Crashing the Party, by Ralph Nader: on Education

Ralph Nader: Standardized tests designed to show public schools failing

From Providence we drove to the Boston Commons, where a rally organized by high school students against the MCAS standardized tests in Massachusetts and the looming privatization of public schools was under way. From afar, one could think that those youngsters just didn't like tests. But these youngsters had done their homework. Created by consulting firms that saw the corporate management of public schools as a profitable objective, these tests appear to be designed to show that public education was not working because so many students flunked. Experience in Texas with such manipulations led to higher dropout rates for high school students under Governor Bush. This testing tyranny forces the schools to teach to the tests, which themselves are narrow-scoped and misleading yardsticks. There is plenty of evidence to show that behind these tests is a commercial ideology panting to take over more and more of the $320 billion spent annually on public schools. Source: Crashing the Party, by Ralph Nader, p.115 Jan 17, 2002

The above quotations are from Crashing the Party: How to Tell the Truth and Still Run for President Taking on Corporate Governance in an Age of Surrender, by Ralph Nader. Click here for definitions & background information on Education. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Ralph Nader on Education.
*2012 Presidential contenders on Education:*
*Republicans:* Rep.Newt Gingrich(GA) Rep.Ron Paul(TX) Gov.Mitt Romney(MA) Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)	*Democrats:* Pres.Barack Obama(IL) V.P.Joe Biden(DE)	*Third Parties:* Green: Gov.Gary Johnson(NM) AmericansElect: Gov.Buddy Roemer(LA) >Libertarian: Jill Stein(MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Jul 04, 2012