Parental rights, choice, charters, standards and assessments are educational by-words cropping up like spring bulbs in local, state and national debates. The concept of opting out of student assessment and instruction is a recent and concerning development.
Hardly anyone would argue that parents have the right and responsibility to be their child’s first and most important teacher. Beyond educators and parents, businesses and taxpayers, in general, expect a good return on their investment in education. Most would agree that it is desirable to have students engaged in an educational program with rigorous standards, including a diverse curriculum, learning experiences and portability.
How then, do we achieve this goal? We can continue to hope that local school boards and administrations keep up with changing needs and awareness of best practices across the country (or even globally). Or we can embrace the concept of a common core of standards, knowledge and skills that all students should master to be prepared for work and life-long learning. If we pair the current national Common Core standards with Colorado standards and add well-devised assessments using modern technology to measure student achievement, parents, educators and the community at large should get a good snapshot of whether and what our students are learning. Students from Colorado have a right to the highest levels of achievement and the ability to move to any state through the course of their educational journey without fear of being behind.
Students opting out from participating in these assessments are denied the opportunity to show what they have learned and deny the many stakeholders who are paying for their educations a measure of student performance in their district.
The final word is on teachers, the bulwarks of education. They must be given the resources to integrate Common Core standards within their lessons, time for planning, professional development and collaboration, technical assistance and support for special-student populations. All citizens must not neglect our part in providing the best future for the students of today, as they will be the caregivers, business leaders, builders and innovators for our future and theirs.
Myriam Palmer
Durango
