A Concern I’d Like to Share

Superintendents leading the work of the Ohio Public School Advocacy Network met recently to discuss the policy implications of their core beliefs about public education and the role of our public schools.  One of those core beliefs is that a quality educational experience should address the social, emotional, and intellectual development and well-being of all students.  The good news is that this mindset seems to be gaining support from a growing number of state-level policymakers who realize that high stakes student testing, alone, doesn’t address what it takes to provide a well-balanced public education.  With this said, I have a concern I’d like to share.  Our teachers and students are currently overburdened by an education accountability system that includes way too much student testing and other state mandates.  My concern is that, if our local educational leaders and our communities fail to get out front in helping to define how to incorporate a quality educational experience into our accountability system, the long history of education reform will repeat itself and another layer of state mandates will be piled on top of the ones already in place.