Stop overtesting and underfunding of Alaskan schools

Has been updated: 9 minutes ago Release: 9 minutes ago

Alaska’s education system has been devastated, not just by the pandemic. For years, the current state government has refused to increase funding for schools. Our district has declining enrollment, schools are closed, and student test scores are among the lowest in the nation. These scores are being used to further rationalize the system’s underfunding and encourage school privatization.

We need to get rid of this ridiculous obsession with testing. Our schools are being hijacked because these tests are driving our curriculum – and we’re paying the price. We’ve lost control of our curriculum. The strength of America’s schools is the creativity and ingenuity that fueled the economy. This universal test assumes students are the same across the country, but each region, if not town, is different. No, but these tests assume they are equivalent. We must focus on developing curious and confident students. Alaska students and teachers need to celebrate their strengths. The vibrant school offers classes ranging from shops to art, music and local language classes. Often our schools are fixated on reading and math, actively comparing children who are very different. , repugnant to the oppressive atmosphere they create. It is not surprising to see the decline in enrollment in our schools and the lack of interest in teaching as a profession.

In a post-pandemic world, Alaskan students crave stability and normalcy more than ever. Any decent teacher knows that an emotionally fragile child cannot learn. Many of our schools are Title 1 designated because their families have serious financial needs. These students don’t need constant reminders that they can’t keep up. These students need support, need to be in touch with the joy of learning they can connect with, and need intelligent teachers who are committed to their community.

In short, we are measuring the wrong things. Educators have spent years studying the educational successes of countries like Finland. Finland refused to fall into the testing trap — limited to much later in a child’s life, much like Alaskan schools did when I became a professional 35 years ago. The current administration uses PEAKS (National Assessment) data and various other tests to argue that charter schools are superior to traditional schools. This correlation reflects less intelligence than the fact that children who grow up in poverty suffer from basic needs and have less room to grow in the classroom. Relying on tests is too simplistic and dangerous. Measure these schools and students in non-tangible ways tailored to their complexity.

Our school needs local administration to rebuild a creative and innovative curriculum. We need quality education programs that enable schools to hire well-trained local staff at fair compensation. We must have state and local leadership with the vision and courage to make real change, not flat funding or shallow interpretations of simplistic test scores. is our most valuable resource. Let them know it.

Bob Burnwell I grew up in Anchorage. In Unalaska and Seward he taught for 25 years, in Venezuela and Myanmar he taught for 5 years. He is retired and lives in Seward.

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