Last year, 65,000 Colorado public school students opted out of standardized testing. (Thinkstock)
Re: Colorado’s school testing laws are harming education, April 19 guest commentary.
With respect to Noelle Greene s article depicting gloom within Colorado s educational system, as a Colorado educator I disagree. In citing the costs associated with elevating our expectations of our students, missing are the costs associated of doing business as usual and allowing our students to graduate high school, then spending an estimated $1.5 billion annually for college remedial classes. Further:
1. Professional educators do not and will not teach to a test, nor do we spend large amounts of time reviewing.
2. PARCC has been reviewed in-depth, and every reputable study upholds the appropriate rigor of the assessment.
3. Standardized testing does not drive curriculum; students meeting grade-level expectations drives instruction.
4. Punitive assessments are not good, but PARCC is designed for information, not punishment.
Terry Jones, Brighton
Thank you for Noelle Greene s informative opinion piece. Legislators have made it clear they feel the testing issue was settled last year and they are not interested in approaching the issue again.
It is up to parents, whose children are losing five weeks of valuable class time every year and whose schools are being drained of crucial resources, to take action and support kids, schools and teachers by opting out of testing.
Eve Cohen, Denver
This letter was published in the April 22 edition.
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