Sunday, March 31, 2013

Ed Notes Online: Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers

Ed Notes Online: Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers:


Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers


No punishment for teachers in Seattle test boycott

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Superintendent Jose Banda announced today that no teachers would be disciplined for boycotting the exams known as the Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, this winter.
District leaders concluded that  none of the protesting teachers had responsibility for administering the exams, Banda said, so they were not insubordinate by failing to carry out their duties.
At many schools, Banda said, other school staff or parents are responsible for giving the test, not teachers.
“What I found out … is that it’s not the teachers that really do a lot of that stuff.  You have a testing coordinator that’s primarily responsible for setting up the test.”
It’s possible that no teachers failed in their duties because other staff members stepped in to give the exam.
At Garfield, after teachers announced their boycott in January, administrators stepped in to give the exams.  Banda had earlier told Garfield teachers they would face discipline for boycotting the tests.  There were definitely