Standardized testing in public schools is a terrible idea. It was never a good idea. There is a mountain of proof that the U.S.’s privatized educational testing system destroys the minds of entire generations of children not born lucky. New York City has gone so far as to issue a gag order on teachers who dare to speak out about how absolutely terrible standardized testing is. School administrators have given threatening statements about teacher dissents to reputable newspapers. The New York schools chancellor, Carmen Fariña doesn’t think teachers should have a say in teaching. Farina is one of the first actual educators in a long while to have the chancellor’s position, and in that context she is “progressive.” Unfortunately, after Giuliani and Bloomberg, what passes for “progressive” in NYC educational administration these days is someone who liked the message of the movie Lean on Me.
But teachers, students and parents have been pushing back hard against the unfair and idiotic testing standards—boycotting tests and making the higher ups in the business of education antsy. When the higher ups get antsy they like to punish because, as any person knows, negative reinforcement works great.
A Brooklyn teacher has penned a piece on the blog pedagogyofthereformed: Teaching in Brooklyn in Spite of Everything—breaking the aforementioned threats of reprisal.
Friday was the last day of testing. Day 3 of the math was brutal by all accounts and after 3 days of standardized sitting, it was clear to everyone who was paying attention that our kids needed to get outdoors.
So on Friday afternoon, I brought my class to the yard for some extra outdoor play time and discovered at least 6 other classes already at play. There were 2nd graders, 3rd, graders, 4th graders and 5th graders all outside in our giant schoolyard together.
Ms. Rumphiusinbrooklyn goes on to explain how wonderful a time it was to watch and interact with the kids. She tells stories of different students’ exhilaration and unique personalities, all on display in the freedom of playing. They are learning when they’re playing. Testing is not simply a dumb method of evaluation, it impedes the learning process.
Very little instruction happens during testing because the exams exhaust children’s reserves of stamina and attention. This particular day, all I did was monitor a hallway, and take 2 classes out to play. Initially, I had dismissed the day as a waste of time because “I wasn’t teaching anything.” But it wasn’t a waste of time. Not because the test was worthwhile in any way. It was not. But because we played.
Read the whole post here.
Support your teachers and your students.