tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post2861378103669550320..comments2024-03-27T08:53:29.267-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Can Test Boosters Reboot?Peter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-43286284655998828532015-05-06T17:02:17.137-04:002015-05-06T17:02:17.137-04:00Smarick cites Robert Pondiscio as having a constru...Smarick cites Robert Pondiscio as having a constructive suggestion for the opt-out movement: instead of opting out, they should THREATEN to opt-out if schools don't stop test-prep and return to a broader curriculum. But they should just take the tests and not worry about them. He's ignoring the motive for the narrowing of the curriculum and the test-prep: if schools don't worry about the tests, they and their teachers can be labeled as failing and taken over (and/or parents' houses will lose value.) Schools have already lost enough local control. Besides the fact that the too many, too long tests in themselves take up too much instruction time. If parents opt out massively, then the tests don't mean anything, and there's more pressure to get rid of them, which would solve all of these problems. It wouldn't solve the problem of students in high poverty schools not being successful. But Pondiscio also thinks that following his suggestion would put these mostly affluent white parents more in solidarity with the lower economic and minority parents so that they too could have no test prep and a broader curriculum. Like that's going to happen when those are the schools that are more likely to be shut down. He should be encouraging the schools with more poverty to opt out, or threaten to opt out if they're not given more resources.Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-57705910333622997122015-05-06T16:12:13.709-04:002015-05-06T16:12:13.709-04:00When people are dismissive and condescending towar...When people are dismissive and condescending towards those who disagree with them, it's usually because they have no good arguments.Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-19540953297780986922015-05-06T13:44:37.332-04:002015-05-06T13:44:37.332-04:00Wow, what was in your coffee this morning? I want ...Wow, what was in your coffee this morning? I want some. Another hit out of the ball park.Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570040547158789834noreply@blogger.com