NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York State teachers say they are not happy that the federal government has decided to still mandate standardized testing during the pandemic.
State education officials and the New York State United Teachers union on Tuesday said they were on the same page in believing that imposing standardized testing during this unprecedented school year “makes no sense.”
Jolene DiBrango, the executive vice president of New York State United Teachers, says trying to get students to take a standardized test in this climate is nearly impossible.
“Because in a year that has not had any kind of standardized instruction, nothing about the instruction has been standardized,” she said.
In a statement, the New York State Department of Education said it's examining all options for skipping assessments in this year of remote learning and will propose a series of amendments at the March Board of Regents meeting, so Regents exams would not be required for graduation.
DiBrango says she hopes the federal government will roll back educators it standardized testing mandate soon.
“Anything that diverts that energy and that support that our teachers are giving students every day to ensure that there okay, it really doesn't make sense to us and we believe that administering a standardized test in this year does just that. It really diverts kind energy away from what's most important and that's the wellbeing of the children,” she said.
The president's incoming education secretary has said standardized testing would inform schools of the effects COVID-19 has had on learning and help identify what resources are needed.
The Biden administration also says no child would be forced to come to school to take a test and they've uncoupled state assessments from accountability measures so no school will be judged on the test results.
The New York State Education Department said it will work with the federal government to find a path forward that's best for the health and safety of all new York's children.
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