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Short takes for Oct. 30

School testing

SIDEWAYS THUMBS:

Good to see Minnesota is really digging into school testing and vetting what school tests could be potentially eliminated, as the trend to reduce testing of students across the country continues. However, instead of putting this in the hands of elected officials, why not let the schools decide? According to an email from Gov. Mark Dayton’s office, legislators recently enacted a limit to the amount of classroom time devoted to test-taking. No more than 2 percent of instruction time can be dedicated to testing. A proposal to eliminate more tests failed over concerns that federal education officials would reject the reductions. Testing is a great way to track students’ academic progress, but we feel kids today are over-tested and that too much emphasis is being put on tests. And if the testing culture is changed, educators must have a voice in the process.

Use of force – here we go again

THUMBS DOWN:

What a sad display we saw when a South Carolina police officer tackled and threw a student across the room while making an arrest at a school recently. There apparently is video that shows the student hitting the officer first, but that doesn’t justify what he did. We value our local police forces and the work they do, and are certainly blessed to not have to deal with “bad cops” in our neighborhoods, but when we hear officers across the country say how tough it is to be a cop these days, you have to appreciate the irony that it’s the cops themselves who are perpetuating the rampant negative stereotype.

Speech students get their props

THUMBS UP:

Nice touch by Marshall High School to make space for the speech history wall, which was unveiled this week. Many times, the spotlight tends to lean toward student-athletes – it’s the football and basketball players who seem to garner the most attention – so having a showcase for the speech students inside the school walls is a great idea.

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