February 09, 1990

Dear Editor,

According to Susan Tifft, "the most innovative goal" in George Bush's education goal was grades 4, 8, 12 mandated nationwide achievement testing. Innovative? He obviously has not ventured much far away from foreign policy. Come to Oklahoma?

This year our teachers will be handed tab-closed or plastic wrapped tests to be only opened by the students. Each teacher will not be given the test administration manual until 24 hours before the test! Certified monitors must be located inconspicuously in every classroom, and the testing period was reluctantly pared down by the makers to just for days. That means we will be testing either on Friday or Monday, a great going home present or starting to school present for our youngsters.

This year we will be testing grade 3, 5, 7 and 10. Last year we tested 3, 7 and 10, but didn't give a writing test for 3rd graders because of money. Money? Last year we tested with a different test than this year because this year's tests are cheaper, but harder and longer, and if the schools want correlate this year's off-grade testing to last year's off-grade testing to maintain our continued comparison assessments, mandated by the federal government for Chapter I purposes, our school's can buy the information from the new company for a price!

Meantime, our teacher's are again slapped in the face by President Bush who says they cannot be trusted to do individualized assessments where needed and conference with the parents on a one-to-one basis. No wonder Bill Cosby is advertising for teachers!

Dale Hill