Re: Another Superintendent Speaks Out About Testing Overkill

[aburke5054@aol.com]

It's hard to tell the superintendents from the sixth graders sometimes.

Watch morale in his district improve after this superintendent quits 
ths summer.

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>
To: ARN Main List <arn-l@interversity.org>; arn state 
<ARN-state@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 5:56 am
Subject: [arn-l] Another Superintendent Speaks Out About Testing 
Overkill



TAKS BEAT DOWN EVERYONE'S MORALE

Amarillo Globe News -- March 10, 2008

by Michael Stevens


Hereford, TX -- In conjunction with the TAKS testing, the State of 
Texas
needs a morale-improvement program for its 4.3 million students and
350,000 or so professional educators.


After due consideration and deliberation there can be only one title 
for
the program -"The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves."


I am exceptionally saddened and disappointed. Wednesday marked the
beginning of "TAKS Season."


I have observed visibly shaken children and adults enter into the 
annual
testing season with what can only be described as raw fear. Eight- and
10-year-old children are taking a test that will inexorably impact 
their
future.


The testing started at 8:30 a.m. Some of the students finished at 6:30
p.m. A child works as hard as possible to pass a test that truly
measures nothing of consequence. Yet, if she or he fails, the test has
to be taken again. If, after three attempts, a passing score has not
been attained the child is supposed to repeat the grade. This is true
even though we know that if a child is retained in a grade level there
is little likelihood that she/he will complete high school. The child 
is
labeled a "failure," a label that will last a lifetime.


What do we know about children, schools and/or school districts that do
not meet the testing and accountability standards established by the
state and federal government? First, and foremost, we know that
virtually every child that fails the test comes from families that are
not blessed economically. Every child can learn well what is being
taught - time is the variable.


As I approach the final few months of my career in public education I
can only look back and ask the question: How did we get here? What
started out in the 1980s as a tool to measure student progress has
evolved into an incredible monster that is causing far more harm than
good. Through some misguided notion that tests actually are indicators
of quality we now use testing to measure the quality of a student and a
school. It's insane!


Our public education system should be allowed to educate children, not
merely test them. We spend about 50 to 60 school days each year either
testing or preparing to test our children. Could we not reallocate the
billions of dollars spent each year spent on testing and allow our
wonderful educators to make learning fun, exciting and relevant.
Children might actually learn!


Testing schools into quality, much the same as beating people until
morale improves, hasn't worked. The time has come to change. To the
policymakers in this state - I implore you to sit with an elementary
principal when the scores are received as she has to tell a child that
he failed.


You cannot possibly imagine the anguish!


Michael Stevens is superintendent of the Hereford Independent School
District. Stevens recently announced his intentions to leave his office
this summer.


  http://www.amarillo.com/stories/031008/opi_9794293.shtml

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