PRESS RELEASE: Member of Congress joins with NPE and calls for public hearings on the misuse and abuse of standardized tests
March 19, 2014
Contact:
Robin Hiller phone: 520-668-4634 email: robin@networkforpubliceducation.org
Anthony Cody phone: 510-917-9231 email: anthony_cody@hotmail.com
Member of Congress joins with The Network for Public Education and calls for public hearings on the misuse and abuse of standardized tests. Massive social networking campaign to be waged in coming days.
On March 2, 2014, following their highly successful National Conference, The Network for Public Education (NPE) sent out a call for members of Congress to hold public hearings on standardized testing. This call came in response to the onerous testing regime that has enveloped schools across the country and threatens to create a generation of students who possess less creativity and problem solving skills than previous generations.
Answering NPE’s call, Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-3), a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, responded with a sentiment that has been echoed by parents and educators throughout the United States. The six-term Representative said, “The need for an impartial and transparent hearing on mandatory testing and privatization efforts directed at public education, is critical. We need to have an open discussion about the dismantling of public education. I hope the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will hold hearings that allow our public schools and the families they serve the opportunity to have an open and honest hearing.”
Bolstered by Congressional support and a network of thousands of grassroots activists, NPE has taken to social media to apply additional pressure on lawmakers to hold hearings. NPE’s executive director Robin Hiller explained the goal of the Wednesday, March 19 Twitterstorm.
“We are taking our message to Twitter because while we lack access to paid media, we have thousands of passionate educators, students, parents and citizens across the country who care deeply about our schools, and are truly concerned about the colossal waste of resources now being directed to standardized tests. We hope to raise awareness among the public, media and elected representatives around our call for Congressional hearings into the abuse of standardized tests,” Hiller said.
The Network for Public Education, which is led by education scholar and former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, is asking for support for these hearings and hopes that other members of Congress will step up for America’s children as did Congressman Grijalva. The organization will follow up Wednesday’s social media blitz with a Day of Action on Monday, March 24, and is asking members of the public to join in contacting their elected representatives and media outlets.
About The Network for Public Education:
The Network for Public Education is an advocacy group whose goal is to fight to protect, preserve and strengthen our public school system, an essential institution in a democratic society. Our mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and strengthen public schools and the education of current and future generations of students. We will accomplish this by networking groups and organizations focused on similar goals in states and districts throughout the nation and share information about what works and what doesn’t work in public education.
Contact:
Robin Hiller phone: 520-668-4634 email: robin@networkforpubliceducation.org
Anthony Cody phone: 510-917-9231 email: anthony_cody@hotmail.com