In a Washington Post opinion piece, Mr. Marion Brady proposes a way to reduce the federal budget this way:
FACT: We’re told that governments at all levels—federal, state, and local—are worse than broke, and that the services they provide, including education, must be cut.Additionally, should state governments follow Mr. Brady's suggestion, the federal budget will be positively affected. Given the recent concerns expressed regarding the progress of the non-public entity producing national assessments, clearly the facts of time, money, and project scope to meet goals that exceed capability have not been adequately addressed. Under these conditions, why should that project continue?
FACT: There’s one multi-billion dollar cost of educating that’s not scheduled to be cut—high-stakes, standardized testing. In fact, Arne Duncan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, says that the number of such tests is going to significantly increase.
PROPOSAL: Given present unwillingness to fully fund education, all 50 states should immediately cancel their contracts with testing companies. What teachers did for at least a century and a half before corporate interests and politicians took over education policy they can do again, at least for the duration of the present economic emergency.
**********Grumpy Note**********
Were're not only broke, today Standard and Poors downgraded America's Debt Rating from a Stable Outlook to a Negitive Outlook. When they made the move they said that even the Republican Plans would not solve America's debt problem. At a Federal Level School Reform is being funded with borrowed money, and a lot of it.
In Florida, minutes before the State Legislature passed SB 736, Florida's Education Reform Bill promoters admitted they didn't have the money and didn't have a clue how to get it
Then they passed law anyway
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Now the consortium that was to develop the new generation of tests say they can't, not enough time, money, or resources.
ReplyDeletePalm Beach School District says they cannot meet the technology demands...they need more time and money.
Sounds like everyone is standing in front of the ice cream store drooling with empty pockets and a canceled credit card.
Including the guys that said "My Treat"
ReplyDeleteFrom the Washington Post
ReplyDeleteIn Texas, groups including a coalition called Save Texas Schools and the Dads Club at Arlington’s Butler Elementary School have been planning protests and taking other steps to persuade the state legislature not to cut $10 billion from public education, as planned, according to the Austin Chronicle.
Collectively, these efforts could end up pushing policy in a different direction — or could just as easily be the equivalent of howling at the moon.
But what anybody who cares to look at the evidence knows is that judging teachers by student test scores is bad assessment and bad policy. It’s disturbing that the people who most need to understand this — the folks in Washington and state capitals who are making the laws, Republicans and Democrats alike — don’t.
As protests grow louder and longer, they won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/resistance-to-test-based-school-reform-is-growing/2011/04/18/AFkb0n0D_blog.html#weighIn