Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Peg with Pen: It Just Got Personal. Join Me. January 7th.

Peg with Pen: It Just Got Personal. Join Me. January 7th.:

It Just Got Personal. Join Me. January 7th.


Did you know that Tom Boasberg, Superintendent of DenverPublic Schools, sends his child to a Waldorf School - where standardized highstakes testing doesn't exist?

Not only does it not exist - the Waldorf philosophycompletely disagrees with the concept of excessive, high stakes standardizedtesting. In addition, while DPS gets to have fun Racing to the Top - didyou know that Waldorf schools emphasize the importance of developmentallyappropriate learning - and they allow children to grow, learn, and breathe,while exploring life through art, music and play? While DPS kindergartners are being pushed to read, even whenthey aren’t ready, Waldorf students are not expected to learn to read untilsecond grade.

Ask me more about Waldorf. I know this subject well. My songoes to a Waldorf school. As a former public school teacher, I can tell youright now, that the reason I do what I do - fight for the preservation andimprovement of public schools - is because I know - first hand - thedifference between a Waldorf School and a public school that is required to submit tothe demands of high stakes testing. I know the harmful effects of highstakes testing - on children - teachers - and communities.

I KNEW that my child would get labeled ADD on his first day of kindergarten ina public school because he was NOT ready to learn to read and he would havedrowned mentally, physically and spiritually in the face of high stakestesting. I KNOW that this is happening to children in our country every day. I saw this happening here in