If our politicians were really concerned about educating our young, then the first thing that should get thrown out the window is high stakes testing. High stakes testing costs money. The money for testing goes right from us, the tax payers, right into the coffers of the testing companies. Follow the money.
When I read about the funds being cut to schools in order to balance the budget, I cringe. Why? Libraries make a huge difference and enhances democracy. Libraries can mitigate the effects of poverty. Libraries have books and print materials. I have seen kids become readers not because of taking tests, but because of reading great books that give them "goose bump" experiences.
As Glenna Davis Sloan wrote: "Literacy begins in hearts not heads."
Where is the heart in learning these days. I wish all children could go to the kind of school like Malia and Sasha Obama. Now why doesn't President Obama see the folly of current educational policies?
