You may recall that ACT is developing a test for college-and-career readiness for children in kindergarten. And a number of districts and states are developing tests for kindergartners to test their cognitive skills. The U.S. Department of Education is promoting these assessments, as there can never be too much data to go into the vast data storage warehouses that every state is now building to track every person as early as possible. And of course the tests are absolutely necessary to provide the data to evaluate the kindergarten teacher.
This is a time of madness. Why can’t we leave the little ones alone and let them play and dance and sing and make things?
This kindergarten teacher saw the writing on the wall. So should we all. Not to leave, as he did, but to stand up and shout No, not with my child, and not with anyone else’s child. No, stop, this is wrong. Let children have a childhood.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
The next step will be to construct a National Misfit Database for kindergarteners.
http://open.salon.com/blog/dianasenechal/2012/07/21/philanthropist_funds_misfit_database_for_kindergarten
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Please tell me that your salon blog is a spoof!
If it is not a spoof and what you have written about is true, then we might as well just throw the “misfits” in prison right then and there.
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Yes, it’s a spoof. Unfortunately it sounds plausible.
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“Can’t you see what they are making you do is wrong?” An old man yelling in an empty auditorium.”
Exactly how I have felt since NCLB and “data driven decision making” came into effect.
Far too many teachers uncritically accept the dictates from the top, you know, don’t rock the boat, go along to get along. I’ve seen and felt their piercing looks when I have questioned these things. I have felt the wrath of the administrators, just look at my “file”, when I questioned these inanities.
But what’s interesting is that when I talk one on one with a teacher or an administrator they almost always agree with what I have to say. It’s almost a group think, cult like atmosphere when all are brought together at faculty meetings-can’t offend the higher-ups. Hallelujah, all praise the mighty, all powerful higher-ups! Do not question them lest ye be shunned.
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Duane you are exactly right. This is now about collectivism. Project based learning is the fad up here. Creating good little collectivisrs. No more rugged individualism.
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Thanks for your statement of concurrence.
But I do not see it as being about collectivism. And I didn’t say that. I see it more as a collective form of fear based (you lose your job if you don’t go along) consensus. That fear based consensus is a powerful mechanism of social control. How many teachers can afford to not be teaching? And if you get let go by one district you probably won’t get hired in another without moving far away and taking the corresponding decrease in pay.
There isn’t anything wrong with project based learning in subject areas where it makes sense. It certainly doesn’t make sense as an overarching/driving educational philosophy to me in teaching Spanish. Now, can there be some activities that are project based? Sure, but learning a second language is a long and tedious process and really requires the individual to focus on what he/she is doing and learning.
No, we in public education are not attempting to create “good little collectivists”. We do understand a sense of community and that community goals and aspirations sometimes override the needs/desires of those “rugged individualists”.
In my community we have some “rugged individualists” who believe wearing, displaying or flying the Confederate Stars and Bars is their god-given right. I agree, just not on the commons that are known as the public school grounds as there are many that believe/know that it is a prejudicial racial statement and therefore do not feel safe around such displays. So for the common good, we as a district have policies against such displays. The students/parents can wear, display or fly the S & B wherever and whenever they want just not at our public schools. And the same goes for gang affiliated displays and/or anything else that we believe disrupts a proper learning environment at the public school. So we, in essence, are an equal opportunity “oppressor” if you like!
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Abolish the US DOE
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This is correct. One risks becoming labeled as an “obstructionist” or some other put down. Teachers who think are the only protection the public has against these assaults on common sense.
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This is really crazy. By cutting pre-school programs (i.e. Headstart) kindergarten kids from poorer areas are probably going to score quite low on these so-called tests and will be doomed for life.
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Kindergarten testing for college readiness. pure insanity. Only ones that can really stop this are the parents. Politicians have already been bought and paid for (and will continually get paid and take the money), unless they feel like the public will vote them out of office. That is the only thing that will “STOP THE MADNESS”.
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Labeling 5 year olds could destroy a whole generation’s love of learning. If Condoleeza Rice wants to worry about educations role in national security, she should consider destroying the creativity and motivation of today’s kindergarteners.
Play is not “down time” or a waste of viable instructional time. Play is absolutely essential to the development of children. Video games, television, and over scheduled activities, are already trying to cripple children’s imaginations.
I can’t imagine a kindergarten class without play. Without teachers organizing activities like making mother’s day cards, drawing trees and squirrels, making mosaics out of tiny pieces of colored construction paper, singing songs, who will show five years olds how to love school.
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Kindergarten is neither the place nor the time to begin testing kids. Pure insanity!
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