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NEA launches campaign to end 'toxic testing'

Posted on 07/07/14 at 3:21pm

NEA RA delegates voted to begin a campaign ending the "test blame and punish" system that has dominated public education for the past 10 years. The resolution to end "toxic testing" is meant to put the focus of assessments and accountability back on student learning instead of on continuous standardized testing.

NEA launched the national campaign last week with a petition drive. 

"It's past time for politicians to turn their eyes and ears away from those who profit from over-testing our students and listen instead to those who know what works in the classroom, said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.

Nearly one-third of the school year is now spent preparing students to take standardized tests, administering the tests and reviewing the test results. NEA's campaign is calling for a return to more student instructional time and less emphasis on testing. 

NEA calls on the President and Congress to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), end the yearly testing mandates, and repeal federal requirements that student growth be used to evaluate teachers. NEA also recommends government oversight of the testing industry to monitor testing companies and their impact on education legislation. 

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Michigan ranks 4th nationally in instances of school crime

Posted on 07/07/14 at 3:23pm

School crime has increased since 2010 according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education. "Indicators of School Crime," a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, showed that in 2012, even though the crime rate has increased over the past couple of years, it is still down from its highest rate of 81 victims of crimes per 1,000 students in 1992.

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Superintendents: effectiveness, student engagement important in evaluation of teachers

Posted on 07/07/14 at 3:24pm

Education Week commissioned Gallup to survey K-12 school district superintendents to help track and understand their opinions on important topics and issues facing education like teacher evaluations. 

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Don't miss out on July 11 early registration for Summer Leadership

Posted on 06/30/14 at 3:33pm

There's not much time left to take advantage of the reduced registration fee for MEA's 2014 Summer Leadership Conference, "When Leaders Lead, Members Thrive." If you register by July 11, informative and hands-on sessions, networking opportunities, and the chance to earn SCECHs are yours for a bargain price!

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DonorsChoose.org funds classroom projects when limited budgets can’t

Posted on 06/30/14 at 12:10pm

Do you need more supplies or technology for your classroom? Do you have a project in mind for your students, but you don’t have the funding to do it because school budgets are so tight?

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Calling all MEA members—We need bloggers!

Posted on 06/30/14 at 12:09pm

We’re starting an MEA blog and we want to hear from you! Why is being an MEA member important to you? How have you benefitted from belonging to MEA? How important is the MEA to the work you do? How has being a part of the MEA impacted education in your district? This is your chance to let your voice be heard!

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Education funding, curriculum changes get Governor’s signature

Posted on 06/30/14 at 12:06pm

Gov. Snyder has signed the new 2014-15 education budget into law which provides $15.8 billion to all levels of education in Michigan. 

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