At the risk of getting run over by the testing juggernaut, I take issue with the abuses and excesses. In years past, they talked tough about drugs, deadbeat dads and the death penalty. But campaign 2000 brought something new. Testing will put steel in our schools.
Testing equals accountability.
At the risk of getting run over by this testing juggernaut, I'd like to raise several urgent issues. Let me be very clear, I favor testing. Valid, reliable tests yield rich data about students' strengths and weaknesses. We need such data in order to target interventions toward kids who need help. But in a growing number of states, tests are being used for punitive purposes.