Last Thursday night I had the honor to sit on a panel of distinguished educators, parents, a school board member, and two students, in Jackson, TN. The event covered standardized testing and was sponsored by the Tennessee Education Association (TEA). While this meeting was held in Tennessee, my guess is meetings like this can be found in every state across the country.
It was raining heavily as I drove to Jackson. It was still raining when I drove home, and I couldn’t help but think how the rain reflected the dismal nature of the meeting.
I enjoyed getting to know many new people, all focused on problems students face in school due to testing. But the stories and examples brought to the forefront were disturbing. The TEA reported that the State of Tennessee is spending $40 million on testing. Everyone knows that number will most likely increase because the PARC assessment, related to Common Core State Standards, is right around the corner.
There were quite a few people on the panel. At one point I was asked if a teacher at the other end of the table had used the word “heartfelt.” I was not able to hear her because of the pounding rain on the roof, but whether she used the word, or not, I think we all certainly felt that word best described what we were hearing from everyone in attendance.
Every speaker addressed the injustices happening in public schools today due to so much high stakes testing. We learned about children who are sickened by the insurmountable stress brought on by the tests. Teachers, who tried to do the right thing, found confusion over analyzing huge piles of data. Everyone wondered, how did so much information help students? Yet, we became aware that sometimes parents don’t even know how much their children are being tested!
Children with disabilities, we heard, are cast aside when they don’t do well on tests. One military dad and uncle lamented about his experiences in this area, as if he, like others, didn’t have enough to worry about. As I have written about before—there is no safety net for students who currently need special education when it comes to test scores. The strengths these students are capable of are ignored when they become data points. It is possible parents will never learn the true abilities of their exceptional children.
A teacher expressed her distaste for what teaching has become. This, she stated sadly, she feared, would be her last year in the classroom. She looked far too young to be leaving the career she once studied hard to learn about and which she previously loved. Over and over teachers, parents, and school administrators spoke about the injustices found in public schools in regard to high-stakes testing.
At the end of the presentation, the moderator noted how the one ingredient that schools should be all about is missing. There is little JOY in teaching and learning.
One could argue that some students never like school—that school has never been the favorite place for children. I would argue that many students do love to learn under the right conditions, and that when they don’t, there is an underlying problem that requires solutions. Today, we have only tests and few, if any, solutions.
With today’s high stakes testing, even students who love to learn are rejected…forced into a dull curriculum that heavily emphasizes ONLY math and language arts. Other subjects, like the arts, are disregarded. This robs students of a well-rounded future. Such a stilted, heavy test emphasis can come to no good for students, and for the country.
To top the week off, last night a picture circulated on social media in which Tennessee Governor Haslam was shown presenting the Department of Education with a large celebratory cake! How unfortunate! If only the Governor could have been at the TEA meeting last week. Does he not see beyond the paid promotions of high stakes testing? Are state leaders that far out of touch with the realities of high-stakes testing in regard to the terrible effects on so many children?
One can only hope they will quit eating cake and pay attention. That they will, with open minds, visit those I met last week, to learn and feel the pain and the toll high-stakes testing is taking on children, parents and educators.
The rain finally stopped in Tennessee, giving way to vibrant autumn days. We can only hope these dark days of high stakes testing will, somehow, some way, be replaced with decent evaluations for students and teachers leading to happier, productive school days for children.
High stakes testing are making schools places of drudgery and boredom. It’s not fun anymore. I’ve heard kids say that school used to be fun but now it isn’t. The only fun part is p.e. And, even that is making it’s way out of schools. Who needs p.e.? It doesn’t teach math or language arts. Of course, we teachers know differently. I am so disillusioned with testing that I opted my child out of the test. I can do that and it is so freeing. Check if you can opt your child out so they don’t have to take the test. They’ll still have all the “stuff” associated with the test but won’t have to actually have to stress about the test. I think I’m the only one in the whole school. Doesn’t phase me. High stakes testing and Common Core Standards are a joke. I don’t know any administrator or teacher who likes it and only one paraprofessional who does like it- but she really doesn’t have to do the planning, does she? Not to denigrate paraprofessionals because she’s the only para I found that likes it. Para’s are great and needed for education. Wish these tests and how subjects are taught toward them never existed. It’s flawed reasoning.
Thanks for your post, Loraine. I certainly agree with you. I think the Opt Out movement is good and necessary! And it is gaining traction across the country. My child, fortunately, has moved on out of public school. But as a former teacher I will always care about our public schools. Take care.