If you live in California, please call, write or email members of the
Assembly
Education Committee to oppose AB 1353 (Huff) a measure to extend STAR
testing of
second graders beyond the current sunset date of July 1, 2007. It's
especially
important to get parents and teachers of primary-age children to
contact members
of the Assembly Education Committee in opposition to this bill.
The Assembly Education Committee will hold a hearing on AB 1353
Wednesday, April
18 in the afternoon. Members of the public will be able to speak at
the end of
the hearing.
Of all the foolish and harmful pieces of legislation created in the
name of
"accountability," this is one of the most foolish and harmful. Testing
of
children below third grade is notoriously unreliable, so the results
would be of
little value to the state or to districts even if one wholeheartedly
accepted the
value of the larger testing enterprise. Thus the tests represent a
waste of
millions of dollars and tens of thousands of student hours diverted
from
instruction. But even more seriously, this is an alien and alienating
experience
for some of these young children. The impersonal conditions of the
test preclude
answering their questions or providing any feedback or encouragement
for their
work. Such negative experiences can affect their relationship to
school for a
long time to come.
The California Department of Education wants the test, however. The
Director of
the Division of Standards and Assessment explained that without the
test, there
would be no way to know until children are entering fourth grade
whether or not
they can read.
The California Assembly Education Committee:
Mullin, Gene (Chair)
Sarah Ramirez, Chief of Staff
Phone:(916) 319 2019
FAX(916) 319 2119
Garrick, Martin (Vice Chair)
Duane Dichiara, COS
Mike Zimmerman, Leg/Ed
Phone: (916) 319 2074
FAX (916) 319 2174
Brownley, Julia
Stephanie Burri, COS
Julie Gallagher, Leg Director
(916) 319 2041
(916) 319 2141
Coto, Joe
Manny Hernandez, COS
Mike Welch, Education
(916) 319 2023
(916) 319 2123
Eng, Mike
Julio Martinez, COS
Diana Quach, Education
(916) 319 2049
(916) 319 2149
Hancock, Loni
Hans Hemann, COS
Rebecca Baumann, Education
(916) 319 2014
(916) 319 2114
Huff, Bob
Junay Gardner Logan, COS
Faith Conley, Leg Director
(916) 319 2060
(916) 319 2160
Karnette, Betty
Ted Muhlhauser, COS
Kellie Smith, Education
(916) 319 2054
(916) 319 2154
Nakanishi, Alan
Jeff Hale, COS
Anne Schmidt, Leg Director
(916) 319 2010
(916) 319 2110
Solorio, Jose
Adriana Sanchez-Ochoa, Chief of Staff
Erika Contreras, Leg Director
Phone: (916) 319 2069
(FAX: 916) 319 2169
George Sheridan