Limit student assessments not mandated by the state
March 24, 2019

Resolution

Whereas, the CFT recognizes that student testing, when not misused, is one tool that informs teaching; and

Whereas, the purpose of education is to educate a populace of critical thinkers who can shape a just and equitable society in order to lead good and purpose-filled lives, not solely teaching to a standardized test; and

Whereas, all students should have access to full, rich learning experiences that prepare them for life, citizenship, career and college, and for the resources to make that vision a reality; and

Whereas, parents, teachers and communities have seen high-stakes, low-quality tests not mandated by the state unfairly label students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners as failing; and

Whereas, the Every Student Succeeds Act provides an opportunity—but no requirement—for states and districts to end misuse of tests; and

Whereas, since the failed test-and-punish accountability system created by the No Child Left Behind Act has expired, unions continue to fight to give schools and educators the latitude to teach rather than simply require them to test; and

Whereas, every good educator knows that fewer and better assessments of student learning, including the use of a wide variety of types of assessments including performance-based assessments, authentic tasks and other competency-based assessments, is preferable to a regimen of standardized tests; and

Whereas, the state of California currently mandates some testing, but many school districts force teachers and schools to administer many unnecessary tests that take away valuable teaching time;

Therefore, be it resolved, that the CFT will support limitations to state-mandated student assessments; and

Be it further resolved, that the CFT finds that too much teaching time is being lost to district-created assessments that are not mandated by the state; and

Be it finally resolved, that the CFT sponsor legislation that would make non-state-mandated assessment a subject of collective bargaining so that locals can reduce the amount of teaching time being lost to non-state-mandated testing.