Dist. 129 hopefuls on standardized testing
Candidates for the West Aurora District 129 school board didn’t hold back when asked their opinion about testing mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
They way it is set up now does a disservice to the district and the students, the three incumbents and two political hopefuls said Monday in an interview with a representative of the Daily Herald editorial board and a reporter.
District 129 has 17 schools, 15 of which are tested (the other two are Hope Wall Child Development Center, for students with developmental and other disabilities, and Todd Early Learning Center for preschoolers.) Last year, the district and 14 of its schools failed to make “adequate yearly progress,” according to the NCLB standards. It has happened repeatedly since the legislation, which raises the passing bar each year, was enacted. Subgroups of black students, Hispanic students, low-income students, limited-English proficient students and white students have not met standards, causing the schools to be marked failing.
Board member Allyson “Sonni” Herget said she is outraged by the topic, believing the tests don’t accurately portray what is happening in schools.
“When I see New Trier (High School) doesn’t make it, I don’t feel so bad,” she said,
She believes the emphasis on the test has taken away teachers’ abilities to address individual situations.
“Local control needs to be given back to us,” she said.
Candidate Amie Thompson was blunt: “No Child Left Behind is the worst thing to happen to education,” she said, as it tries to fit all children in to the same mold.
Candidate Bob Gonzalez noted that when he immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba at age 14, he had trouble in school and likely would not have passed such tests. “On paper it (NCLB) looks great,” he said. But even children in the same family learn in different styles and at different rates, he said. Gonzalez eventually made the grade, graduating from Schurz High School; he is now an insurance salesman and has taught English as a Second Language.
Board member Angela Smith acknowledged the intent of the act, in that “what gets measured gets done.” She believes teacher measurement is needed, to see what teachers are managing to help children move forward. She believes the current setup does not serve students well in preparing them for the needs of the work world, particularly creative thinking.
And board member Maricela Perez, the first Hispanic person to serve on the board, appreciates the act’s intent to narrow the gap between the performance of white students and other groups of students, such as those who are poor, disabled, come from a minority background or don’t speak English. But she said the way students are being measured “makes absolutely no sense,” and students receive a contradictory message at test time. They are told not to worry about the tests and just do their best because the tests don’t count toward their grades. Yet much time is spent preparing them for how to take the tests, and in encouraging parents to make sure students are well-rested and well-fed the days of the test, she said. “We can all feel the tension,” Perez said.