Mar 6, 2021 2 min read

Noe Ortega, acting Education Secretary of Pennsylvania, has announced that he has submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Education to allow public schools to postpone this year’s achievement tests until fall. I really think we need to think this through. Such a move is the worst thing that public education can do to their students at this time.

The purpose of these types of tests is to evaluate how well education programs are doing, and, to spot weak areas that need improvement. No one would argue that at this point, regardless of how hard everyone has worked, or how good their intentions are, students just did not get a solid education over the last year and a half. Areas of weakness are going to show up in all districts through standardized testing. So when is it best to pinpoint and address these weaknesses? Should we address them before the fall semester starts, and have a plan in place, or wait until halfway through the fall after teachers tried frantically to make up for lost time to cram in as much as they could before the tests? Changes probably couldn’t be made until second semester then. That’s not fair to anyone!

Test the kids on schedule, identify the problem areas, and be ready to make up for lost time when the new year begins. It would also help higher education, too, so they could better accommodate the needs of incoming freshmen who may need adjustments or remediation. We’ve already lost too much time and opportunity in the development of our youth. It just doesn’t make good sense to add to that loss.

Sally Brown-Pawlosky

Hickory