Open
rebellion against standardized school tests in Texas
Dallas Morning News By Rodger
Jones/Editorial Writer rmjones@dallasnews.com
Saying high-stakes standardized
testing is "strangling our public schools," superintendents of
several high-performing North Texas school
districts have jointly signed a letter to top state officials and lawmakers
warning about the deterioration of the education system.
Call it open rebellion against
the 25-year-old testing regimen. Wow.
The letter goes out to back up
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott, according to Coppell Superintendent
Jeff Turner. Scott asserted recently that emphasis on high-stakes testing in
some places had become a "perversion" of the system that lawmakers
had in mind. Scott's comments about testing inflamed Texas Association of
Business chief Bill Hammond and put the governor's office on edge.
Education Week Living in Dialogue Blog By
Anthony Cody on February
7, 2012 10:53 PM
Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody
This week another Republican used the phrase
"military-industrial complex." Only he was not talking about the arms
industry. He was talking about the diverse alignment of vested interests now
driving our schools towards a common goal. The speaker was Robert Scott,
Education Commissioner of the state of Texas
Here is what he said:
The
assessment and accountability regime has become not only a cottage industry but
a military-industrial complex. And the reason that you're seeing this move
toward the "common core" is there's a big business sentiment out
there that if you're going to spend $600-$700 billion a year in public
education, why shouldn't be one big Boeing, or Lockheed-Grumman contract where
one company can get it all and provide all these services to schools across the
country.
Don't like the effects
of STAAR tests on education? Opt out
Published: 7:10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, 2012
Vampires and guinea pigs have recently been
noted in meetings in Austin
"You've created this one thing that
the entire system is dependent on. ... It is the heart of the vampire,"
said Robert Scott, Texas
Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, also recently
remarked to parents about the STAAR counting for 15 perecent of high school
course grades. "Make sure your voice is heard that this is not OK. Your
children should not be guinea pigs," she said, according to the Jan. 25
American-Statesman. Do you feel that
your child is just a guinea pig with the implementation of the new STAAR tests?
How can your voice as a parent be heard about the STAAR tests? One simple way to be heard is to opt out.
United Opt Out National
The movement to end
punitive public school testing
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