Add your name to national call to #CancelTheTests
The U.S. Department of Education has waived accountability measures tied to standardized tests for this year due to the pandemic, but has yet to act on a request from Michigan’s State Superintendent Michael Rice to waive the requirement that tests like the M-STEP be administered this spring in favor of benchmark testing already required by law.
“This is not the time to engage in state summative assessments,” Rice said in a statement. “Educators can determine where kids are academically for parents and for themselves with our benchmark assessments, and can use those assessments to target resources, interventions, and supports for our kids in our districts. Our schools need this time to focus on the social emotional and academic needs of children.”
MEA and NEA agree: That’s why all members are encouraged to take part in a national call to #CancelTheTests. Sign on to NEA’s open letter, which says in part:
“Standardized high-stakes testing should not come at the expense of precious learning time that students could be spending with their educators. We believe in an educational system that focuses on and measures what our students truly need skills like creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration. A better future for education is possible, and the first step is to start thinking beyond the bubble and stop high-stakes testing this year.”
Please say “no,” the kids have been through enough. MStep testing takes an incredible amount of time that could be spent learning!
Please cancel all testing. It makes absolutely no sense this year and just adds additional stress for students and teachers during this over-the-top stressful year!
Cancel the tests
No testing this year…totally unfair to kids and teachers. Nothing has been normal about this year. There’s way too much testing anyway. Missing a couple years won’t hurt.
Please cancel state assessments—the students have been through enough. If we care about them, they don’t need more assessments—they need time to learn.
Cancel the tests, in a year of complete disruption to the learning process our kids don’t need one more stressor in an already stressful situation. So many are struggling, let’s not make it worse.
Let the teachers use the wasted testing time to actually teach the kids!
Waive the tests again this year.
Cancel the tests. We need them in the classroom.
Cancel the tests. We need the students in the classroom.
Please waive the tests this year. It’s been a crazy year. It’s not fair to test.
Please #cancelthetest this year! Students and staff already have way too much on their plate!
We know students have lost so much content and yet we are going to test when that time could be spent teaching content. Give students a break. They also have NWEA which shows yearly growth.
Due to covid staffing is also be used to keep classes of students separate which is taking away from instruction.