ASCD Inservice: Tell Washington That Education is More Than Test ...

We need your help. Congress is on the verge of making the same mistakes they made in NCLB: a narrow focus on reading and math at the expense of other subjects, relying on standardized state test scores as the measure of a student's abilities, and paying lip service to the importance of classroom teachers while providing them little support.

The Obama administration's Let's Move campaign and efforts to expand the concept of the Harlem's Children Zone to a dozen or so other cities are steps in the right direction but, unfortunately, Secretary Arne Duncan equates "college and career readiness" with new reading and math standards and wants to judge teachers' effectiveness primarily based on test scores.

Once again, the Beltway crowd just doesn't get it. They're failing to recognize how hard teaching is, the importance of a well-rounded education in today's world, and the need for everyone ? teachers, families, communities ? to help students succeed.

Help remind them to focus on long-term student success instead of short-term fixes. Add your name to the petition asking the White House to create a President's Council on the Whole Child. It's a small step, but it's a start.

The politicians in Washington need to hear from educators like you about what's working in schools and how they can help you, instead of blaming you. A President's Council can give our leaders the advice they need from actual practitioners about what matters most. After all, they do work for us.

Like I said, it's a start. But only if you click here to sign the petition.

Without your support, things won't change. But together we can begin to make a difference.

If you do believe in a whole child approach to education, please forward this message on to your friends and colleagues with a request that, they too, sign the petition.

Thanks for your help.

Source: http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2012/02/tell-washington-that-education-is-more-than-test-scores.html

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