NCLB and a Family and Student Testing Protection Act

[Harold Berlak <hberlak@yahoo.com>]

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