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Teachers divided over new mandatory testing program in Mt. Diablo district
- 11-16-2010
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By Theresa Harrington/Contra Costa Times
Tiny test bubbles are contributing to a schism among Mt. Diablo school district teachers regarding new mandatory testing in all 28 elementary schools and four middle schools. Some rave about the insights test results are giving them about students in first through eighth grades, saying the data enables them to tailor their teaching to target weaknesses. But others are complaining about the extra work the tests are creating for school employees, while taking away from teaching time -- especially since some teachers have to mark the test bubbles for younger students. "It's just one more thing that's put on a teacher's plate that we have to do," said Linda Ortega, who teaches second grade at El Monte Elementary in Concord. She and teachers' union representatives at 13 other schools recently explained to the district that they do not have time to spend hours bubbling in answers on Scantron computer forms for their first- through third-grade students, who don't have the fine motor skills necessary to do it themselves. (more…)
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