasperates the other students. The fun in education gives way to stress for teachers, students and administrators.

“This is why students are bored,” Durón said. “Students drop out, but what scares me are the students who drop out because they are bored.”

On a completely different note, the superintendent's contract is available on the SAISD website. It turned my stomach a little. I don't understand why no one is paying MY professional dues. (Among other things!)