On Anthony Cody’s new independent blog site, “Living in Dialogue,” Chicago teacher Michelle Gunderson offers her views on the ethical use of student data.
In her many years as an elementary school teacher, she has seen standardized tests evolve from a sorting instrument to a means of punishing children to an excuse for privatizing public schools.
She will not be complicit in any of these uses of student test scores. She would abolish the standardized tests if she could, but that is not within her power.
So she pledges, first, that they will always be on of multiple measures; that she will remain strict confidentiality about student test scores and never publish them on a data wall or release them to the public; and that she will communicate with families about the frequency and amount of time spent on testing.
Tests, like all tools, may be used wisely or wrongly. Tests should be used to help children and teachers, not to punish or label them or close their school.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank you, Michelle. It’s crucial that teachers take an ethical stand on these ill-thought out processes that put all children’s data (which is largely invalid anyway) into the hands of people who, even if well-intentioned, may do them harm. Please read chemtchr’s important comment recently added at the end of the article. As a retired teacher who faces no repercussions, it’s easy for me to suggest what teachers should do, though I’m fully aware of the difficult situation teachers face. In my opinion, teachers are being intimidated into participating in educational malpractice. The excuse of just following orders is no excuse for an ethical person to use.
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“In my opinion, teachers are being intimidated into participating in educational malpractice. The excuse of just following orders is no excuse for an ethical person to use.”
You’ve got that right.
Don’t be a GAGAer! It’s dangerous to your ethical health!
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The first sentence of the article sums things up quite succinctly: “I am a child-driven teacher not a data-driven teacher.”
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“I am a child-driven teacher not a data-driven teacher.”
May you always have administrators who recognize and value the difference!
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