Technological Headaches...AGAIN!

     I have a short week this week because it’s the end of the quarter. Since I don’t do report cards and the kids won’t be in school, I don’t have to be here on Friday. I’m so glad today is Wednesday. I can handle one more day if I can just make it through today.

     We’re still having problems with the testing software. The program has the students listed as a grade higher than they actually are so their results are skewed. For example, a 3rd grader testing at 3.9 (the equivalence of a 3rd grader in the 9th month of their 3rd grade year) should have a high percentage and be scored as above average. But since the computer sees them as a 4th grader, they are getting a low percentage and are scored below average.

     Even knowing this, the principal still insists I continue testing. The teachers are irritated because even when the problem is fixed, there’s no guarantee it will fix scores already recorded. So all this testing I’ve been doing this year may very well end up to be null and void.

     That’s not even what’s bothering me, though. It’s the principal. He asked me to call customer service and report the problem. I did. He didn’t like the answer they gave me so wanted me to call back and “rattle their cage”. He said, “Call them back and tell them your boss is upset. Tell them your boss is spending money on training and I want to know if it’s even worth it because we’re getting incorrect data. Tell them your boss wants to know when this will be fixed and let them know that we’re very unhappy with their product.”

     I didn’t feel like it was my place to make the call. One, because I am not the Technology Coordinator and so shouldn’t have even made the initial call to customer service. Two, because HE was the one upset. HE should have been the one to tell them so. And three, just because I’m not good at rattling cages. It’s not in me to be mean even the words I’m saying are not my own.

     He ended up telling the tech guy to call so I’m off the hook as far as that goes. Not totally, though. I still have to get together with the tech guy in his office (wherever that is) to try and figure out what’s causing all the problems.

I also have to go to a Tech Committee meeting today. I’ll be there all day and I am not looking forward to it. I’m sure they’re going to tell me I’m not teaching enough. But you know what? I only see these kids once a week. With all this testing going on, I don’t have time to teach anything. They’re only in here for 40 minutes (35 for Kindergarten through 3rd grade) and the tests take close to 30 minutes of a lot of the kids.

     As Fizzy would say, I’ve got collywobbles in my stomach because I don’t know what to expect.

     Enough about work, though. I’m tired of it all. I’m so glad I have a long weekend coming up. Too bad it didn’t coincide with Michael’s weekend home.