Submitted by Nancy K. Klein, Jan 2, 2008 16:26

Who do the schools think they are fooling - the children, the parents, the public? Testing children so often makes children very anxious about school, about testing, and about learning. In addition to the adverse effects this excessive testing has on children's mental health, it detracts from the learning process. If the district spent as much time teaching as they do testing, they might teach children much more than they currently do. Why all the testing - who is it for? While the business community thinks that the bottom line is the only important issue in business, it isn't that way in education. For children, the important things in school include the quality of life in classrooms, how they are taught, how kind and respectful the teachers are, how welcome their parents are, and the entire climate of the school.

Testing sets a punitive tone for both staff and children. What is the point and for whom is it being done. Please, please, please for the sake of the children and their ability to learn effectively, stop the silly testing. One test per year is more than enough. Show that you really care about children - teach them don't test them.

Nancy K. Klein, Ph.D.

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