NEA chief: Standardized tests alone don’t provide full picture of schools
Chris Oaks spoke with Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association.
Q: On Friday, you delivered a speech at the City Club of Cleveland on the subject of excellence in public education. But many have accused teachers’ unions in general, and the NEA in particular, of being part of the problem by resisting innovative school solutions. How do you respond to those criticisms?
A: We’ve been the punching bag for a lot of politicians for a long time. I get that. But I’m a sixth-grade teacher who has worked with homeless kids, with gifted kids and with some very gifted homeless kids. Every parent who has ever entrusted me with their child knows that I am in this for the right reasons.
And I’m absolutely optimistic that we’re ready to look at solutions that are actually going to work. We must make sure that every public school is a doorway to something better for every child. We have to get this right. No one can afford to get it wrong.
Q: You are known for railing against the use of standardized testing to measure student and school success, and teacher effectiveness. You call it “toxic testing.” But, while many recognize its shortcomings, no one as yet has come up with a better solution. Where is the accountability, if not through testing?
A: As I said, I’m a sixth-grade teacher and my students will certainly tell you that I do recognize tests have value. But tests alone don’t paint the entire picture of student achievement. That’s why we advocate the use of a dashboard of indicators that would reflect not only test scores, but also other metrics that we know play a part in student outcomes.
Q: Such as? What other metrics would you add to the mix?
A: Things such as classroom resources, from textbooks to science labs. Does the school have those classroom resources they need? What’s the student-teacher ratio? Is there universal access to technology? Are there counseling services, wellness programs, extracurricular activities? What about advanced placement classes or programs that allow students to earn early college credit? Let’s measure all those things so that we can better get to the root causes of why schools are underperforming.
Q: But those disparities are precisely the reason many advocate things like school choice and voucher programs, to offer families the option of moving their children to more effective schools. Aren’t you, in The Courier » NEA chief: Standardized tests alone don’t provide full picture of schools: