Test Resistance- A Movement Whose Time Has Come

Test Resistance has become one of the major grass roots movements in the nation. Long mocked and ridiculed by the media, ignored by politicians, it is now so large it has been covered in virtually every major national news outlet from the NY Times to the Wall Street Journal to USA Today. The incredible size and energy of the resistance in New York state, with major activity in hundreds of school districts, shows how much the overuse and misuse of testing has enraged and frightened parents, students and teachers. This uprising, having no major funding source, controlled by no powerful organizations, communicated largely by social media and word of mouth, shows no signs of ebbing because it has a profound sense of purpose, and a deep moral conviction that stems from the defense of children and their well being. Trying to suppress it will backfire. It will only diminish when politicians reduce levels of testing in schools which have reached abusive proportions and have crowded out the activities which make education most meaningful. Since most elected officials have not gotten the message, we can expect this movement to grow for years to come. History is being made before our eyes. And democracy revitalized in the process.