Skip to main content

Special Episode 02: Real Talk at the Texas Capitol


Today's special episode was recorded live and on location inside a Senate meeting room as we prepared to give testimony against Texas House Bill 1333, colloquially known as The Teaching Over Testing Act.

This bill, which aims to reduce the number of standardized tests given by Texas to the federal minimum while also drastically reducing the emphasis these tests have on school accountability, has been well received by the state anti-testing movement.

We, however, stand with the many civil rights groups, the Texas Association of Business, and the many, many nervous and silent teachers who know that the anti-testing, anti-accountability movement's well-intentioned, but misguided, efforts damage the hard work educators are doing to create a more equitable society across Texas.

To give a voice to all the educators across Texas who feel as we do, we traveled to the state legislature with the support of a non-profit educational foundation group called Texas Aspires to give our testimony against this bill. We discuss our experiences at the State Capitol and share our testimony with you here.

Listen to our podcast here.

Music courtesy of The Creative Commons.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Texas Holds Students With Disabilities to a Higher Standard on State Exams

Let’s just call it like it is. 2016-2017 was not a great year for student assessment in Texas. Between the scandal of mis-graded STAAR tests, graders hired for peanuts on Craigslist, and large numbers of parents and students conscientiously objecting to even taking part in our state’s annual testing rituals, many Texans have been left wondering where, exactly, IS the accountability in our state accountability system.    But if there is one person who is keenly aware of where the accountability is, it’s the high school senior who’s taking a STAAR End of Course test. That senior needs to pass that test in order to graduate in that same month. That student is painfully aware that the STAAR test doesn’t care where he grew up, or who her parents are, or whether he is dyslexic or learning disabled or gifted and talented. Regardless of what challenges she faced or what advantages he received, everyone all sits down and takes the exact same test. That’s what TEA promises. All stude...
1 comment
Read more

Blog Post: Why do you stay?

I don’t make sweeping generalizations because they are always wrong, but if you are a teacher, people have wondered why you actually do that. The curiosity about WHY on EARTH you would choose this profession is so deep-seated that we even ask it of each other in job interviews. I mean think about that for a second. Can you imagine at NASA: “So Christina, why did you decide to become an astronaut?” Sitting before the medical review board: “What motivated you to become a neurosurgeon?” I guess I don’t really know – perhaps they do ask that sort of question, but it just feels kind of unlikely. My husband’s an electrical engineer who works on fighter planes, and I promise you he has never had to justify to anyone why he chose THAT particular career path. Yet I have justified my career path to everyone from job interviews to grant applications to friends at cocktail parties, and every single time everyone’s left feeling unsatisfied. I can feel them want...
Post a Comment
Read more

Episode 25: Intervention with gifted and talented students

Your at-risk student is looking for your support. Your GT student is looking for a challenge. We've talked a lot about intervention for your struggling students, but what do you do when you have gifted and talented students who are struggling? The struggle may look different when you're working with advanced courses and high achieving students, but the struggle is real all the same. Today on the podcast we have veteran AP teacher, multiple Teacher of the Year winner Valerie Minor on to talk about how she intervenes and differentiates for advanced students as well as what she's learned in her transition into a special education co-teach setting this year. You can listen to the podcast here or follow us and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Give us a like on Facebook, rate or review us, and please share! We love to hear from our listeners!
Post a Comment
Read more