[Vision2020] free speech

[Saundra Lund]

Ms. Montgomery wrote:
"Hasn't anyone realized the rediculous waste of money and resources that
standardized testing is?"

I'd like to think a lot of people, especially teachers, realize this.
My best friend is a teacher (in another district) and told me exactly
how many teaching days he lost this past year due to standardized
testing -- that was a real eye-opener.  Also, I heard several teachers
in this district complaining about the loss of teaching time due to the
testing.

I'm certainly not an expert on the topic, but I do think there are
(many) problems with standardized testing, most especially the teaching
time lost for the testing itself, training teachers for the testing,
teaching to the testing (which is, IMHO, done far more often & intensely
than most anyone admits), etc.

OTOH, I do believe that schools need to be held accountable for teaching
our kids, and I'm not sure how effective non-standardized-testing
methods of assessing education are/would be.

Thoughts?


Saundra Lund
Moscow, Idaho

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to
do nothing.
Edmund Burke

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]
On Behalf Of aphro dite
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 5:20 PM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] free speech


Though I believe in the right to free speech even at the cost of several
personally slanderous statements said or published . . . 

I find this list not quite what I was expecting.

Whenever a topic is brought up that actually affect the future of Moscow
and Idaho (actual issues i.e. the recent posting about testing
homeschoolers and forcing them into the public system...) a few people
find a few intelligent things to say, no solution seems to be found
(which is ok.... I think discussion is the point here, right?)...  And
then the issue dies quickly.

Yet, there are two particular (yet closely related) issues that are
focused on: Religion ("I'm right, you're wrong.") And one person who
feels its his religious duty to fill this list with slanderous messages.
I've never even met this fellow, and I showed up on one of his "hate"
lists.  (Not by name, but by affiliation within one of the groups he
hates.)  Yet I say, YES to free speech.  Let him post.  Let me post.
Thank you.  But does anyone care about actual issues?

Ignoring it has been mentioned before, but never happened.

I'd much rather talk about things that make a difference.  For example,
the latest topic of homeschool testing.  Hasn't anyone realized the
rediculous waste of money and resources that standardized testing is?
And forcing people into a system that doesn't fit personal needs is
anything but positive and progressive.  Is there anything in this
proposed law accounting for homeschoolers with learning disabilities?  I
could go off on this one with much more issues for hours....

-Amber Montgomery