John,
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a massive toll on our students. Over the course of the year, they've lost teachers, family members, and their entire way of life as they knew it — yet the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education have decided standardized testing is more important than the well-being of our youth.
We should not be forcing students into standardized testing, and we must give parents, teachers, and students a clear option to opt-out of standardized testing if they choose. Please add your name to stand with Jamaal, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and others in urging the Biden administration to issue a national waiver for standardized testing today.
Add your name »This is the worst pandemic we've had in over 100 years, leaving more than 500,000 Americans dead and 26 million infected with COVID-19. We need to prioritize the mental and physical health of our students, not contribute additional stress with outdated standardized testing.
The Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education believe that standardized testing will allow us to see where the "gaps" are and "where kids are struggling". But we have been implementing the same standardized tests for the last 20 years under the No Child Left Behind Act and know exactly where these gaps are — and our government has still not provided the necessary resources in those communities.
It is a fact that our standardized testing system discriminates against kids who learn differently, kids who are under-resourced, and Black and brown kids. Our dependence on testing signals to our under-resourced students that they are at fault for not fitting into a narrow definition of intelligence. In turn, this rigid implementation has only created more bias against Black and brown students – rather than alleviate them.
John, situations like this are what happens when we allow non-educators to make big decisions around education in our country. And as one of the only educators in Congress, Jamaal is dedicated and determined to bring bold representation on behalf of communities who too often don't have a voice in these decisions.
That's why Jamaal is teaming up with organizations like Alliance for Quality Education New York, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and others to urge the administration to prioritize students over outdated testing procedures and issue a national waiver for standardized testing immediately. Add your name today to stand in solidarity with Jamaal, educators, and students all across the country.
Thank you for your support,
Team Bowman
