I read an article from a fellow teacher blogger today that is too important not to share.  It’s from Chrissie at The Undercover Classroom and you SHOULD click here to read it.   As teachers, we know that this over-emphasis on state testing has brought more harm than good to our classrooms.  My teacher friends and I talk about it and I vote and contact my state reps all the time.  I’m not kidding when I say that I have them both on speed dial.  But I truly feel helpless.  Perhaps that’s why Chrissie’s post resonated with me.  Chrissie is doing something about it.  She’s opting her child out of state testing.

The post is great.  She explains how our testing culture is bad for students.  And it is.  I especially liked #6 on her list, on how professional development has changed since testing has taken over the classroom.  How have I not considered this?  YES!  Teachers across the nation are spending more time during PD learning to analyze testing data and prep kids for the test and less time improving their skills as educators.

And to Chrissie, I just want to say THANK YOU.  Thank you for standing up for your daughter so that she doesn’t have to spend 16 hours taking a test.  And thank you for being brave and speaking up about this testing craziness!

PS–Chrissie isn’t the only one blogging about how teachers are responding to the testing madness.  Sallie Borrink wrote a super important post that you SHOULD read too.  Many teacher-parents are leaving the classroom altogether to homeschool their own children.  Are teachers who become homeschoolers the indicator species we should be watching?  I think so.

–The Pensive Sloth