Test Protest

I don't necessarily think that standardized tests are the issue; it seems to be the pressure that is put on the students to succeed and the teachers to perform. What I mean by that is, students are introduced to the "importance" of doing well on these standardized tests, causing their anxiety. Should the students be made aware of the critical nature of these tests and pressured to do well? The stress put on the administration from the community should not fall on the students. The goal of standardized tests is to assess student knowledge not to shove information down their throats burdening them with the pressure to do well. And teachers are forced to do just that in order to show their "Adequate Yearly Performance." Due to the strenuous time constraints to ensure that students are proficient in their yearly curriculum, teachers are forced to cut out more important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning. What will this do to our nation in the long run?

Two out of three of my children are "gifted" -- far ahead of their peers in reading, mathematics, etc., the youngest is just a bit above grade level. All have done extremely well on these tests. BUT... I work with some children with disabilities. I have to commend Mr. Wasserman. I too disagree with this form of testing. My two oldest could stay home and sleep for the full year, and still finish above grade level, while NOT making any forward progress, while the kids I work with have made huge strides in progress, but they will still be less than grade level. I agree that we must hold our schools to certain standards, but measuring ALL children to the same set standards is not the answer. It would take more work from the teachers and administration, but I believe each child should be measured according to the progress they, personally, have made. "No child left behind" souds fantastic, but standardized testing leaves all but the "average" child behind.

The CSAP test is only for left brain children, that fit in the normal kind of child. Any child that has any kind of disability is hopelessly overwhelmed ,and feels dumb. If it was a fair test that really showed where the kids were academicaly, I would be for it, but for all those that have seen the test it is a shame for the kids that don't learn normally, or have dyslexia, or any other learning glitch. Yea for Mr. Wasserman!!! Finally someone is strong to stand against this system.

I am SO grateful to know teachers as of yourself exist. Truthfully, I graduated by "score" results 4th. from the bottom of my graduating class. 15 yrs. later I graduated Nursing school in a 3.3 average. The so called "scoring factors" through my education literally dragged me down all my childhood years. The whole education system of TODAY needs a revolution.

Mr. Wasserman, you are my hero. Every Child Left Behind is a well-intentioned, but horrendously designed program. The way to fix the joke that is the American educational system is to make sure there are good teachers where they are needed most. Yeah, you could put all kinds of standards in place, but students just won't learn anything if they are being bored to death through mindless drilling for mindless tests. The real measure of students' success is not how they perform while being REQUIRED to attend high school, but how much they take advantage of higher education opportunities, and how they do in the real world.

Children with special needs require alternatives, not conformity. Children in poverty need inspiration, not fear of failure. Many schools do not have the resources to teach children adequately. Instead of rewarding those schools that do best, we need to bring up those that do worst by giving them the resources to buy better materials and hire better teachers.

This is not a fascist nation, so we should not have fascist education. We need to create a more student- and teacher-friendly environment. Make sure that our teachers can do more than write on chalkboards and hand out worksheets - we need teachers that can really get through to students and can identify and develop specific talents. Get rid of teachers that don't do their jobs, and reward those that teach necessary skills and have a positive effect on students. These teachers know what students need to learn; some of them just don't do it well or at all Spend money on improving economically disadvantaged areas so that children have more opportunities and better attitudes towards life and learning. All in all, we must develop an environment that makes teachers and students WANT to teach and learn, instead of being FORCED to teach and learn.

-C. Miller, 19, Pennsylvania

Thumbs up to Mr. Wasserman! I have long held the belief that standardized testing is biased to children of color, and children in inedequate school systems. I think standardized testing should be done away with, and testing should be made up on local levels instead.

Bravo, and good job! I have long held the belief that standardized testing is bised. It demoralizes children who do not perform well, and overvalidates those who do. These tests are created by board members, most of them are not educators, and they tend to be comprised of mostly caucasian members. I feel that school districts should be allowed to create a test similiar to state testing, that would measure how the students are learning. I think more teachers should follow suit. www.myspace.com/lovebloww

The NCLBA is probably the worst thing that has ever happened to education. No child left behind is a lofty idea but lets get real. Some kids will be left behind and not because the teachers aren't doing their jobs. The demand that all special education students and all non-English speaking students take the test only promotes failure of the schools and feelings of despair and hopelessness. Its time that this law was overturned in favor of one that takes differences into consideration. Waivers should be given to students who don't understand enough English to be able to take a test and pass and special education students ought to be given waivers since they have to be at least 2 years below grade level to be placed into special education it is unrealistic to expect them to take a test on their grade level and pass it. School should be a place of learning. Most schools today spend too much time documenting and preparing for the test and not enough time allowing the teachers to teach.

