*EMERGENCY POST* SICK OF SCHOOLS OVERTESTING YOUR CHILD AND STUDENTS? GET INVOLVED HERE/NOW-
I NORMALLY DO NOT WRITE/POST BLOGS ON SATURDAYS…
If you haven't heard yet, there is a petition out for SANER Standardized Testing Practices.
I just signed it and I hope that you will take a moment to do this too.
Two weeks ago my highschooler had to take the OGT's. Next will be the OAA's which are coming up in May for my other two children in middle and elementary school… IT USED TO BE MAP TESTING AND APPARENTLY PARK IS A NEW TEST PROGRAM COMING…maybe to replace the OGT's? Who knows…What will it be once my elementary schooler is in high school?
I've only been in the public school system for the last five years (our first five were spent homeschooling). And so far, I've had no complaints. As the years progress though, I hear more about testing dates, prepping for testing and the importance of being 'ready for' testing, than I do about school and learning. And the disappointment is written on my children's faces; grade A students who love to learn, the needless testing is a drag, and ultimately deviates their school time from what the teacher/student goals are in the classroom. It's disruptive.
Last year, my son was in the third grade and I can't tell you how many times he and his classmates were pulled off their 'regularly scheduled' curriculum path, so that the teacher could get them ready for testing. It seemed like all the fun stuff; reading books, working on reports, discussing, exploring their topics, doing experiments, etc., were being put on hold so they could stop and get ready for testing.
Every year, preparing for 'the' tests, taking 'the' tests and recovering and making up for time lost from preparing and taking 'THE' tests, seems so overly focused on and quite frankly, POINTLESS. After seeing on the news today Why School Isn't for Children Anymore, plus hearing the stifled frustrations from equally aggravated teachers over the past couple of years at my own children's schools, and watching my children themselves struggle with yet another long session (or week) of testing for…what exactly?
I am ready to get involved!
Why did it take me so long?
1. Last year, when I thought that the testing thing seemed ludicrous, I just thought 'okay, me, this is what we get when we don't homeschool; we are at the mercy of people sitting at a desk or board table who A) don't have kids or B) have kids in college or graduates already starting families, and whose ability to judge and choose correctly is largely skewed by their lack of current experience in the 'system', so we just have to make the best of it.'
This was one of my top 3 reasons for us to homeschool in my book and now felt it was completely out of my control.
2. Then, I read an article in SocialistWorker.org (Feb 2013 issue) 'Why Testing Fails Our Kids' (here's their most recently published article on this topic-March 19,2014) and my teenager snagged the article from me and shared how many of her teachers would totally relate! I was shocked that they agreed and would not bring this to the attention of those at the wheel, but, thought maybe they were in the same position as me, powerless, wondering who would listen to me?- Especially those who make the decisions.
3. Now I am realizing that I am not the crazy one, nor am I alone in this; there are people all around me who are sick and tired of kids being put through needless tests for …. what exactly?
4. I am ready to stand up with other parents, teachers AND students (namely my own) who are SICK AND TIRED of what is being required of them, with not whatsoever seeing the benefits.
WILL YOU JOIN ME IN SIGNING THIS PETITION? CURRENTLY, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THERE ARE ONLY 600 MORE SIGNATURES REQUIRED ON THIS ONE FOR IT TO BE HEARD BY THE POWERS THAT BE:
(STAY TUNED FOR MORE COVERAGE ON THIS TOPIC)
If you haven't heard yet, there is a petition out for SANER Standardized Testing Practices.
I just signed it and I hope that you will take a moment to do this too.
Two weeks ago my highschooler had to take the OGT's. Next will be the OAA's which are coming up in May for my other two children in middle and elementary school… IT USED TO BE MAP TESTING AND APPARENTLY PARK IS A NEW TEST PROGRAM COMING…maybe to replace the OGT's? Who knows…What will it be once my elementary schooler is in high school?
I've only been in the public school system for the last five years (our first five were spent homeschooling). And so far, I've had no complaints. As the years progress though, I hear more about testing dates, prepping for testing and the importance of being 'ready for' testing, than I do about school and learning. And the disappointment is written on my children's faces; grade A students who love to learn, the needless testing is a drag, and ultimately deviates their school time from what the teacher/student goals are in the classroom. It's disruptive.
Last year, my son was in the third grade and I can't tell you how many times he and his classmates were pulled off their 'regularly scheduled' curriculum path, so that the teacher could get them ready for testing. It seemed like all the fun stuff; reading books, working on reports, discussing, exploring their topics, doing experiments, etc., were being put on hold so they could stop and get ready for testing.
Every year, preparing for 'the' tests, taking 'the' tests and recovering and making up for time lost from preparing and taking 'THE' tests, seems so overly focused on and quite frankly, POINTLESS. After seeing on the news today Why School Isn't for Children Anymore, plus hearing the stifled frustrations from equally aggravated teachers over the past couple of years at my own children's schools, and watching my children themselves struggle with yet another long session (or week) of testing for…what exactly?
I am ready to get involved!
Why did it take me so long?
1. Last year, when I thought that the testing thing seemed ludicrous, I just thought 'okay, me, this is what we get when we don't homeschool; we are at the mercy of people sitting at a desk or board table who A) don't have kids or B) have kids in college or graduates already starting families, and whose ability to judge and choose correctly is largely skewed by their lack of current experience in the 'system', so we just have to make the best of it.'
This was one of my top 3 reasons for us to homeschool in my book and now felt it was completely out of my control.
2. Then, I read an article in SocialistWorker.org (Feb 2013 issue) 'Why Testing Fails Our Kids' (here's their most recently published article on this topic-March 19,2014) and my teenager snagged the article from me and shared how many of her teachers would totally relate! I was shocked that they agreed and would not bring this to the attention of those at the wheel, but, thought maybe they were in the same position as me, powerless, wondering who would listen to me?- Especially those who make the decisions.
3. Now I am realizing that I am not the crazy one, nor am I alone in this; there are people all around me who are sick and tired of kids being put through needless tests for …. what exactly?
4. I am ready to stand up with other parents, teachers AND students (namely my own) who are SICK AND TIRED of what is being required of them, with not whatsoever seeing the benefits.
WILL YOU JOIN ME IN SIGNING THIS PETITION? CURRENTLY, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THERE ARE ONLY 600 MORE SIGNATURES REQUIRED ON THIS ONE FOR IT TO BE HEARD BY THE POWERS THAT BE:
(STAY TUNED FOR MORE COVERAGE ON THIS TOPIC)
