Essay graders are trained to be consistent like McDonald’s workers.
New Core-aligned tests rely on fewer multiple-choice questions and more writing, notes the New York Times. For example, elementary students might be asked to “read a passage from a novel written in the first person, and a poem written in the third person, and describe how the poem might change if it were written in the first person.”
Who’s grading essays on Common Core tests? Temps willing to work for $12 to $14 per hour. A college degree is required, but teaching experience is optional.
On Friday, in an unobtrusive office park northeast of downtown (San Antonio), about 100 temporary employees of the testing giant Pearson worked in diligent silence scoring thousands of short essays written by third- and fifth-grade students from across the country. There was a onetime wedding planner, a retired medical technologist and a former Pearson saleswoman with a master’s degree in marital counseling.
More than three-quarters of scorers have at least one year of teaching experience, according to PARCC, which developed one set of Core tests.
They’re trained to produce consistent scores — just like workers at Starbucks or McDonald’s, said Bob Sanders of Pearson. “McDonald’s has a process in place to make sure they put two patties on that Big Mac,” he continued. “We do that exact same thing.”
“Losers who can’t find real jobs” are grading tests, writes Eric Owens, Daily Caller‘s education editor.