A reader commented:
There have been many times in history when the evidence and discoveries by researchers and scientists (such as Galileo and Darwin) was suppressed by those in power. This is one of those times.
The peer-reviewed unbiased research in biology, neuroscience, education, and social science corroborates a humanistic, child-centered, constructive approach to how we raise and educate our children. It’s amazing how the biological research into the workings of the brain supports the research from education and social science. Many of us know that there is already evidence that tells us to do the opposite of what the laws and policies require.
Someday people will look back and ask, “How could a society have done that to their children when they knew better?”
Diane Ravitch’s blog will be there, in archive, to tell the future how it happened. Thank you Diane.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I remain optimistic & believe parents care more about their children than a grade.
We have to separate the children from the data. There is no reason for them to be coded, categorized & studied.
If education is so bad now then perhaps overuse/reliance on computers is a factor.
You cannot replace face to face real time interaction in a classroom with a teacher/professor & a class.
The LRMI & LR talk about information overload as a reason why metatagging to the common core vocabulary is a good idea.
They say they want to be the standard for education content on the Internet.
What does this have to do with teaching other than directing teachers to highest rated CCSS products developed using student data without their parent’s permission?
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Maybe Diane’s blog will help those who still believe in data and common sense to wake up, work together and stop this madness…. please share it widely. I do . . . .
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Everything in my beng is telling me this is all so wrong. I keep thinking of my own two grown children. They are bright and hard working and successful. They were lucky enough to have been educated before NCLB morphed our education system into something unrecognizable to those of us who understand what really great teaching looks like.
As an administrator I am required to observe and evaluate teachers at my school. I see great teaching on a regular basis. But I also see teachers who are scared because their jobs are tied to test results. So they fall back on teaching test taking skills and constantly focus on the test. Louisiana law now requires a teacher whose state student scores give her an ineffective rating to be fired, even if I rate her as an effective teacher through my observations and evaluations. How can teachers function with this hanging over their heads all year. I try to tell them to relax and do what they know works. But how can they relax? Their classrooms are filled with students who are terrified of that same test. Some refuse to participate because they have had enough of the pressure. Our 4th and 8 th grade tests are high stakes, meaning if they don’t pass the test, they don’t pass the grade.
As I said, this all feels so wrong. But by law we are required to submit and subject teachers and students to this torture year after year. How do I reconcile all of this? It doesn’t really matter what I say or do because their value added (VAM) score comes from the state and student test scores, and it will determine if they have a job next year or not. My goal this year is to be their support system, their cheerleader, whatever they need. I will do my best to be in the classrooms, walk the halls, remove disruptive students, give recognition, anything, and everything.
Whenever I am not sure how to handle a situation with a teacher, student, or parent, I stop and ask myself it the situation were reversed, how would I want to be treated? Then I proceed. As I am struggling with all of this I ask myself, what would I want for my own children? Then I know what I need to do for these children. It feels like an uphill battle, but I can’t give up. I want to be on the right side when history judges our actions. I answer to the children.
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Bless you for your compassion. We wish there were more of you, not in the schools, but in the legislature so that this nonsense could be stopped. Thank you anyway. We shall continue to do our best to remember these are human beings. I have already planned on what my wife and I must do should I be fired. When I started I was an excellent teacher because I could use my knowledge gained in 40 years of work in other fields and several advanced degrees. I knew as things stood then I would have a job as long as I did my job. This created an atmosphere where I could teach, innovate, and seek excellence in my students and myself. Because my job was secure, it paid enough to meet my needs, I could give more of myself and joyously teach. I was blessed with administrators like you. Now I am reminded every day that if test scores don’t rise we older “suddenly less effective” teachers will be gone. The evil tenure no longer protects us. I remember the kids that I am now inspiring to explore science and read about great inventions may be the generation that overthrows this mess. I may lose my career sooner than I had hoped, but I will not offend the dignity of my students. I teach Kindergarten through 5th graders, 160 kids a day, I regard them as my much younger siblings, I can’t turn them into a number.
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How can it make sense to take funding from special needs students and give it to testing companies?
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Was there a particular research study that you were referencing? If so, is there a way you could reference it so I could read it. Thanks!
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