The Understanding of a Proper Ed Reform in the U.S.

Shaun Johnson came up with an interesting article over the Huffington Post where he takes pride on unionized teachers who tragically died that day of December, in Sandy Hook Elementary.

We are not only interested on the testing of courage questions, Johnson calls to answer, but an excerpt of two paragraphs which to our ubderstanding explains the state of the education reform in the U.S.:

For instance, the vast majority of educators with whom I worked over the years understand the negative consequences of excessive standardized testing. Teachers with actual classroom experience understand the excessive weight of outcomes based accountability and realize that, after more than a decade, it's not working. Educators comprehend the crushing effects of poverty and are confused when limited resources are spent on test security, for example, rather than the arts.

Shifting our focus away from testing, from scripted curricula and detailed pacing guides, and spending less on test infrastructure at the expense of more immediate needs, are important ways to protect children. So, how will you test your courage today? Will you refrain from one test, just one? Can you perhaps begin preparations for testing one week later, maybe two, and teaching something important instead? Could you test your courage by starting a book club with colleagues that offers an alternative view to what the county superintendent supports?