When we created this blog, the goal was to allow you to get to know us better as fellow community members and parents with the same interests and concerns that you have. Many of us felt that to get to know the nine of us as an entity rather than individuals was a disservice. In keeping with this intention, I write today's blog to maintain this open platform.
To those who know me, my personal view on testing is not a secret. In fact, you don't have to know me well to know that I despise the number of hours that our children spend testing, particularly in the spring. I, like many of you, am not an expert on the subject, but find myself constantly researching and contacting our school administrators for answers to questions and a clearer understanding of the tests administered to our children.
The problem that has surfaced along with the media focus on testing in public schools is the misinformation that accompanies it. Parents are unable to answer questions like, "What is the difference between a state and local assessment? Do any of the assessments count towards my child's grade? What is our district's personal goal with each assessment? What assessments would our teachers like to eliminate? Which assessments do colleges care about and why? Who grades each of the assessments? Who administers each assessment? How can you get a list of proposed assessments for the entire year? How far in advance are the assessments scheduled?
If you seek a better understanding of assessments in our district, you should attend Monday evening's work session this Monday, October 21 at 7:00 pm in the Dorothy C. Wilson center.
Submitted by Eilleen Gagliano
