reviews fornu Essay - 1066 Words

This is a great perspective.

Life is full of tests, in terms of pressure and outside forces one has no control over. So I do agree there is merit to standardized testing in the abstract, it's the implementation that seems to be overkill.

I think we have a few different issues going on here, which is to what extent should a child's school year consist of standardized testing preparation, and then to what extent should teachers be judged based on test performance.

The CTU should be a little more careful with their concerns on the latter getting mixed into the former, as that gets spun into "teachers are afraid to be held accountable because they're awful."

That's clearly not fair.

A teacher shouldn't be judged by circumstances they have no control over. If teacher A has students who never miss class, and study hard, they will do better than teacher B's students, who (for whatever reason) are often absent and don't prepare. And often these kids will come from the same demographic backgrounds as far as the "standardized" test is concerned, it's really a crapshoot for a teacher who they will be teaching in any given year, just like any teacher will tell you they have good classes and bad classes. It's not like they get to pick their students.

"I like data," says Alese Affatato, a kindergarten teacher at Nixon elementary, on the northwest side. "It's important that we test students to know where they are. It can inform your instruction so that you can really target the skill that's being assessed."

But the amount of testing she's required to do now, she says, "is overwhelmingly too much." report9 likes, 1 dislike like dislike
Posted by The Welshman on 03/27/2013 at 2:51 PM

We also need to acknowledge that testing companies like Pearson are making a lot of money off of all of these tests. They are not as good for students as they are for the bottom line of test sellers. report27 likes, 0 dislikes like dislike
Posted by EZD on 03/28/2013 at 7:57 AM

Steve, Did you see the picture at the start of the article. A CPS student with a parent! Couldn't really tell the ethnic background as the picture wasn't clear. Did say she is living in Humboldt Park, nasty neighborhood! I wonder if she is in an segregated classroom as she seems to be a pretty bright kid. Maybe your integration/segregation philosophy could be working, let's hope she doesn't get caught in the crossfire. report3 likes, 15 dislikes like dislike
Posted by Jaques on 03/28/2013 at 8:08 AM

I'm generally sympathetic to the CTU and teachers in general. I think they get scapegoated for all sorts of things and I think racism and classism have a lot to do with that. But I do have one question that I haven't heard answered. If poverty and racial inequality are the primary drivers of poor academic performance, and teachers can't do much to affect that, then why do teachers matter? Why not slash teacher salaries and re-direct that money to anti-poverty programs? If it doesn't matter who the teachers are, then it doesn't matter if the best-qualified teachers leave. report3 likes, 16 dislikes like dislike
Posted by Heffomite on 03/28/2013 at 3:39 PM

John Barker, the chief accountability officer for CPS, isn't concerned that standardized tests sometimes force teachers to teach to them. “My philosophy has always been that if it's a good test, teach to it.”

This comment alone is shocking and a testament to the dilapidation and erosion of educational leadership within CPS. The purpose of education is to teach and develop the academic skills necessary for critical thinking and reasoned expression. A strong and effective public educational system is essential for a vibrant democracy. Put simply, teaching to a test doesn't have anything to do with critical thinking and reasoned expression but everything to do with indoctrination. report15 likes, 0 dislikes like dislike
Posted by PaulDunbar on 03/29/2013 at 12:30 AM

@Heffomite

"If

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