This Camel's Back is Broken

Today our entire school received an email from our principal, forwarded from our curriculum director, that consisted of an advertisement passing itself off as "research." Its main message seemed to be, "See, you guys, I TOLD YOU that taking a practice ACT every week doesn't hurt the educational process!"

I almost had an aneurysm right there on my classroom floor and, in fact, I'm still so angry right now that I am pounding these keys like I WANT to pound our curriculum director.

This year, due to new unnecessary "reforms" made by this man, my job is ruining me. I have never been so tense and angry for such a long period of time. In fact, I have named my anger; it is now known as The Eternal Flame of Burning Rage, and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

Ordinarily, I will follow directives. I will be the model employee, and I will do what I'm told. I have done what I'm told while griping in silence, but as of today, I'm out. I'm through.

THESE FLOODGATES ARE OPEN.

And it starts with this email right here:

Dear Mr. X,

Thank you for providing the information concerning an upcoming workshop that supports the theory that there is no such thing as too much testing. I immediately saw how I could use it in my classroom to demonstrate uses of propaganda and logical fallacies.

My students were able to identify the following:
begging the question
card-stacking
false analogy
false premise
hasty generalization
irrelevant evidence
loaded words

I intend to use this advertisement again in the spring, when we discuss persuasive speaking, to illustrate the following:
manipulation of data
ineffective use of “expert opinion”
evaluation of the speaker’s purpose
importance of the speaker’s credibility
use of verifiable and reliable evidence
meeting ethical standards

Thank you so much for providing such a valuable authentic resource.

Sincerely,
Me