Re: FairTest reaction to Sec Spellings announcement of nclb 'differentiated accountability' pilot program

[MONICALUCIDO@comcast.net]

My, my, how sickly sweet she is through this whole thing. It has a whole lot of  "I want to make this new version JUST palatable enough now, so that the wealthier districts/parents (which are rising in arms against NCLB) with fewer problems in 'achievement' will support this new scandalous version of the NCLB". A few points below:


Spellings: "Industries from medicine to commerce, from finance to entertainment, have leveraged data and accountability to improve efficiency and effectiveness, as well as customer service, satisfaction, and quality of life. Together, we can support the same transformation in education."

-Translation: Corporation$ will now be given the red carpet to come on in and take over your "failing $chool$". They will be allowed to use busine$$ practice$ in school$, even though there ha$ been no evidence to show that they are any better.

Spellings: "Of course, we will only achieve this goal if we continue facing our problems head on, instead of rejecting data and measurement because they can cause discomfort."

-Translation: We will continue to jab really pointy things into your backside until you give in and collapse the entire public school system under a program of standardized teaching-testing-widget-producing. Oh, and here's a band-aid for that.

Spellings: "After all, don't our children deserve to benefit from the same spirit of possibility and innovation that has made our country great?"

-Translation: I don't read any research that shows real innovation comes from the freedom to think. Even though Scandinavian countries outperform our kids and understand how the development of the human spirit is integral in education, I will choose to ignore that data.  I also don't read U.S. History and don't acknowledge all of the success our schools HAVE made--without massive corporate influence. In fact, I may not know how to read. (I am pre-programmed..zzzzzrt...crackle..pop...)
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>
> Sec Spellings has announced a pilot NCLB "differentiated accountability 
> plan" for up to 10 states. Spellings talk today is at 
> http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/03/03182008.html and that contains 
> a link to the memo outlining the policy.
> 
> Here is FairTest's react to this announcement:
> 
> FairTest
> National Center for Fair & Open Testing
>  <>for further information contact:
> Dr. Monty Neill   (617) 864-4810
> Robert Schaeffer  (239) 395-6773
> 
> 
> for immediate release, Tuesday, March 18, 2008
> SEC. SPELLINGS "DIFFERENTIATED ACCOUNTABILITY" PLAN
> IS "FUTILE EFFORT TO RESCUE A COLLAPSING LAW,"
> SCHEME IS EQUIVALENT TO "REARRANGING DECK CHAIRS ON TITANIC"
> REACTION OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR FAIR & OPEN TESTING
> 
> 
>       Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' plan to allow ten states to 
> pilot "Differentiated Accountability" approaches to comply with federal "No 
> Child Left Behind" mandates is a futile effort to rescue a collapsing law. 
> Though it correctly recognizes that NCLB identifies far too many schools as 
> failing, the proposal is the political equivalent of rearranging deck chairs 
> on the Titanic, not changing its misguided course. It will not slow the 
> ever-growing demand for complete overhaul.
>       At its core, "No Child" is unworkable. It makes impossible demands 
> such as expecting all children to attain proficiency by 2014, relies too 
> heavily on educationally destructive standardized tests which narrow 
> curriculum while encouraging "drill-and-kill" test prep, and imposes 
> counterproductive punishments.
>       Simply imposing a state-by-state patchwork of new rules onto the 
> top-down federal bureaucracy created by "No Child Left Behind" will not lead 
> to improved education for the communities that most need it.  Far more 
> fundamental changes, focusing on identifying the real causes of weak 
> academic performance and building schools' capacity to address them, are 
> required.
>       FairTest initiated the Joint Organizational Statement on NCLB, a set 
> of principles for overhauling the federal law, which has been signed by 143 
> national education, civil rights, religious, parent, disability, civic and 
> labor groups. FairTest also facilitates the Forum on Educational Assessment, 
> which works to implement the Joint Statement.
> 
> - - 3 0 - -
> 
> 
> The Joint Statement and other materials concerning NCLB, including FairTest's 
> six-year "Report Card" on the law's impact, are online at: 
> http://www.fairtest.org
> 
> 
> 
> Monty Neill, Ed.D.
> Deputy Director
> FairTest
> 342 Broadway
> Cambridge, MA 02139
> 617-864-4810 x 101;  fax 617-497-2224
> monty@fairtest.org
> http://www.fairtest.org
> Donate: https://secure.entango.com/servlet/donate/MnrXjT8MQqk 
> 
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