Pompous Idiotic Tyrannical (PIT) Christie

One has to wonder if PIT Christie has ever really seriously given thought to everything that factors into students' performance in class, and more specifically, in testing. I'm sure that there are many who would be better equipped to go into more depth with this topic than I. But I will discuss a few things that are pretty obvious to those who aren't intoxicated with power, over which teachers have little if any control. Teachers don't decide which students possess an X-box, Nintendo, or Play Station, nor how much time is spent with those, T.V., or D.V.D's versus homework. Teachers don't have licenses to referee or mediate domestic unrest, quarrels, or physical altercations in students' homes. Teachers, unlike parents or guardians, don't get to implement reward systems in homes. Teachers can't make neighborhoods safer. Teachers can't influence where education lies on students' list of priorities. For some students part time jobs that pay money trump any messages coming from teachers. The bottom line is that there are too many things outside of the control of teachers that potentially impact students' performance. Ignoring these other influences and doggedly tearing into teachers like a Pit Bull might gain some political points among the me me me voters. But changing teachers without affecting the other factors that influence student performance will do little else. There are numerous studies that look at factors that influence student performance. I wonder how many PIT has read. Some are available right on the Internet. But you don't have to read or do a study to figure out that it's idiotic to punish teachers for their students' poor performance!