Thanks, Jennifer, for your thoughtful comments. Teachers all over the country tell similar stories, and I think that these are beginning to be understood in the halls of power...but don't hold your breath.

The batch process mode of teaching has persisted largely because it is practical for bureaucracies to organize this way. Having everyone cover the same material at the same time looks neat and having them tested at the same time seems vaguely fair. Individualization is hard, and many teachers lack the skills to pull it off. But technology may be a help in allowing greater individualization, and decoupling testing and instruction could allow teachers to center their work on working directly with students. If you (and others) haven't seen it, I recommend looking at Sal Kahn's little speech at TED. It's posted on my web site: www.mindworkers.com. He tells how allowing students to move at their own pace allows many of them who were thought "behind" to zoom ahead once they gained mastery.