Should Bay Area Schools Opt Out of Standardized Tests?

Standardized testing meant to gauge student abilities and aptitudes doesn’t work and they’re designed to set students up for failure.

That’s the contention of some Lee County School Board members as they explore the possibility of opting out of state-mandated standardized tests.

Board member Mary Fischer told News Press she’s been in education since 1960 feels state assessments aren’t about students, they’re about “people making billions of dollars.”

Board member Don Armstrong agreed.

“A lot of our money is being poured out of this county to go to one company, I won’t say names,” he was quoted as saying. “But on this board or not on this board, I won’t stand for it anymore.”

The board was going to vote on the issue Tuesday night, but backed off and tabled it pending more in-depth legal considerations. At this point, it is unclear what ramifications the district would face – financially and legally – if it did opt out.

Even so, some say it’s time to take a stand.

“This is our county, so let’s stand up and take it back,” Armstrong was quoted by News Press as saying in a later article.

The issue may come back up during the board’s Aug. 25 meeting.

What are your thoughts on this? Should other districts “stand up,” too? Tell us by commenting below!