Garfield Teachers Say No to MAP
In what is a major step, the teachers of Garfield High School will be holding a press conference today to announce they will not give the MAP test. From the press release:
The teachers contend that it wastes time, money, and precious school resources.
The teachers contend that it wastes time, money, and precious school resources.
“Our
teachers
have come together and agree that the MAP test is not good for our
students, nor is it an appropriate or useful tool in measuring
progress,” says Kris
McBride, who serves as Academic Dean and Testing Coordinator at
Garfield. “Additionally, students don’t take it
seriously. It produces specious results,
and wreaks havoc on limited school resources during the weeks and weeks
the
test is administered.”
Refusing
to
administer a district-mandated test is not a decision the school’s
teachers
made casually, or without serious internal discussion.
“Those
of
us who give this test have talked about it for several years,”
explained Mallory
Clarke, Garfield’s Reading Specialist. “When we heard that district
representatives themselves reported that the margin of error for this
test is
greater than an individual student’s expected score increase, we were
appalled!”
After
the affected faculty decided unanimously to make a stand against the MAP
test,
they told the rest of Garfield’s faculty of their decision. In a
December 19 vote,
the rest of the school’s teachers voted overwhelmingly to support their
colleagues’ refusal to administer the test. Not a single teacher voted
against
the action. Four abstained from voting. the rest voted to support it.
I will be attending the press conference so more to come.
Comments
HP
- Happy parent
-More Recess/Less Testing
Tests are just starting up at my kid's middle school.
-Yay for Garfield
-Impressed
Helen Schinske
HIMS parent (where the winter MAP testing will take place for 6 weeks!)
DistrictWatcher
-Show me the MAP money, and put it in the classroom
Last year Ballard HS staff came up with an innovative way staff could be "in" the PTA but not support the current WAPTA stand on charter schools. I know other schools looked at that model.
Seattle's teaching corps is strong, full of teachers who understand the big picture, and care. I think they have had enough of the insanity. I hope the courage of the Garfield Staff inspires others to follow their consciences, too.
15 Reasons Why the Seattle School District Should Shelve the MAP® Test—ASAP
If you don't find any value in the MAP results, opt your child out of MAP.
-parent
http://www.change.org/petitions/seattle-public-schools-support-garfield-high-school-teachers-refusing-to-administer-the-map
CWright, Parent of an SPS 9th grader