TAKS (Reading) Simulation

Today Sheela has to endure a full day of standardized testing (Reading) and it doesn't even count. Today is just the simulated test. TAKS are, of course, the standardized tests used by the State of Texas to rate the schools, the teachers, etc. In spite of everything that the teachers, and ISD personnel will tell you, they do put WAY too much emphasis on these tests. They cancelled Sheela's DI meeting because they didn't want the kids to be out late the night before the test. Sheela went to soccer instead and didn't get home until 9:00. They send home notes reminding us to feed them a healthy breakfast and send a healthy snack (other days we can feed them whatever we can find). Poor Sunil is even more freaked than Sheela. His class doesn't get tested, but they've been told repeatedly that they can't talk in the halls AT ALL on test days.