We will soon see the majority of our students back in our schools for the first time in over a year.
Many of these students have not seen a classroom during that time.
Many have not seen their friends face to face since last March.
Many have struggled to adapt to the realities of remote learning.
We are about to welcome them back to school.
We are about to give them the love, care, support, and relationships that they desperately need.
We will have few precious hours with our students over these last few months of the school year to help them.
With these few hours, we will be asked to administer a standardized test to these students.
It will take up hours and weeks of our precious time with them.
I have my doubts as to whether this test will hold any validity.
I have no doubt as to what some educational decision makers hold important.
I’ve heard all year long that we must support our students in order to meet their social, emotional, and mental health needs.
I also now hear those same decision makers saying that we must still deliver “the test” to our students.
“How will we know what they’ve learned?!”
Your actions are loud and clear.
Your allegiances are clear.
Don’t stand and say you are worried about our students’ well being.
We know you are not.
Let’s stop the madness.
Let’s give kids what they need.
Everyone knows it’s not another test.
Rich