I think I'll have to create a new category for journalists and other authors who are so beside themselves with anti-testing hysteria that they choose egregious, insulting, and ultimately completely incorrect language to describe testing and testing scenarios:
Today's winner of the "Anti-testing hyperbole of the day" is David Marshak of the Seattle Times. During a long article in which he beats his breast over the fact that President Bush considers reading and math to be more necessary educational skills than self-expression and personal relationships, he delivers this doozy:
No Child Left Behind puts a standardized test gun to the head of every child, educator and parent in the nation.
In an age in which school shootings are not unheard of and school violence is no joke, Marshak's comment is in extremely bad taste. Why Marshak thought any parent would read past this point - especially any parent whose child has been the target of real school violence - I don't know.
Posted by kswygert at February 9, 2004 12:29 PM