Seattle teacher suspended for refusing to administer standardized tests
A Seattle teacher is spending two weeks on leave without pay for refusing to give the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) to his sixth-graders this month at Eckstein Middle School. Carl Chew, a science teacher, wanted to take a stand against a test he considers harmful to students, teachers, schools and families. He said he knew he would face consequences, and might even be fired. Before the WASL started at Eckstein last week, Chew informed administrators that he would not give the exam. He was suspended without pay through May 2, the day WASL testing ends. "He failed to follow his duties as a teacher," said Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Patti Spencer. The district, she said, understands the debates over standardized tests such as the WASL, but it expects teachers to fulfill all their responsibilities, which include giving state-mandated exams.
Supporters see the WASL as an important way to ensure students gain vital skills they'll need to succeed in college and the workplace. Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson has long said that the state does students no favors if it doesn't set high standards and make sure students reach them. Critics, however, question the WASL's value as a measure of student learning and as a way to improve instruction. Chew issued a statement listing all of his concerns about the WASL, including many unclear questions on the test, costs, lack of information about how teachers can help students improve, and too much focus on just a few subjects. Chew's action is "reflective of a general sense of frustration and dismay that our members feel about the WASL," said Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association.
Source: Seattle Times, 4/22/08, By Linda Shaw