John,
In March, we learned that the Biden administration and the US Department of Education refused to grant a national waiver for standardized testing, subjecting states and schools to test their students. All during a global pandemic.
Their reasoning? Doing so will allow us to see where the “gaps” are and “where kids are struggling” — even though we’ve 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.
Our youth have faced unfathomable amounts of trauma and anxiety due to the pandemic, losing teachers, family members, and their entire way of life as they knew it. They should not have to deal with the pressures of standardized tests on top of it all.
As one of Congress’s only educators, Jamaal is determined to stand up for students and hold the Biden administration accountable for supporting our progressive values.
If you’re with Jamaal in this fight, add your name to let the Biden administration and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona know that standardized testing during a global pandemic is wrong?
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Standardized testing during the pandemic is an unnecessary mental and emotional burden to put on our students. Not only will it cause additional stress, but it’s also a practice that is proven to discriminate against underprivileged students, kids who learn differently, and Black, and brown kids, too. And the research shows that discourse around standardized testing creates more biases about Black and brown students rather than alleviating them.
The Biden administration’s refusal to grant a national waiver for standardized testing is a complete misplacement of priorities, and it’s what happens when non-educators are allowed to make big decisions around education in our country. We can’t force students into standardized testing during a global pandemic.
Please add your name to stand with Jamaal in urging the Biden administration and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to officially issue a national waiver for standardized testing today.
In solidarity,
Team Bowman
