try pushing the ZERO on the phone during the recording , to bypass the mumbo jumbo and connect directly to a human operator. doesnt work with all companies, but with many.

Testing- Shawn has hijacked your post- as an Unregistered person BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Hey shawn--this is Gamom jumping onboard yours! HAHAHAHAHA

Luv - I once heard a news report about automated phone systems and how this guy set up a website giving everyone the #'s to push and in what order to get to a real person. I can't recall the website but perhaps others may know of it. It wont help during those odd closing times but should get you quickly through once they are open. Anyone?

I absolutely can related to the 'taking on to much' theme. I get so tired of everyone complaining and not doing anything about an issue except to make it worse. In this day and age you can not wait on the world to change for you.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

I hate automated customer service! I faxed a claim to my flex spending last week and it still isn't on my website account, so I call the customer service number. After going through 5 million selections and giving every bit of info just short of the last time I went to the bathroom, I am told that the office is closed and to call back during regular business hours of M-F 7am-7pm. I'm thinking "What the heck?" When the automated voice adds that they also close from 2pm-3pm on Thursdays!! WHAT!!!!! I've never heard of such a thing!

I want my $$$$$!!!!!!!!!!

I guess I should mention the monthly testing is basic reading and math skills for the year. This helps place children in additional programs as needed. It is a great idea but the teachers do the majority of testing during class time and can only test 1 child at a time on certain aspects of the test so it can be real tricky. I love getting that monthly report to see where my kids are but I understand that not having enough support for this is what makes a lot of the teachers leave our school. I believe the whole testing program is part of Reading First and Title 1 Math.

An another note, do you ever have those days where you feel like you add to your to do list faster than you can get things done and you've been going at it all day so you can't possibly do much more? It's been a long day and I still need to run newletters, reinventory the leftover cookie dough, and pickup a birthday dinner (among other things). Guess I should get off the computer and get going!

Thanks for all the grade comments! I think some parents see an A for one techer as being an A for another. Especially when you get into higher grades, where some teachers test for content application and others test for regurgitation of facts.
We have the CRCT and in elementary school is a gate for 3rd and 5th. If they don't pass the test, they have to do either summer school or fail the grade. There are still loopholes thru that though.
i like the monthly testing idea of Scott. Our system just started MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) this year. The kids take the test on a computer in August, January and May. It has a 48 hour turn around time, so the teachers know exactly where the students stand in each area. The even better thing is the computer adapts to the kids. if they answer 3 or more correct in a row, the questions progressively become more difficult. If they incorrectly answer 3 or more, it adjusts and they become easier. It determines their independent, iunstrucitonal, and frustrational levels, so teachers can better determine where they need help. Our teachers are loving it!

You are right CC. You would be seen as stirring the pot. How ironic that both of his icky teachers were computer teachers! Maybe there are fumes coming out from that tower and messing them up!
I'm off the soapbox now.

We use 1,2,3,4 and they are broken down into very specific categories so you get a real strength of where the shortfalls and strengths are...i.e. no grade for "Math"--the math section is broken down into about 10 areas that show you where their abilities lie. The "4" is for out of the box thinkers that go beyond that 100 points. Instead of just know where Columbus travelled and where Ponce de Leon travelled they can take the two explorers and compare the apsects of their ventures that were common for instance (this is at 3d grade)
4th goes back to abcd...which I must admit is more comforting, but they are moving to the 1234 program as well and will be a better representation. It is hard thought to not say a 3 is an A, 4 is an A+ etc. I'm shocked at how stringent the numbers are for abcd grades....I was used to 90-100 being an A and now it is 94 to 100 and 86 to 93 is a B....so when my guys miss 3 questions on a 20 question test it is a C+...ugh...too bad for them they have an over achiever mother....d