Local teacher wants time to adjust to ‘new normal’ before standardized testing starts
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MI (WNEM) — The controversy over standardized testing is causing tension between federal and local educators.
“It’s going to add an undue stress on educators. And an undue stress on students as well,” said Frank Burger.
The Carman-Ainsworth teachers union president and teacher says between a pandemic and remote learning now is not the time for standardized tests.
“We as educators are just trying to meet the needs of our students,” Burger said. “We have to also think about last year’s school year. Basically, shut down three months of the year pretty much most of March, April, May, part of June. So, kids lost out on a lot of face to face time from their educators.”
This month U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sent schools a letter saying her department does not plan to issue standardized testing waivers this year, like she did at the end of last year.
She says many parents want standardized tests, but Burger says it will hurt students and the educators.
“Under the current evaluation system from the state of Michigan 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation is based on student growth which means a part of that is those standardized tests,” Burger said. “So, if students don’t score well on those tests that’s what it’s going to impact the educator. From layoff decisions to assignments to different positions as well so that’s going to be a major impact for educators.”
Burger wants to get a handle on the new normal of this school year before doing the federally mandated tests.
He says right now his focus is just making sure that students are getting a good education remotely.
“It takes time away from us being able to work with our students. Education this year is quite different,” he said. “Not that we don’t want to be held to higher standards, we do as educators want to be held to high standards but measuring us through a test score it’s not going to show how we’re doing as a school.”
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