Seattle Teachers Boycott of High Stakes Tests Spreads

[Iwillnevergiveup]

Very heartening news.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=74&jumival=746

[duffyduff]

1. They are literally risking their careers to do this

School district administrators frown on teachers actually taking a stand for anything.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

2. True

But if teachers can get parental support as well, this could start a real tide throughout the country. I cheer them on - like the sign says "Testing is not teaching." I well remember a couple of months before the dreaded spring testing. The literacy coach at a K-8 school I worked at a few years ago asked teachers to focus on "4 or 5 bright kids in each class" - give them lots of extra attention and instruction to boost the overall API scores for the school. Our scores had been terrible for years, and this was going to be the silver bullet. I couldn't wait to get out of that school and the profession - one of the worst days ever.

[pugetres]

3. I've been curious about this topic.

Is MAP testing new to the state of WA? Or, are the teachers upset because of some new measurement that is attached to the test?