HB response to 3/17 Washington Post NCLB story
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If NCLB testing regulations and sanctions were nullified tomorrow, we
would be left with state testing laws and regulations that rest on
the same faulty set of assumptions about teaching and learning, and
about how to measure educational progress and achievement. Families,
parents, and students need legal protection from the rampant and
increasingly abusive use of standardized tests by governments, and
from federal and state intrusion in curricular, pedagogical, and
program decisions that properly belong in the hands of those closest
to children --teachers, parents, local officials and local communities
What we need is a 'Family and Student Testing Protection Act', a
reformulated and strengthened update of legislation first proposed by
Senator Wellstone seven years ago. There is little question that if
the protections in his proposals were in place, we would be in a far
different and better place today.
Those of us who are opposed to the current NCLB and are working
politically to blunt its worst features should, and undoubtedly will
carry on to press for whatever concessions we can get from this
Congress and this President.
Whatever the outcome of the current NCLB reauthorization, I believe
there needs to be a sustained movement for legislation at the state
as well as the federal levels that protects communities, parents and
students from the abuse of government power by imposing curriculum
and teaching methods, and violating student and family rights to due
process, fairness, and equality of educational opportunity.
I urge everone concerned about the NCLB reauthorization to take the
time to read the address delivered By Senator Wellstone at Teachers
College, Columbia University, March 31, 2000
http://www.educationrevolution.org/paulwellstone.html
Harold Berlak