{"id":7679,"date":"2013-04-12T12:32:49","date_gmt":"2013-04-12T16:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/?p=7679"},"modified":"2013-04-15T11:39:14","modified_gmt":"2013-04-15T15:39:14","slug":"saranac-lake-parents-say-no-to-nys-standardized-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/2013\/04\/12\/saranac-lake-parents-say-no-to-nys-standardized-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Saranac Lake parents say no to NYS standardized tests"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: COCOEN daily photos<\/a> CC some rights reserved<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Hello! It’s the last full day of our spring fundraiser, so, quick plug, if you haven’t given yet you can take care of it right now, online<\/a>. We’re having lots of groovy drawings as well — more on those here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, you may have noticed that there’s been a lot of talk lately about standardized testing in education (unless, of course, you live beneath a rock — a rock underneath which there are no public schools.) Here’s a story from last year that sums up how some feel about the situation nicely<\/a>. In Saranac Lake, some parents have taken the matter into their own hands, and are (or their kids are) opting out of the state standardized tests that begin Tuesday. At least 25 students between third and eighth grade won’t take the six days of English and math tests.<\/p>\n

One local parent, Vanessa Houghtlin of Saranac Lake, told the paper why her two kids won’t be taking the tests:<\/p>\n

We feel there’s an over-reliance on state testing in the schools that’s damaging the quality of the eduction there, demoralizing a lot of the teachers and children, and undermining the high-level teaching and learning we think are important for children and our whole culture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There’s a lot more in the article on how this opting out works, what parents’ objections are, and what they’re hoping to accomplish. The Saranac Lake school board also unanimously passed a resolution against New York’s increased emphasis on standardized testing at its meeting Wednesday night, saying it has caused<\/p>\n

Considerable collateral damage in too many schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love of learning, pushing students out of school, driving excellent teachers out of the profession, and undermining school climate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

School districts around the state and the country have passed similar resolutions, the article said. Both parents and the school board say they’re hoping the state will reconsider its testing policies.<\/p>\n

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