By Danielle Anthony-Goodwin
A group of eighteen staff from Ballard High School have joined other teachers across Seattle in a boycott of the Measures of Academic Progress. These exams are required to be given to students 2-3 times a year.
According to our news partners The Seattle Times “Ballard is the fourth school to join the boycott, which started at Garfield High last month. Nearly all Garfield teachers are participating. Eleven staff members at ORCA K-8, an alternative school, and 32 at Chief Sealth High also are participating.”
It is reported that more teaching staff may join the boycott next week as the petition to join had not been seen by all staff members. Students in the ninth-grade have already taken their MAP during the winter so their testing will not be affected until the spring.
Many teachers, parents and educator groups have signed letters supporting the boycott across the country.
At this point it is unknown what action Seattle School Superintendent Jose Banda has decided to take. If teachers do not allow students to take the tests before the deadline on February 22nd they may face disciplinary consequences.
An excerpt from the document that the teachers signed:
We believe in real learning opportunities. Assessments are helpful, but the MAP test is not connected to what we teach, is not connected to our standards and has little benefit to students or student learning.
