In watching parents across the nation opt their children out of standardized testing, I am left wondering why they have changed course and strayed from their usual mantra of “just do your best.” Why is this childhood experience so different in their eyes?
I could ask my kid’s coach not to put him in the game to pitch when the deck is stacked against him. But I don’t.
I could look at a whopping night of homework and say, “This is too much, you don’t need to finish it.” But I don’t.
And I could say, “Oh, these standardized tests are silly and don’t mean anything and might make you uncomfortable or anxious.” But I don’t. And I never would.
Saying that would send the message that I doubt my oldest son’s ability to persevere and succeed. It would send the message that I want to protect him from any discomfort or that he has something to fear. I didn’t send any of those messages, and so in his case, he hopped in the car during PARCC and said, “I actually kind of liked it.”
Labels: PARCC