I've been noticing flyers in Knapp recently that are "Brought to you by: Teachers Against Testing Campaign March/April 2011." They each have facts about standardized testing as it relates to funding for education, and have links to websites where more information can be found. Teachers Against Testing actually has a facebook page and a few links to other websites that express concern over the effects that "teaching to the test" will have on education in this country. I'll put a few of the links below on this page so anyone can look at them- they are pretty interesting and align with a lot of the opinions expressed in class last week about the negative implications of funding according to standardized testing. They're also definitely informative about the specifics of how No Child Left Behind operates.
http://www.susanohanian.org/show_nclb_outrages.php?id=3747
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2009/11/should_teacher_evaluation_depe.html
Super! Thanks, Allie! I have needed to inform myself about this and related issues ever since our Education Dept. made the decision, several years ago, no longer to offer certification for new teachers. The reasons, as far as I can tell, are for similar kinds of impulses: an over-eager bureaucracy which requires extraordinary forms of documentation, all of which takes time and serves very little "real" purpose in the long run.
ReplyDeleteAs my partner Vince puts it (who has seen a similar phenomenon in the medical profession), "As long as the chart looks good, who cares if the patient dies?"
Yack!
That makes sense- I never knew that was the basis for Denison's not offering certification. My Dad is in the medical field, so I'm a little bit more familiar with how that is being affected and know what Vince is talking about! This is certainly taking place there too.
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