School’s Out

‘WHEN I’m doing a workshop, I like to ask teachers, ‘Which is larger, 5/19 or 7/22?’ Almost everyone gets this wrong, especially math teachers. The correct answer is, Who cares?”

These are the words of Alfie Kohn, de facto leader of the anti- schoohtesting movement. He helps coordinate political action against standardized tests in 38 states through his website, on which one may read inspiring stories—about Japanese teachers unions scrapping tests, Massachusetts students refusing to take them, a brave Colorado teacher declining to administer them, and so on. The website, www.alfiekohn.org, provides comprehensive information on how activists can lobby elected officials, local media, and business leaders to block graded testing.

RN

About the Author

Richard Nadler

Richard Nadler is president of the Americas Majority Foundation, a public-policy think tank in Overland Park, Kan.

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‘WHEN I’m doing a workshop, I like to ask teachers, ‘Which is larger, 5/19 or 7/22?’ Almost everyone gets this wrong, especially math teachers. The correct answer is, Who cares?”

These are the words of Alfie Kohn, de facto leader of the anti- schoohtesting movement. He helps coordinate political action against standardized tests in 38 states through his website, on which one may read inspiring stories—about Japanese teachers unions scrapping tests, Massachusetts students refusing to take them, a brave Colorado teacher declining to administer them, and so on. The website, www.alfiekohn.org, provides comprehensive information on how activists can lobby elected officials, local media, and business leaders to block graded testing.