The cowardly censors at Tweed
Why they banned 50 words
Comments (1)BY DIANE RAVITCH / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sunday, April 1, 2012, 4:15 AM
WARD, JESSE, FREELANCE NYDN/JESSE WARD FREELANCE NYDN
Tests won’t mention dinosaurs or birthdays or personal computers. Why?
After the news broke last week that the New York City Department of Education had effectively banned a long list of topics that might appear on its citywide standardized tests, our city’s school system became a national laughing stock. Department spokesman Matthew Mittenthal lamely defended the long list of taboos by saying that any mention of them “could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students.”
For a school system that never worries about the “unpleasant emotions” caused by its harmful
focus o
n relentless testing, it’s an outrageous and ironic response.
focus o
n relentless testing, it’s an outrageous and ironic response.
It is also, as I’ll soon explain, a misleading explanation of why such word bans so commonly happen in our schools.
First, let’s understand exactly what’s going on here. The city is planning to create a lot of new tests in science, social studies and other subjects, and based on the request for proposals it sent to prospective test development companies, it’s clear that the tests will be dumbed down by clumsy censorship.
How can a good science test forbid reference to evolution, dinosaurs, geological history, vermin, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, disease and bodily functions? Beats me.
How can a good social studies test avoid asking about war, terrorism, nuclear weapons, politics, poverty, religion, disasters, crime or loss of employment? Beats me.
Anyone who does not work at the DOE’s Tweed headquarters can quickly see that such tests will be
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