Many of us have followed the saga as the Garfield HS teachers speak up in Seattle to oppose use of the MAP test with their students. Here’s a useful summary of the controversy, on the Education Week Teacher website. Actually, it’s pretty balanced, giving space to statements from both supporters of the test and the Garfield opponents. We’ve focused on a “safer” mode for teachers’ voices, emphasizing vivid descriptions of our teaching and kids’ learning, so as to build broader support for and understanding of teachers’ work. If that were more widespread, we think policy-makers would be less inclined to introduce tests like the MAP in the first place, because they’d trust us more.

In the meantime, though, both approaches are no doubt needed — direct advocacy when it’s called for, and the telling of our story, to continue building the base.