End Of Testing? Charter Temp Check…

Like outdoor living, experiential education, viewpoint diversity, one or more of those things? It’s not too late to register for this event with the Arete Project next week in DC, it’s going to be great.

I don’t know if he’s going to have to sleep on the couch now or what, but here’s a pretty good temperature check on charter school politics in the Democratic Party. And it’s not good. The charter world seems to be split along the lines of whether this is a passing thing or a realignment. I wouldn’t take it lightly.

 

Tom Vander Ark proposes a new testing system – basically the idea of a cumulative assessment using tech to move away from point in time “high stakes” tests and to capture more information. It’s a good idea in theory – Checker Finn knocks on some of the practical constraints here and there are real equity concerns with this approach. But more than that, I think it assumes that what the sector wants is better technical solutions and those will ease the politics. This might be exactly backwards: The field doesn’t want better craft to create better accountability, the field is special-interest driven and consequently allergic to accountability. Doesn’t mean it’s not an idea with promise, just means the underlying forces in the field turn on something besides good craft.

Goodbye Carolina.