Congratulations! Take a bow!
You’ve won a victory against government over-regulation!
In late 2015, President
Obama signed into law the replacement for the much-despised No Child Left Behind Act. As most of you
know, the new law – the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – calls for a course correction. ESSA
still requires some testing, but turns back much more control to states and
local districts. It sets targets for total time spent on testing, while
eliminating redundant and unnecessary tests.
It’s high time! Standardized
testing has overwhelmed students and teachers alike for years.
A 2015
study found that a typical student takes
112 mandated standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and 12th
grade! The heaviest load falls on 8th graders, who spend an average
of 25.3 hours a year taking standardized tests. Good grief!
Some districts around the
country revolted. California did away with its high school graduation test in
2015. Ditto for Minnesota, Mississippi, Alaska, Rhode Island and South
Carolina.
But now let’s ask the tough
question: What do we do now?
How will we, as educators, structure,
monitor and evaluate student learning and progress?
One way forward – and one I
advocate – is to begin candid conversations with our school boards, colleagues
and parents. Let’s sort things out. Let’s talk, really listen to each other,
and start working together to create standards which represent the unique DNA
of a school, a district and a state.
The future of education is
back in our hands. Let’s involve our communities in the process. Let’s
recognize our own limits and reach out to those who have the information we
need. Let’s not mess this up, and huddle behind closed doors guessing on new
approaches and mandates.
The reason we’re forced to
rework education legislation every few years is because we’re bandaging a broken
system.
What should matter to all of
us are our students. All of us have the opportunity to collaborate, share what
works and what doesn’t, and advocate for students once and for all.
Let’s build a 21st-
century model of education. Let’s explore a radically new way forward. Let’s
rewrite the rule book.
Scary? Sure. But exciting,
too!
So let’s get busy—our
students are depending on us.