It is time that our government starts working for YOU! Abolish the Texas TAKS test and replace it with an End of Course Exam! My freshmen daughter came home and informed me that she is required to take the Algebra TAKS test this year simply because she is in the 9th grade, mind you, she is in Geometry. Many 9th grade students are in Pre AP (Pre - Advanced Placement) and AP (Advanced Placement) classes which will mean that they are not taking (in my example) Algebra this year they are enrolled in Geometry. Most were enrolled in Algebra in 8th grade. Why should any student be required to take a test over a subject that they are NOT studying in school, simply because the government has decided these tests should be grade specific I have also (through research) found that the 9th grade Algebra TAKS test actually covers 8th grade material and the 10th grade test concentrate on Geometry. Real Geometry concepts are not covered until the Exit Level TAKS. So in essence our students are required to relearn information from two years ago simply to take a test required by the government. When my daughters Geometry teacher asked the students to get books so they could start reviewing what they needed for the tests, she informed the freshmen to get a one book and the sophomores to get a different book. When questioned why the books were different the teacher informed the class it was because the freshmen and the sophomores have to take two different tests. The freshmen must take the Algebra TAKS while the sophomores will take the Geometry TAKS. That incident made the freshmen feel belittled to their peers in the same class. It is hard enough for the freshmen to feel like they belong in a class full of sophomores but to single them out like that made it even worse on them. More importantly, one teacher now must teach two TESTS to one class. My daughter with the help of other 9th grade Pre AP Geometry students at her school are so outraged by this, they started a hand written petition that she asked that I forward to Governor Perry so he would see that our children / students are ready to be heard by what is supposed to be their government in years to come. (By the way, she received 26 signatures, which, I think, is remarkable!) I think it is time that we stop force feeding our children information that is not relevant to their futures and start teaching them the information they need to become our future leaders. I have discovered that Governor Perry will be discussing this with legislation in future meetings and they are considering changing all High Schools to End of Course Exams (which, in my opinion, is the better way of judging what our kids are learning as well as what our teachers are teaching), however, I want to make sure that they not only discuss it, but they take action and change their processes. I wrote to Governor Perry as well as the TEA (Texas Education Agency) and have received responses from both. I would love to attach the e-mailed comments from the TEA and the letter I received from Governor Perry below however there isn\'t enough room, so if you are interested please send me an e-mail and I will be happy to share it with you that way. Thank you for your time and I hope that you will take this into consideration when you make the decision to sign my petition. Remember that your child is studying for a test over a subject that they are not prepared for. Not to mention that our teachers are taking (in some cases) the entire year to teach what is on the TAKS test to our students rather then teaching the skills they require to make it in our society and to go on to college. Thank you

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