KYG Updates Blog

Canditate Name: Luka MacKay

Whatcom County/Snohomish County

Education Resolution

WHEREAS, Washington state developed the WASL with the idea in mind to evaluate student learning;
andWHEREAS, student learning is directly effected by teachers teaching ability;
andWHEREAS, good performance on the WASL is rewarded by budget increases for the school district and poor performance is penalized with budget cuts;
andWHEREAS, budget-related rewards encourage teachers to teach to the test and not teach use of “abstract and high-order thinking skills”;
andWHEREAS, all students, regardless of native language, learning style and testing ability are required to pass a standardized learning evaluation before graduation;
andWHEREAS, not all students are four-year university bound;
andWHEREAS, the educational level of the WASL rarely matches grade-level curriculum; andNOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that eliminating punitive high stakes testing is pertinent to create a healthier learning environment for the students of Washington State.