Re: Testing California Second Graders

[aburke5054@aol.com]

 Whatever the educational merits or demerits of testing second-graders, referring to it as "state-sponsored child abuse" is a gross distortion that trivializes the sufferings of truly abused children. How sad that a teacher of young children would stoop so low. Will you be invoking the Holocaust next?
 
 Art  
 -----Original Message-----
 From: learn@jps.net
 To: ca-resisters@serv1.ncte.org; ca-resisters@interversity.org
 Cc: ARN-l@interversity.org
 Sent: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:25 PM
 Subject: [arn-l] Testing California Second Graders
 
  Jack O'Connell, California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has signaled that he plans to sponsor legislation to extend STAR testing of second graders beyond the current sunset of July 1, 2007. CTA will vigorously oppose this proposal and is already organizing our allies to defeat it. 
 
 We sponsored the original bill to end second-grade testing. I personally provided the legislature with information from experts on testing and on child development, showing that standardized testing of young children is even less reliable than similar testing with older children, in some cases barely exceeding chance. I also told them about the impact of the rigid testing protocols on some of my fragile children. 
 
 Gene Mullin, the new chair of the Assembly Education Committee, was one of the authors of the original legislation. He will be able to use letters opposing this form of state-sponsored child abuse. I will post more information when it becomes available. 
 
 George Sheridan 
   
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