9486 in the collection
Demand local control; say no to CSAP
The Good News here is that Colorado parents are speaking out against excessive testing of their children. This mom asks an important question: Why do we train our children to report to the federal and state government?
By Melissa Jones
Here are some of the reasons my family has decided not to take part in the Colorado Student Assessment Program. Locally, it's the children who are made to sacrifice for not meeting the government standards. Our elementary students are not given the time for lunch, recess and hands-on creative learning they need.
Children in kindergarten are left with little free play time. Also, very little emphasis on science and social studies because those areas are not tested heavily on the CSAP. A boring literacy curriculum.
I know this sounds like an attack on our local school officials. It's not. I think they could easily make some changes in policy regarding recess, creative learning time, and I disagree with other decisions they make, but the fact is they are under enormous pressure from the state to raise CSAP scores.
If the scores aren't high enough, the state threatens to take control over the district. The threat is there, the fear is real and that's what I'm standing against. Actions based on fear are rarely the wisest ones, but that is how the state and federal government encourages school districts to operate.
The faults of the CSAP test itself: Did you know students are given poetry to analyze and are expected fill in a right answer? It’s poetry, not math! Poetry by definition is open to interpretation. How can there be one answer?
Are you aware that the portions of the test not graded by computer are graded by non-teachers who have been given one session of training?
They may grade several hundred tests during a shift. Not to mention the pressure children are under to do well on the CSAP and how heavily it’s promoted within our district. As a 9-year-old, I would be stressed out about it.
Have you heard about the wealthy school district that's been taken over by the state for low scores? No, neither have I. Because it doesn't happen.
Zip codes that have high poverty levels tend to do poorly on the CSAP. Maybe we should worry less about test scores and more about children living in poverty in our society. The test is unfair to districts that serve children whose lives are unstable due to the effects of poverty. I oppose CSAP for this reason.
People in Greeley are generally politically conservative, small-government types. Do you realize how little control we have over our schools?
Are you really willing to let the federal government dictate how our schools are run, because of No Child Left Behind, when the feds supply only a small percentage of the funds we use to operate? It's the opposite of the small government mind set.
Why can't we, as a community, develop our own standards and curriculum? Why can't we have the say in how we educate our population? Why do we train our children to report to the federal and state government? It goes against everything this community politically believes in. Why do we allow it?
Let's all begin to demand local control. I hear there was a tea party way back when that had some success with that. Say no to CSAP!
Melissa Jones is a parent of children in District 6 schools, writer at http://www.buildbetterschools.com, friend of teachers and an advocate of locally controlled educational systems. Contact at info@buildbetterschools.com for more info.
— Melissa Jones
Greeley Tribune
2011-02-17
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20110217/OPINION/702179937/1027&parentprofile=1025
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
[1] 2 3 4 5 6 Next >> Last >>
