Atlanta: We're All A Little Responsible
In 1999, many of my colleagues and I began writing about the perils of excessive standardized testing. I guess we should have anticipated the unanticipated consequences. If only we’d been bolder and more courageous.
In 2002, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted under the shadow of 9/11 when no Presidential initiative would be contested. If only we’d been outraged when we learned the “Texas Miracle” upon which NCLB was modeled was fraudulent.
In 2003 small groups of Massachusetts parents and students boycotted the first round of the State’s new tests. If only the resistance had grown in spite of academic gains (attributed more to a focus on teaching and district attention to curriculum and evaluation than the increased testing).
The decade which followed brought one-size-fits-all curriculum maps, teaching scripts, Peace Corp-