Citizen Ask Education Board To Lobby Legislators On Testing

The Oconee County Board of Education members, in keeping with policy, did not respond last month when Joyce Reifsteck, 1141 Thornwell Drive, north of Watkinsville, asked them to address her concerns about the burden placed on teachers by testing in the county’s schools.

“I don’t have to tell you about constant preparation and testing, and the tedious attention that is paid to the Georgia Standards of Excellence, formerly called Common Core,” Reifsteck said.

“You already know how the unending emphasis on 'the standards' takes up a disproportionate amount of classroom time that could be much better spent,” she said.

Oconee County School Superintendent Jason Branch had raised just those concerns back in December of 2015 in a prelegislative session with Oconee County’s delegation to the General Assembly.

Sen. Bill Cowsert, who was at that session, sponsored legislation the following February that, when signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, decreased the dependence on test scores in teacher assessments, eliminated some testing, and moved some testing to the end of the school year.

Board of Education Chair Tom Odom said before Reifsteck spoke that “generally, there will be no response to comments or questions posed by citizens at this meeting,” and neither Branch nor any member of the Board mentioned Cowsert’s legislation or Branch’s role in shaping it.

For more on the story, including a video with the comments Reifsteck made to the Board, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Board Chair Tom Odom.