debating the WASL

Today, a group of my 9th graders debated the merits of the WASL as a graduation requirement. Unfortunately, one member of the pro-WASL side has been sick, so I agreed to sub in, only because every other debater was busy. I'm a debate coach with more than a couple years of public speaking experience, and I blog competitively. I promised I would hold back.

I must have succeeded, because we lost.

In my rebuttals, I pointed out that testing isn't that expensive, that stress is a normal part of life, that no one took it seriously before it became a graduation requirement, that the WASL is sparking education reform, and that there are alternatives for the student who tries and fails continuously.

At the end of the debate, one of the judges said, "Gee, Mr. Anderson. You're intimidating. You almost had me agreeing with you."

Almost.



Update: How about this fun standardized testing story?

According to three of the students who were there Oct. 14, the proctor and the associate test supervisor in the room let students work on some sections long after time expired and on others ahead of time. They let students make cellphone calls and eat in the room. Lacking a clock, they let students time the examination themselves with a microwave oven timer....

The Educational Testing Service... canceled the exam scores for all eight students after looking into reports of testing problems. Ray Nicosia, test security director for ETS, said the students can have letters sent to the college admissions officials to absolve them for missing any deadlines. The students also may take a special makeup test as early as tomorrow.

Oh boy! They get to take it again!

[Link via Obscure Store]