NEW YORK – The new year has only just begun, but the United Federation of Teachers, the union that represents teachers in New York City, seems determined to make it a banner year for union selfishness.
The New York Post reports that UFT President Michael Mulgrew recently pitched a fit over the state’s plans to expand its standardized testing sessions for math and reading to three hours.
“It’s pretty clear right now the last thing we need is more testing,” Mulgrew said, according to the Post. “Test prep is one of the biggest dangers that our kids face in schools right now. Preparing kids to take standardized tests does not lead to real learning.”
What nonsense.
How many class sessions do teachers need to show students how to fill in bubbles on a test sheet?
How many class hours are required to help kids understand the strategies behind answering multiple choice questions?
As for those tests that require students to write a brief essay – those aren’t “test” skills, Mr. Mulgrew, those are “life” skills.
Instead of complaining about “test prep,” union teachers should just focus on teaching the curriculum that’s been assigned by their local school board. The board decides the curriculum, the teachers teach it, and the tests check to see if kids are learning it. What’s so difficult about that?
Mulgrew’s “concerns” are just a smokescreen to divert attention away from the union’s contempt for accountability. Union leaders know the more time far-left teachers spend covering the approved curriculum, the less time they’ll have to “teach” their political agenda of collectivism and anti-Americanism.
The public has figured you out, Mr. Mulgrew. The self-serving, anti-student nature of your agenda becomes quite clear to taxpayers who take a closer look.
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