Suspend State Testing

The following Letter to the Editor appeared in The Oregonian on Thursday July 8, 2010:

As a teacher with 20 years experience in Portland Public Schools, and as a candidate for federal office, I applaud the commentary of Joanne Yatvin ("Proposed budget cuts target the wrong areas," July 2). A moratorium on state tests is especially well-chosen.

State tests in my high school (Benson Polytechnic) occupy approximately a week, three times a year, for each of three different areas (math, English and science): They are a large and growing portion of the school year and of questionable effectiveness in instruction.

Certainly, so long as we are in a purportedly temporary condition of contraction of the available resources for instruction, the state government could unilaterally both improve the efficiency of and extend the time for instruction by canceling state testing for the duration of the emergency.

MICHAEL MEO
Northeast Portland