2004 Customer Satisfaction Survey (PDF, 566 KB) - TEA - Home ...

Testing Requirements
The TAKS testing system is one tremendous joke. I believe 99.9 per cent of teachers, administrators,
and parents do not approve of TAKS.
Stop trying to legislate that all students can and should be studying the same things at the same level.
Stop trying to make all students prepared to go to college. Allow students and/or parents to choose
whether to enter a vocational or academic track beginning by grade 10 with additional places to cross
over later if their goals change. Quit watering down courses trying to meet the needs of all students.
Change the TAKS test so that it is a minimum expectation and not an average expectation. It cannot
be both and we are trying to make it such.
I would like to see MORE emphasis placed on learning for the sake of attaining knowledge, instead of
to pass a State mandated test! The way things are now there is TOO much stress on the teachers,
students and school districts to perform well for a one, time test that really proves nothing!
The timing of the Field Tests poses a hardship on us. I would appreciate time to get one test finished,
packed and shipped before there is another one to do. Our district is small and too many times the
same students are involved. Also, it is difficult to keep up with all the different subjects and grades
being tested. Would it be possible for all the same subjects to be tested on the same day, like the
TAAS!
Please reexamine testing and accountability procedures. We all want to have some type of testing for
accountability purposes, but please be sure the tests are age appropriate and fair.
It would be helpful if TEA could deliver more support. We Middle School Teachers teaching 6th grade
(with an Elem. Ed. Degree), who have been teaching 20+ years, would like some more support on
the NCLB qualifications. It hurts to be told you no longer qualify to teach after 24 years. Especially,
when those teaching 6th grade in an Elementary School, teaching the same TEKS as we do in the
Middle School, qualify, but we don’t. Not fair at all. I’m willing to take the TExES, but I haven’t studied
8th grade Science in 36 years. I strongly believe in Professional Development and feel I'm doing a
great job with my 6th graders. I'm not interested teaching in the 7th or 8th grade.
Spend less money on TAKS tests and more on enabling teachers to teach the TEKS.
TEKS for social skills.
Please spend LESS time testing our students!!!!!
TEA – Understaffed / Too Many Cuts
I feel the cuts made this year will dramatically affect our services in years to come, especially the
region centers.
Hire more people and put them in the field like the old days.
When TEA cut staff, service to schools was strongly effected. Most often, you can’t speak to a TEA
staff member, they are either not in, on another line or out of the office. I feel TEA staff does the best
they can, however when you are pulled in a million different directions you do nothing well. Also,
guidelines for “Highly Qualified” are as clear as MUD! Make up your mind! Small schools, Rural
schools, have a hard time finding staff as is! DECIDE! Also, testing dates, could you not make up
your mind sooner! You have conflicted with UIL and that directly effects students! Are we not here
for students? Finally, the testing booklets are awful! If we are going to give the Social Studies test
after Math, the first tab should be MATH! The color coding is also off, Maybe you should ask for
help in deciding booklet colors. Make-up should not be the same color as a regular TAKS test
booklet.
I am very dissatisfied with the phone system. Please give the TEA employees back their individual
phone lines. You have cut the TEA staff too much. I gave a positive response to the survey because
the TEA employees are working so hard to try to handle all the calls and requests for information.
I would like a person to answer my questions on the phone.
I know that the staff of TEA has been decreased and I can only imagine how hard it is to do all the
things you are required to do with fewer people. I think you do a commendable job under trying
circumstances.
My only complaint is that you cannot reach a person and it is days before they return your calls.
Staff all areas. Librarians do not have any representation at TEA since Mary Lankford left. Big mistake.
Have an operator to answer the telephone and route the phone call to the appropriate TEA staff. Have
Survey Research Center, University Of North Texas
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