Guest Post By John Thompson: The Texas Standardized Test Revolt
School “reformers” complain that the Garfield High School teachers’ boycott of testing, and the protests by teachers, parents, and students in Georgia, New York, and Massachusetts, are bringing the backlash against bubble-in accountability to a “crescendo.” Perhaps the best education news is that 818 Texas school districts oppose the educational malpractice encouraged by standardized testing. On February 23, I joined thousands of Texans in the Save Texas Schools rally in Austin.
For decades, many top Oklahoma teachers fled to the better schools south of the Red River. An increasing number of them became trapped in the Texas testing mania and returned with horror stories. But, recently, Oklahoma adopted an “accountability” regime that is just as bad, even though we do not have nearly as much money to mitigate the damage. And, two years ago the Texas legislature cut public schools by $5.4 billion, even as they are sending $1.2 billion to overseas testing companies. This means that the Lone Star State also faces the worst of both worlds.
Former Education Commissioner Robert Scott told the crowd that continued testing is not like the tail “wagging
For decades, many top Oklahoma teachers fled to the better schools south of the Red River. An increasing number of them became trapped in the Texas testing mania and returned with horror stories. But, recently, Oklahoma adopted an “accountability” regime that is just as bad, even though we do not have nearly as much money to mitigate the damage. And, two years ago the Texas legislature cut public schools by $5.4 billion, even as they are sending $1.2 billion to overseas testing companies. This means that the Lone Star State also faces the worst of both worlds.
Former Education Commissioner Robert Scott told the crowd that continued testing is not like the tail “wagging