Of Cabbages and Kings

Well, I took a Standards of Learning test today. For those of you who don't live in the glorious state of Virginia, I'll fill you in on what a Standards of Learning test is. Not that this will have any bearing on your everyday life, but the Standards of Learning are Governor George Allen's final big thing before he left office. They test students in elementary, middle and high schools on core subjects. Now I have no problem with this, it's good that Virginia schools should be up to standards. But what the hell are the standards???
I will give you an example of one of the questions on my english SOL test today...play along, and see if you have the brainpower they expect eleventh-graders in this state to have.

Jose wants to write a report about marine animals. What is the fastest way he can do research?
A. Go to the library and look for books on marine animals.
B. Look through the phone book.
C. Take a trip to the shore and camp out along the beach.
D. Visit a barnyard ranch.
E. Walk to the neighborhood pool.

Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little on the last two. But the first three were actual choices. Is it just me, or is it sad that THIS is the standard. Ok, granted, my class is only testing the tests...they don't actually count for anything, and the state will use our results to set the standards for the classes after us, for whom the test will actually count...but really! After eleven years of education (12 including kindergarten) this is all they expect us to know? When I get around to running the world, I am going to abolish useless testing. Sigh.

Quote of the Week!
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
~Albert Einstein

Link of the Week!!
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Six Degrees This site is neat...enter any two people that have been in a movie or on a tv show into the spaces, and it will link them together...like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Pic of the Week!
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This is on my X-Files pics page, I just couldn't resist sticking it on here...David Duchovny, God knows when! :-)