National Testing Shunned in the Past in Favor of State's Rights

The operative word in the above title is "past."  I read this article in today's The Tennessean, and I thought my head just may explode.  Apparently, our state leadership has decided to "team up" with other states like Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island to develop math and english tests for national use in third grade through high school.

Why would our state do such a thing you may ask?  Well, because the golden calf of grant money from the federal government cannot be resisted apparently.  States are receiving "$170 million in grant money from the US Department of Education for their effort" (The Tennessean, p.1). Are you kidding me?  Our state leadership is bowing at the alter of more money in exchange for our state's rights.  Have we not given enough of our school system to the federal government?  No, because now we need to focus on teaching all students in the whole country the same thing at the same time with the same result. 

Oh, and they are also wanting this to lead to national curriculum development.....really?  So our children who are going to school in a conservative district are going to be exposed to all the things that the more liberal districts in other states are learning in the spirit of "sameness."  We cannot even get things right in our own state's school systems, but we are going to participate at the national level and expect better results.  I really do feel like I am living in the twilight zone.

The article also said that they haven't been able to get this far with the process because of "limited federal involvement and very strong state leadership."  I guess now we see what can happen when the federal government gets bigger and our state leadership gets weaker.  I wonder if Mr. Haslam has the wherewithal to stand in the gap for the state of Tennessee.  You be the judge.

So here we are facing yet another giant in the government's intrusion of our children's education.  What do we do?  Do we pull our children out of school?  Do we just adopt the attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them?" Do we fight?  Our children are counting on us to take their education system back!  Call all of the members of the state legislative education committees about this issue.  Your voices need to be heard!

Angie Sexton
Education Coordinator

*Source: The Tennesean