Teachers' union says too much focus put on testing
DAVID N. GOODMAN, Associated Press
Updated 10:07 a.m., Sunday, July 29, 2012
DETROIT (AP) — The nation's second-largest teachers union has taken a stand against high-stakes testing, passing a resolution at its annual convention in Detroit that says the focus on standardized tests has undermined the United States' education system.
The American Federation of Teachers approved the resolution unanimously Saturday on the second day of its convention at Cobo Center. It said testing should be used to inform and not to impede classroom instruction.
"A lot of so-called reformers try to dictate top-down, standardized test-driven strategies that are heavy on competition and short on evidence and resources," AFT President Randi Weingarten told the 2,400 delegates in her opening address. "They don't work."
"What does work is to rely on the professional judgment of millions of educators who have devoted their lives to educating America's children in our public schools," she added.
Instead of basing teacher evaluations on the results of standardized tests, schools use