Role of testing at issue in Chicago teachers' strike

Judy Keen & Greg Toppo:

The teachers' strike that went through its second day Tuesday highlights tensions between public schools and the federal government, unions and administrators, and teachers and their bosses.

It's a trend that began under President George W. Bush with No Child Left Behind, which required states to test students to qualify for federal funds, and continues with President Obama's Race to the Top, a federal grant competition that pushes schools to use standardized test scores to retain and reward teachers.

"We are at a critical moment," says Kevin Kumashiro, a University of Illinois at Chicago education professor. At stake, he says: Whether unions can resist a nationwide shift toward the use of test scores to evaluate teachers, the spread of charter schools that hire non-union teachers and the erosion of teachers' job security.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 14, 2012 1:33 AM
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