Mary Scott Hunter to Betsy DeVos: Keep your promises to the states
Despite being one of President Donald Trump‘s most controversial nominees, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had the “qualified” support of Alabama State Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter from the jump. Now Hunter is putting her support of DeVos to the test. On Friday, she sent a letter to DeVos asking for standardized testing flexibility as the state seeks to drop the ACT Aspire test for its students in favor of alternative tests. Earlier this year, the DeVos called for states and local school districts to have greater say in education standards and issues, citing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as the way to allow more local control. However, when Sentenace followed the ESSA approval process and submitted the state’s education plans to the federal government, the U.S. Department of Education rejected it. But Hunter is not taking “no” for an answer. Earlier this month, Alabama Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance requested flexibility from using ACT Aspire testing while we develop an Alabama test that is right for us. Over the last several years we have worked hard to implement rigorous standards that will best prepare our children and youths for living and working in the 21st century. We have shaped these standards with Alabama’s values in mind while keeping our eyes on what today’s students will need to thrive in the decades to come. At this point our best option is to receive a waiver for next year’s standardized test,” the letter continued. “This would allow us time to develop a test that aligns to our Alabama standards, is rigorous, and properly informs instruction. Alternately, we could use existing formative assessments to determine student growth. If your Department does not grant the waiver there is a strong likelihood we will administer three different summative tests in three years, Aspire this past year, a different test next year, and yet another test the year after next. Obviously this is very undesirable for both our students and teachers. Standardized testing is extraordinarily difficult. Getting it right has implications for Alabama for decades to come. We need time to do that. At the time of publishing, the U.S. Department of Education has yet to grant a waiver to Alabama. Read Hunter’s full letter below:
Mary Scott Hunter: Tests are a part of life
No one likes standardized tests. My kids don’t. But the truth is, just like in life, tests are a necessary part of school. In a couple of months your child and his or her classmates will take the ACT Aspire. It’s a scene that will repeat itself in classrooms and gymnasiums across the state. My children will be among those sitting for the exam. My youngest is in the third grade. This will be his first major test. My other children are old pros at this point. In fact, my eldest has taken the exam every year it has been offered. At this point, I know what to expect on test day. My children will beg me to let them call in sick, but my husband and I will remain resolute. We will make sure that all three of our kids are well rested for the several nights before the test, eat a good dinner and breakfast and are on time to school. Tests are hard, but so is life. Sometimes you just have to buck up and do things that scare you. While I am the only member of the Alabama State Board of Education that currently has children in public school taking the test, several of my colleagues have grandchildren. All of us want a good test. Every single year, we seem to have a big debate right before testing time about whether it is a good idea or not. I shudder at this conversation every time. It’s terrible to second-guess yourself. Especially right before a big event like a test. We replaced the state’s previous end-of-year exam, the Alabama Reading and Math Test, because we believed that the ACT Aspire would more accurately tell us how our children are learning in school. We wanted an assessment that would help teachers identify students who need additional help to get on the right track toward college and career readiness before it becomes too late. There are rumors, of course, that Alabama may be moving away from the ACT Aspire next year. And, the truth is, that’s a possibility over the next couple of years. Nevertheless, the ACT Aspire will be administered this Spring as planned. The goal of every school is to prepare children for success after they graduate from high school. Regardless of what the State Board of Education decides in the future about the ACT Aspire, there will be an end-of-year assessment given to students to provide parents with feedback on how our schools are preparing our children. This is true in every state in the nation. Earning an education in Alabama schools should mean something, and, just like in life, tests help make sure we stay on track. Otherwise, a diploma in Alabama will be nothing more than the equivalent of a participation trophy in little league baseball. We deserve more than that. And, I won’t let it happen on my watch. ••• Mary Scott Hunter represents the 8th District on the Alabama State Board of Education. She and her husband Jon live in Huntsville where their children attend public school.
