Parents and Educators to Lawmakers: Testing is Not Learning!
Let teachers teach!
Across the country, NEA members and parents are sending the same message to legislators and policy makers: Too much classroom time is caught up in testing, testing, testing, testing, and more testing!
Not enough is spent on learning.
In Osceola County, Fla., fired-up teachers and education support professionals convinced school board members to work with them to stop the madness in Tallahassee. In New Jersey, a parent recently read aloud to school board members the “NEA Time to Learn, Time to Teach” resolution, and in Washington State, New Hampshire, Missouri, and elsewhere, coalitions of NEA members, parents, students and community members also are rallying for more time for learning.
“Parents don’t want their children to be treated with a one-size-fits-all education approach. And educators know that students are more than a test score, so let educators teach,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García to federal lawmakers, who are rewriting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) this year.
Since 2001, when the sixth reauthorization of ESEA, more commonly known as “No Child Left Behind,” kicked off the nation’s desperate embrace of high-stakes standardized testing, the number of federally mandated standardized tests for K-12 students has more than doubled from six to 17. Add in state and locally required tests, and the numbers soar to levels that can cripple learning.
In Pittsburgh, fourth-graders will sit down for a whopping 33 state or district-required standardized tests this year, or just shy of one per week, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In Chicago, even kindergartners must take no fewer than 14. “How do tests breed more tests?” asks FairTest’s Monty Neill. Meanwhile, all of these tests require preparation, pre- and post-testing, data entry, training, and more. When Tennessee teacher Melinda Reese marked instructional days on her school calendar, only ten days were dedicated to actually teaching.
TAKE ACTION: TELL CONGRESS TO GET ESEA RIGHT!
Right now, the U.S. Senate is working on a reauthorization bill for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Ask your senators to reduce the number of mandated tests and provide more opportunities for students to learn.
“My teachers are frustrated—I’m losing 20 to 30 at every board meeting from retirements or resignations—because all they do is test, test, test,” says Apryle Jackson, president of the Osceola Education Association.
Over-testing is as ubiquitous as cold germs in American classrooms—but the consequences are even more sickening. In a recent NEA survey, three out of four teachers reported moderate to extreme pressure to improve scores. Forty-two percent said the emphasis had a negative impact on their classroom—and 45 percent said they have considered leaving the profession.
According to the Brookings Institution, the U.S. spent more than $1.7 billion on testing in 2012. Seems the testing mega-industry is the only beneficiary of high-stakes testing insanity.
Misuse of test scores is also rampant. In Florida, for example, at least 40 percent of teachers’ evaluations (and thus their pay) must be based on a bizarre value-added model that incorporates test scores from students they’ve never taught or subjects they don’t teach. Farther north, the Tennessee Education Association has filed two lawsuits against the state, challenging its use of a similar value-added system: The lead plaintiff, an 8th-grade science teacher, was denied a pay raise after his value-added score was based on the test scores of only 22 of his 142 students.
Worst of all, testing infiltrates instruction, making it harder than ever for teachers to teach a love of learning or indulge students’ curiosity. If it’s not tested, it’s not taught — and that often includes art, music, and physical education. Creativity is shot—along with teachers’ professionalism. In Osceola, says Jackson, “all teachers are expected to teach the same thing on the same day, and whether students have Parents and Educators to Lawmakers: Testing is Not Learning! - NEA Today:
AFT President Randi Weingarten and NEA President Lily Eskelsen García will discuss the impact of the reauthorization of ESEA on teachers, parents and students. - Virtual Conference
Ideas and Innovations 2015 - Virtual Conference - Lesson Plans - Share My Lesson:
Join Us for the 2015 Ideas & Innovations Virtual Conference - March 23-25
Description
Ideas & Innovations is a professional learning virtual conference, March 23-25, brought to you by Share My Lesson in partnership with content leaders, authors and experienced educators. With 29 sessions to choose from, there's something for every new or experienced educator, PreK-12, spanning all subject areas from arts education, science and math to integrating technology and games into the classroom.
Make sure you register now!WHAT WILL I LEARN FROM THIS CONFERENCE?
- How to implement techniques based on the Common Core State Standards
- What changes are ahead in the education industry and how they affect you
- New, fresh, innovative content that you can bring to the classroom tomorrow
HOW DO I REGISTER?
- Simply scroll through the many sessions listed below and register for the ones that interest you. If you are looking for something specific, use the search box or click on the sort feature to find the topics you need.
- Click on the session you would like to attend. Each session starts on the hour and will last about 45 minutes.
- You will be prompted to register and once registered, you can click on any webcast without having to resubmit your information.
KEYNOTE: ESEA and the Impact on Teachers—A conversation with Randi Weingarten and Lily Eskelsen García