Teachers Boycott Mandated Standardized Tests
Here’s the situation: The majority of Garfield High School’s teacher and staff (the first school to boycott) said on January 10, 2013 that they will not give the standardized test because it is flawed, students don’t take it seriously, and it’s being misused, used to evaluate teachers instead of students.
“We, the Garfield teachers, respectfully decline to give the MAP test to any of our students. We have had different levels of experiences with MAP in our varied careers, have read about it, and discussed it with our colleagues. After this thorough review, we have all come to the conclusion that we cannot in good conscience subject our students to this test again.”
Read all the reasons the Garfield teachers give on The Answer Sheet, Washington Post.
A few days later, 25 teachers at Ballard High School decided would also boycott the standardized tests.
These teachers join the many thousands of parents who boycott the tests by keeping their children home “sick”. And, they join both teacher and parent groups who are passing resolutions against high-stakes testing.
These teachers and parents just prove to me what a great country we live in. In this country, if you don’t like something, you have the power to speak up for change. The more voices, the more likely change will happen.
Do you want the testing situation to change?
And if so, are you willing to do something about it?
I don't believe that the pass fail should be done by the standardize testing at all. I never tested well. I also don't believe in the standardized tests anyway. Teachers just teach the test and that never works.
I think it's great that teachers are boycotting the ridiculous tests! If the teachers in our district wanted to boycott the tests I'd back them 100%.
My biggest disagreement w/ these tests are when administration decides that whether a student can go on to the next gr is dependent on passing a standardized test. It just seems wrong to me that a kid who has worked hard all yr and done well can be held back just b/c they might suffer from test anxiety.
My kids have always done fine on the normal standardized tests, but we'll have our 1st experience w/ a "pass it or or be held back" one this yr- it's the first yr for having to pass a standardized reading test in order to go on to the 4th gr. I'm so glad ds1 didn't have to take that- reading is his weakest area and he has yet to pass it on regular standard tests (always comes real close to it, though).
Quoting ruby_jewel_04:
This is happening in my state. And I couldn't be more ecstatic. I was forced to suffer through these asinine tests in high school... I'm glad they finally decided that it's enough!
IMO, it's not the test that's a problem, but how it is used. If the test were simply a guage to see what the kids know and don't, that would be okay. It could then be used a tool for teachers to redirect their teaching and provide extra support for students. However, using it solely as a means to evaluate a teacher or holding kids back because of it is wrong. The pendulum is swinging. The current tests will be replaced by something else and the processes will all change based on what is popular at the time. BTW, keeping kids out of school sick on standardized testing days doesn't help. They simply pull them out of class to make the test up when they come back.
shoe tying
- steelcrazy
on Jan. 17, 2013 at 8:56 PM