Protests

This is precisely why my children are in Montessori school.  My perfectionist son who, in public school, was for recognition and reward now writes and does his school work for the gratification of doing it and getting to learn the next lesson, not for the approval of the teacher or the grade. 

My children have learned more skills necessary to be successful adults for being in an atmosphere that fosters and demands self-responsibility and a participation in a community than they could ever learn in the most expensive college prep school.

I agree 100% with that seattle teacher.that teacher should be lead designer of furure school education programme of children.

sundarrajan balaji

In my own humble opinion-and all other considerations of No Child Left Behind and similar hypocritical programs notwithstanding-the educator involved, although very well-intentioned, most probably lays himself open to prosecution under the Patriot Act or similar nonsense enacted in the past seven years.

really interesting post

bloggersmosaic.com

I wouldn’t disagree with the central point of the pevious post, though I might lose a bit of the invective, as it tends toward the Juvenalian and I prefer the Swiftian.  Call it a preference, if you like.

We do indeed need to teach, not coddle.  But just out of curiosity, ccarlosramos, do you teach high school, and have you actually administered the WASL? I have.  And have you done curriculum development with a mandate toward aligning the course with the state’s EALRs (Essential Academic Learning Requirements, for those not in the biz) and thereby to the WASL?  I have.  It’s a boondoggle.

The language of this law, pushed through by cultural conservatives with limited consideration, is patently opaque, and the effort spent (largely in show) to prove we’re teaching to the test is a tremendous waste of time that should be better used teaching, as you say, the equations, manipulations and concepts that every individual in our society should have.  Bring back the Quadrivium and the Trivum, but please don’t bury them in the tortured language of the No Child Left Behind act.

There’s a term for this back-to-basics approach which your response so eloquently demonsrates.  It’s called a "liberal education."

Matt, who’s going to support the corporations? You can’t just take their money away and give it to the teachers! :)

I applaud Mr. Chew’s decision to refuse to administer the WASL, though mostly for a reason not mentioned in this story.  Earlier this year, Washington State decided that since too many students were failing the 11th grade math WASL, it would not after all be a requirement for graduation.

Personally, I feel that some amount of high-stakes testing is good for individuals.  It teaches one to work perform under stress to an arbitrary standard.  This skill is unfortunately a critical life lesson.  Who hasn’t had to perform some ill-conceived task in an impossible time frame for a dimwitted boss? This is what the WASL prepares us for.  

But if the state isn’t really going to hold students accountable, then what is the point?  As Mr. Chew points out, "While schools are generally underfunded, Washington will spend a projected $56 million in 2009 to have a private corporation grade WASL tests. These tax dollars are needed right in our schools providing more teachers, smaller classes, tutors, and diverse educational experiences for our students."