Reports on Over-Testing address symptoms, not causes
Reports on overtesting address symptoms, not causes
Two reports on testing were released by major organizations this week. On the positive side, they add to growing concerns about excessive testing in our schools. But both reports—one from the Center for American Progress and the other from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools—address the symptoms, but not the root cause, of our test fixation.
AFT President Randi Weingarten says: “We need to take on the high-stakes consequences of the tests themselves. It’s unconscionable that everything about our schools, our kids and our teachers is reduced to one math and one English high-stakes standardized test per year. That’s what we need to change. And that’s where we need the administration to step up. Without leadership from this administration, which can encourage states to make changes like sampling and grade-span testing, the hands of states and districts remain tied to these high-stakes standardized tests.”
Shop for Halloween treats using this union-made list
Shop for Halloween treats using this union-made list
Shop from this list of union-made Halloween treats. It’s an easy way to make your trick-or-treaters happy AND support members of the Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); and United Farm Workers of America (UFW).
October is Bullying Prevention Month- Free Lesson Plans with Share My Lesson
October is Bullying Prevention Month – Free Lesson Plans
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Educators like you are in a unique position to take action immediately to curtail bullying, and Share My Lesson has free resources to help.
To aid educators, parents and community members in creating safe and welcoming schools, Share My Lesson has created an expansive collection of free resources and classroom materials.
1. Download free resources to support you and your school in being safe and welcoming to all students.
2. Read our Scholastic article on the 12 most important steps you can take to address this important issue.
3. Request a complimentary bullying prevention toolkit for your school.
See a full list of Share My Lesson’s featured bullying prevention partners.
Take Action: Tell Our Leaders: More Teaching, Less Testing
ACTION: Tell our leaders: More teaching. Less testing.
End the obsession with testing! Louisiana spends hundreds of millions of dollars on tests that can unfairly and inaccurately compare and label our children, our teachers and our schools.
The national tests haven’t even all been written, yet BESE and Superintendent White insist they be used to judge teachers and compare students.
An “apples-to-apples” comparison is impossible and it shouldn’t be the goal of education. Our focus should be on deciding what our children need to know and on instruction. The purpose of testing should be to learn if children know what they should to be successful in life.
Even U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says it’s time to delay using standardized test results to evaluate teachers.
Know Your Rights: Paras to be Paid as Teachers when Subbing
In fairness to school support staff who are called upon to act as substitute teachers, Red River United and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers worked for passage of Act 231, which requires school boards to pay employees at the substitute teacher rate if it is higher than their usual salary.
Do you feel you may be entitled to additional compensation, call Red River United, 318-424-4579.