Reilly’s school, along with so many others across the US, is classified as a SINI (School in Need of Improvement). Basically the standardized tests that they make every kid take in selected grades to benchmark if they are learning have been sub standard. Reilly had his first of the tests yesterday, the NECAP tests.

I called the house last night from my hotel room and Reilly was so excited to tell me that they gave them gum to chew while they take the test. We aren’t allowed to chew gum in our house (okay it’s a double standard because I do) BUT the kids are not allowed to until they are ten. Reilly, I could tell, was also looking for my approval. He told me that he was given a choice of two flavors and that chewing the gum helps calm your nerves  down and let’s your brain do a better job at concentrating. Although there may be some merit to that I find it kind of annoying to train a third grader that gum is how they will test better. Are you kidding me? He’s going to think he needs gum to take tests from now on… especially because he thought he tested so well.

I never chewed gum during tests, as a matter of fact I was not allowed to chew gum in school.