EAW petition regarding adopting a moratorium on high stakes testing

teacher at Burncoat High speaking to EAW item
able to achieve a 95% pass rate on the MCAS
reference to Jal Mehta: "the alluring but ultimately failing" appeal of order
association with Hoover Institute: connection with privatiziation as a goal
"every teacher I have talked to thinks that there is too much testing in the public schools"
strong concern among teachers for the students who fail to pass these tests
parent who questioned the validity of PARCC, given two month break between tests
H 340, asks for a moratorium
"ask you to reject the sparkle, and allure" on the rigity of testing

Amy West: from the parent and college perspective
already a strong effect on teaching with the testing we have in place
vocabulary in terms of passing the SAT
that's a relative low impact test, but "already that has formed that teacher's approach"
"granted there should be some testing, but there's a lot"
once you start putting a lot of weight on it, with funding tied to it and teacher evaluation, greater risk of something like Atlanta happening

executive secretary of EAW
make it clear that no one is asking the School Committee to stop MCAS testing
join larger state level and people across the country
please do not use it to penalize districts or schools
EAW has a time on testing survey out, not yet closed
teachers losing up to 24 days of teaching due to testing
bleeds over that while the teachers are doing the testing, rest of class being taught by IAs
"enough is enough, the stakes are too high"

Monfredo: agenda referred to Governance
motion to support resolution
"may not go anywhere...but need to re-evaluate where we are"
agree that the testing is out of control
motion to send a letter of support to delegation

O'Connell: support Monfredo's motion
know testing can fulfill an important function in schools
opportunity over the course of time to look at schools that are having organic problems
"has now become so expansive"
now encroached directly into the curricular knowledge that students have
became apparent as we talked about the PARCC test
"the cost is heavy in terms of time...and the benefits is at best confused and limited"

Foley: I may not agree with all the items in here
"if we can take a vote and send a message to the state that they need to take a hard look at it"
confusion with the state testing: MCAS, PARCC
"I feel as a state, we're muddled right now"

Biancheria: takes a great effort to start a letter
in full support of this
lost the idea of the best practices
"I think that has to be part of their review"

motion passes unanimously