Valerie Strauss
"Resistance to Test-Based School Reform is Growing"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/resistance-to-test-based-school-reform-is-growing/2011/04/18/AFkb0n0D_blog.html
The Washington Post - "The Answer Sheet" Column
April 18, 2011
Ms. Strauss documents protests by teachers and students that are occurring across the nation regarding standardized testing and other school reform ideas. The protests started locally, but are starting to go national with Facebook groups, blogs, parent groups and teachers possibly coming together in a march on Washington D.C. on July 28-31.
In North Carolina the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school districts tested 52 new standardized tests and possibly adding more tests next year. The Los Angeles School District will be implementing value-added tests that will be used to rate teachers. President Obama has spoken out against more testing ,but ironically his proposals have increased testing. Opponents state these tests do not adequately measure kids' learning, do not prove how good or not good teachers are and are a waste of money and time for the school kids and teachers. Teachers have also been motivated by Diane Ravitch's book stating at one time she favored the No Child Left Behind program, but now shows it does not work
This is another article on how the public debate can be changed in favor of teachers, kids and schools and against standardized testing, poorly planned school reform and attacks against teachers. Anybody want to go to the Washington D.C. march in July?!
I feel like this is a powerful article for a few reasons. The first, and most significant in my mind, is that the author outlines CLEARLY and SUCCINCTLY the thorny, often complex issues that are part of the controversy surrounding both standardized testing and the linking of those scores to teacher employment and salary. She doesn't get too deep into either the politics or the jargon; the readability of this article makes it an ideal one to spread around, especially to family members and friends who might, by this point, be getting a little annoyed by all the outrage they are probably hearing from us regarding VAA and the importance placed on tests.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason that this is a powerful article is because the author links to resources, to examples, to exactly the sorts of things that people reading the article and asking "so what can I do?!" need to see. Proving that this is a small world after all, one of her links towards the bottom is to a parent contemplating participation in JT Gatto's "Bartleby Project" (which he devotes a chapter to in "Weapons of Mass Instruction" but doesn't mention, IIRC, in "Dumbing us Down"), a movement in which a student simply participates in the civil disobedience of refusing to take the standardized test. The author follows this with links to blogs, movements, and news items, gifting the reader with a wealth of resources to follow-up with.
Thank you for the article, Paul! Good find.
I think that is an interesting idea - refuse to take the test. Paxton mentioned that as parents we could exempt our children. This has been swirling around my mind - you mean we can just say NO! Not conform and do what we are told? Hmm! I wonder how many parents would exercise this option if they realized the stress and loss of more important learning that results from these tests??? How many parents would put their foot down and say enough?
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