Testing: Can We Find the Rational Middle? An Interview with A. Duncan

The following article and interview on video is from a blog that serves as the official blog of the US Department of Education.  Secratery Duncan and the department sends out periodic updates, for which you can subscribe to get in your own email box.  This topic caught my eye, and the video with Secretary Duncan sheds light on a question many people in education and in our communities are asking:  Can we find a rational middle ground on the emphasis of testing?

By Emily Davis, who is a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education.

Recently I visited Glen Iris Elementary School in Birmingham, Alabama to meet with a group of teachers and their principal. I was in Birmingham as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow and it was highly recommend by local educators that I visit Glen Iris while in Birmingham to see the incredible work going on at the school.   Since returning from Birmingham, much has happened in the “testing” world.

I recently sat down with Secretary Duncan to hear his perspective on the current state of testing and accountability. While the testing pendulum has swung from one side to the other, my hope is that we will land somewhere in the rational middle. And as I continue in my education journey, I will forever keep those timely words of Dr. Wilson at the forefront of my mind and will challenge all of us to be “ever-growing.”  Click here to view the entire article and watch the interview video.