A Future of Standardized Testing?

      February 24, 2016 Sharon Grigsby published Did the new education boss just hint at the future of standardized testing in Texas. She gives a overview about the former Dallas ISD trustee Mike Morath who was  recently named as the next officer over the Texas accountability group, whom is responsible for improving or replacing the STAAR testing system. Two months later Governor Greg Abbott put Morath in charge of the whole education operation.  Morath wants to adjust the way students take tests to where they are "assessed on a smaller scale through out the school year". Teachers would receive feedback, and from there can adjust their criteria to best fit the students.

     Grigsby's intended audience would be students of course, their parents, and any administrative personal involved in all forms of education. It is apparent that she believes that changing the system would make a significant change. Her argument is that Morath's plan "could both lessen the pressure on students by test-as-you-go assessments and keep parents and teachers from end-of-session surprises". I agree with her, because now days I feel some of our children's needs are not met in school. Not everyone grasps information the same. Therefore some are left behind, forced to take the STAAR test multiple times to then have to repeat the same grade over again. If more information is pointed out that a child is struggling with, and at that point in time its handled to some extent, we can save them, helping them to move forward.

     Sharon Grigsby does come off as a creditable writer. She gives credit to mystatesman.com, where she originally read the story about Morath. You can tell she's grown as a editorial writer, because she references a time back when she first began to write, where she was against testing. She admits another writer  was right about a lot of the arguments he proposed, and that takes a lot of courage to do. If she had just got on board about changing our education system without facing what shes' presented in the past, then she would of contradicted herself. So presenting her argument with facts, personal experiences, and other articles as a reference all make her blog valid.

   Can you imagine getting pulled over by the police for not using your turning signal, to then being pulled out of your car for not putting out a cigarette, and taken out of the cameras view only to be put through God knows what?

   Miss Sandra Bland had just relocated to Texas from Chicago for a new job she was going to start. She was pulled over and "arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal". Three days later she was found dead in her cell. Originally no charges was found against the officer, until recently. He has a case against him for perjury, a misdemeanor case in which he will be fined $4,000 and could face a year in jail. Sandra's mother has tried to subpoena all the files used in the investigation from the FBI, but the only result is that they wish to not comply.

   This article is worth reading, for it is important to know what is going on in our criminal justice system. How can we as citizens of the United States put our trust in some who are suppose to enforce and protect us, when they are not carrying out their duties correctly. Is this justice?

http://www.salon.com/2016/02/12/the_sandra_bland_case_hasnt_gone_away_what_you_need_to_know_about_the_ongoing_legal_battles/