I'm a member of a school board in California. The fact is that NCLB will be a failure in a muc greater way than it is now. Our district happens to perform well. But it has affects people migt not tink about. For example, our neighboring district as two schools that fail to meet minimum standards. What is being discussed now is to close one of those schools and spread the cildren througout the rest of the performing schools which creates the issue of does the school slow the achievers down to assist the underacievers or visa versa? Te other school will be changed to a "magnet" school to attract a different mix of students. Or some districts that know tey can't generate the kind of changes with te lack of funding we have in California are just throwing up their hands and just living without federal funding. Because of the constant improvement clauses in the law, even well performing districts could have problems and there will be a point where enough districts simply choose to not accept federal funding (our district does not but we test anyway). Lastly, there is now debate to directly tie teacher compensation to test scores. BE CARFEFUL FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR!! Once that happens many teachers will be forceed to spend all year preping children for the test. So unless it is on tat test, its' not going to get taught. Things like character education and community service credits will go out the window because you can't test for those. What we have found is that te more government gets out of the cloassroom and the more that good, caring, capable teachers are left to fulfill the mission of educating our children, the more successful the classroom experience is for the children. George Bush and a bunch of federal and state bureaucrats do not have the skills, the knowledge or the presence to understand what is occurring in our classrooms and to create the level and types of accountability we can create at the local level.

My son is a librarian and media specialist at an elementary school in Virginia. For the first time in 20 years of being a librarian (he has not time to be a librarian now), he is required to submit lesson plans and give grades for "library." Why can't children read? momof4here wants to blame it on irresponsible teachers because her child is bored. She says her children have learned nothing except what she teaches them. My goodness why doesn't she volunteer her services instead of screaming about teachers not teaching. They don't have time to teach. They are spending all their time, including alot of unpaid overtime, trying to deal with the regulations placed on them by No Child Left Behind. All the children are being left behind, and it isn't the fault of the teachers,. motherof4grandmother of9great-grandmother of 3.

As a teacher of nearly 40 years, I wholeheartly supportthis teacher. The parents who think teachers don't work have never tried the job. This kind of testing discriminates against handicapped students, and punishes teahcers for students (and parents) who do not support the school system by insisting that students follow rules and do the work assigned. No child left behind is a great concept but it doesn't consider the children who for handicapping conditions or rebellion are unable to meet the standards. I will put the amount of work teachers due up against anyone who makes the same about of money and we will see who works harder. Help your student don't bad mouththe teachers.

Testing bias has been fairly well documented and accepted as a 'necessary evil' which was fine before the NCLB which put the fate of many schools and teachers in the hands of test that we have acknowledged are biased. The tests aren't even the worse part of NCLB which continues to decrease necessary funding to schools with great need and discourages potential educators from entering the field. In response to momof4 I am sorry your daughter had a bad experience with a teacher, but an indictment of all teachers is hardly fair. You don't make a single argument in support of NCLB, you just rant against public schools and teachers in general.

I propose that we keep the NCLB Act with all of its flaws and that we test parents and hold THEM accountable for their failures as well. Let the bad parents lose their parenting jobs same as the bad teachers.

Mr. Wasserman was correct in the action he took and by expressing his Constitutional rights. We need more teachers in our country that are willing to do what is best for our children and teach them. We send children from their parents and families to schools were we are expecting teachers to teach our children the basics and how to be individuals. As parents we trust teachers, maube it is the teachers who need testing. From the comment by "momof4here" she is right in taking her children out of the school. There are many teachers who are only teachers because they like having the summer of with their families. The are many teachers who need to retire, but they don't have too, they should be tested. Hey, let the students and parents test them and see how they would be judged on their scores...call it the "The No Teacher Gets A Free Pass Law". There have been problems for decades, I am 42 and my parents took me out of public school when I was in third grade.