This week has seen its share of tensions in educational politics.  On one end, standardized test scores are serving as the magic bullet through which all teachers will be judged in a Teacher Effectiveness Bill that is about to pass the Colorado State Senate.  On the other end, the state’s “traditional” standardized test (CSAP) might be thrown out, or at least revised for high schools if House Representative Solano gets her way.  Standardized tests are a central feature in this week’s Congressional hearings about the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act too. This bantering back and forth about the appropriate role of standardized tests in American schools makes me that much more appreciative of the work that my husband and our instructors do at the Martial Arts Academy.  “Standardized” tests are a central event at the Academy, just as they are in an increasing … [Read more...]