Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Education Reform: Parent Action Spreads

Posted For Sandra In Brevard





The highlights indicate the States where parent organizing against teaching to the test are in action. All indications suggest this is a growing grassroots movement. President Obama's recently announced proposals for changing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are likely to fuel more action. Here are some highlights from the President's education reform plan with regard to testing:


NCLB Status Quo: Rely on unsophisticated bubble tests to grade students and schools.


The Obama Plan: Support better tests. The Obama Administration has invested $350 million to support states in their efforts to create more sophisticated assessment systems that measure problem solving and other 21st century skills and that will provide teachers will timely information to help them improve instruction.

NCLB Status Quo: A narrow curriculum focused only reading and math.


The Obama Plan: Invest in state and local efforts to develop a well-rounded curriculum and allow states to include subjects beyond reading and math in their accountability system.


SB736 mirrors the goals the Obama Administration has in mind as educational reform. So, if you are a supporter and proponent of SB736, then you will be cheering. On the other hand, if you were concerned about the lack of details, lack of cost analysis, and continuing an obsession with tests, then things are not looking so good.

Read the President's education plan here.

UPDATE: EDWEEK reports that U.S. Department of Education spokesman Justin Hamilton "clarified" Obama's statement about too much testing, by countering it:

"While we're open to how we can best assess student progress in subject areas like history and science, we believe annual measures in reading and math are needed to assess progress toward college- and career-readiness. More must be done to improve the quality of those assessments, so that they're a more meaningful measure of student learning"

That certainly clears things up now....clear as mud. The President prefers less, the U.S Office of Education prefers the more.
 
Read the rest of Sandra's Education Blogs Here

12 comments:

  1. Didn't the kenyan just say that tests were boring? And how does this help schools in "troubled" districts? Are we teaching kids that bureaucracy is replacing mediocracy?

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  2. Michele Gray, the PA mother who opted out testing for her boys, commented on Grumpy Educators that the new PA standardized test cost $201 million and Texas committed $500 million for their new test. The President was going to offer $350 million for more and better tests. What happened to the fiscal crisis? Accountability is one thing, and what is going on is not accountability but madness.

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  3. Hey Sandra, Read about the Institute for Liberty sometime...
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/us/politics/31liberty.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimespolitics

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  4. hey Sandra you teachers should try real Health Care Reform instead of socialized medicine.
    http://www.instituteforliberty.org/index.php?submenu=health&src=gendocs&ref=healthcare&category=Main

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  5. Anon - I am NOT a teacher. Read and learn from the blogs I am posting. If they are not useful to you, move along.

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  6. Sandra, you have done more educating than the majority of the modern day indoctrinators.

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  7. Tea party Thinks we spent way to much money on teasting and teachers pensions and benefits, with nothing to show for it

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  8. Anon, believe what you wish, but it's clear you have not read this blog or any of those I have written on the topic. Too bad, too sad. If you read, Mr. Anon, it should be crystal clear that the political Right and Left are holding hands with big corporations on this. Taking sides, one way or another, is just what the so-called "reformers" would like because it leads to the same end and costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. Try reading or move along.

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  9. Thank you Madpole and thank you gpabud.
    North Carolina parents were surprised with an announcement that 52 new tests will be rolled out next week. They are mad. Read about it on Grumpy Educators. I just posted there. Talk about parent involvement!

    http://grumpythings.blogspot.com/2011/03/north-carolina-parents-lead-resistance.html

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  10. anon - We have no problem with the truth. When might we expect to see that from you? In the interim Bye Bye!!!!

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