"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Team Obama (Clinton) Offers Pennies for New Assessments

In 2010 Arne Duncan announced a $330 million giveaway contest for the creation of standardized Common Core tests.  This came in conjunction with massive bribes in Race to the Top billions for states to adopt the Common Core. 

In response to parents fed up with the constant testing that has followed, the Feds started pretending last year that they are committed to moving away from standardized tests.  ESSA includes language about "multiple measures" that will be used in the next generation of corporate reform school incentives and privatization schemes.

In fact, last week ED announced a new competitive grant program that allows states to compete for, now get ready, $8.5 million for the creation of alternative assessments:
[Former charter kingpin and Secretary of Education John] King said that states that win grants could use them to find "new and creative ways" of testing students that "might involve simulations or projects" that could "potentially replace annual one-time assessments."
Got to love the language, right--"potentially replace." 

This feint will do nothing to stop the growing resistance to the racist testing policies and charter stimulus billions included in ESSA.  This new bullshit stinks no less than the old bullshit.  Clinton will rue the day that she decides to stay this loser course.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10:58 AM

    Clinton will be fine with her make-believe party platform, teacher union head honchos and billionaire reform donors. The people going on about holding Clinton's feet to the fire are living happily ever after in their educational fantasies.

    Abigail Shure

    ReplyDelete