Contact: Nat T. Bender, 908-377-0393, nbender [@] aftnj.org
EDISON—American Federation of Teachers New Jersey President Donna M. Chiera on the PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools:
“These national poll results are important because they reinforce that we all want true accountability so we can identify gaps where students could be missing relevant lessons at the school and district level. What is equally relevant for New Jersey policymakers to consider is that parents and community realize that testing data is not a comprehensive view of an individual; that is why we believe they would support a moratorium on the consequences of high stakes testing on individual teachers and student graduation requirements.
“Other responses in this poll are consistent with what we in New Jersey find—that neighborhood schools rate highly and parents are demanding appropriate funding to continue their excellence.
“We should replicate elements of the study in New Jersey and ask parents and community how they view the impact of testing, teacher evaluation and educational standards on their community schools. The PDK/Gallup poll suggests caution in overuse of testing data nationally, but one great way to see if that holds true in high performing New Jersey is to initiate real two-way conversations between parents and educators through polling and community outreach.”
See full poll: Testing Doesn’t Measure Up for Americans