Back to School Doesn't Have to Mean Back to Tests
Cross posted at The Innovative Educator Blog andCooperative Catalyst.
Social media has become a mobilizing force in bringing together students, educators, and parents who are frustrated with the data-driven, standardized, one-size-fits all learning taking place in publicly funded schools today. Many of these groups have popped up with members joining and uniting against a system designed to reduce children to nothing more than standardized, easily measurable data to appear on a future chart that can bolster the ratings and egos of policy makers and business leaders. Despite the fact that many educational leaders, educators, parents, and students know this is wrong, parents like Gretchen Herrera are being forced to engage in practices that hurt children with threats of school closures and students being left behind or kicked out for failure to comply.
One of the biggest movements gaining momentum is opting out of state testing, with social media sites being created in the form of Facebook groups, Facebook pages, and Yahoo groups, which are connecting parents, educators, and students who are frustrated with forced government schooling
