| As much as I loathe standardized testing, I have to | | | | does a diploma have if it doesn't represent any actual |
| admit that I'm relieved by the California State | | | | learning? |
| Supreme Court's decision to reinstate the high school | | | | Critics of the exit exam have pointed out that |
| exit exam. For those of you who may not have | | | | underpriveleged and minority students are |
| heard, yesterday the high court suspended an | | | | disporportionately affected by it. I whole-heartedly |
| Alameda County Superior Court Judge's prior ruling | | | | agree that this represents a social problem that |
| which prohibited schools from withholding diplomas of | | | | needs to be dealt with, but I don't think dismissing |
| students that failed the exit exam. I'm saddened to | | | | the test is the answer. There are reasons that these |
| think that the 46,000 high school seniors who haven't | | | | kids aren't passing - lack of proficiency with the |
| passed the test yet won't be donning caps and | | | | English language, underfunded schools, problems at |
| gowns with their classmates next month; however, | | | | home - we ought to get to the root of the problem |
| I'm frightened that this signifies that 46,000 students | | | | and fight for more and better ESL programs, more |
| from the class of '06 can't do 8th grade math or | | | | money for education and more support services for |
| read at a 10th grade level. How can we, as educators | | | | at-risk students. We need to stop fighting the test |
| and as citizens, send someone to college or into the | | | | and starting fighting for the poor and minority |
| workplace without these basic skills? What value | | | | students it hurts. |