Standardized testing takes far too much time away from instruction, preventing students from developing well-rounded skills and a love for learning. Standardized testing takes away the opportunity for students to learn about art, music, technology, finance, health and physical education—subjects that keep kids engaged and give them a well-rounded education.
And it’s not just the tests themselves – hours upon hours of test prep, practice tests, field trials and even “pretend tests” to check testing technology results in fewer class projects, less field trips and more and more stressed out and burned out students. We cannot continue the practice of testing to get ready for testing to get ready for testing in Wicomico County.
Wicomico County educators know that too much standardized testing doesn’t help their students do better in school – or in life. They also understand that it is the county testing that is most intrusive to the learning process. Our recent survey (see graph) shows Wicomico County testing far exceeds State mandated testing. And it is costing a lot of taxpayer dollars that could be better spent reducing class size.
Since 1971, the Wicomico County Education Association (WCEA) has been the county’s leading voice for public education. Our 1250 members are the teachers, education support professionals, administrators, and certificated specialists whose mission is to create great public schools for every child in Wicomico County. Our focus is on getting educators and public schools the resources and support they need to help every student be successful. WCEA is a proud affiliate of the National Education Association and the Maryland State Education Association.