Here are all your littlest testing opponents in one article:
So far, Macario is the only student in Texas whose public boycott against the TAKS tests puts him in immediate danger of not being promoted to the next grade. But he's not alone in his complaints. A handful of bright, outspoken Texas kids, including some from Haltom High School, are protesting what they say is the decline of education since TAKS' arrival in 2002. Grass-roots student protests similar to those in Texas have taken place around the nation."I hope they make people listen. I know I am," says Rep. Dora Olivo, D-Rosenberg, a Texas legislator who says learning centers are turning into testing grounds.
I've discussed Macario's situation before, as well as Kimberly Marciniak's opposition. Unlike most school administrators, I don't find the anti-testing t-shirts to be disruptive. But I do feel that students who feel this strongly about the exams should be prepared to suffer all the negative consequences that come from skipping out on them.
I also have to note that all the students who are protesting the exams seem to be good students who are most likely bored by these tests. I wonder if they're really thinking about the positive consequences the exams can have for students who are struggling and stuck in poor schools, who would benefit from a renewed focus on basic skills.
Posted by kswygert at April 12, 2005 11:20 AM