Support the Seattle Teachers' Standardized Test Boycott

There is a growing movement against the over-use of standardized tests, and teachers in Seattle are leading the fight. Teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle are refusing to administer a district-mandated test (called the MAP test) on grounds that the test doesn't provide useful feedback and eats up valuable classroom time. Instead, Seattle teachers want the MAP test dropped.

The Garfield teachers wrote in a recent letter, "We are not troublemakers nor do we want to impede the high functioning of our school. We are professionals who care deeply about our students and cannot continue to participate in a practice that harms our school and our students."

The MAP test is also riddled with scandal. It was adopted at a cost of millions of dollars to Seattle taxpayers amid a serious conflict of interest. Former SPS Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, sat on the board of the company that produced the MAP test--the Northwest Evaluation Association--when the MAP test was adopted by the Seattle School District. A state auditor found this to be an ethics violation.

Teachers have been told they must administer the test by February 22nd. If they refuse, the Superintendent of Schools Jose Banda has threatened them with a 10-day suspension. Join students, fellow teachers and parents in sending a strong message to these school officials to halt any disciplinary actions and immediately address the teachers' concerns.