Today philly.com published an article highlighting Unionville Chadds Ford’s approach to testing. You can find the article here, which features quotes from UCF school board members Jeff Hellrung and Michael Rock, and also UCF Superintendent Dr. Sanville.

When the reporter reached out to me last Thursday for a quote, I was not able to connect with her due to her tight deadline.  Instead she quoted from my blog.

While I commend her in writing the article, I wish she had chosen her words more carefully.  Here is how my blogging on testing was characterized:

One [school board member] even publishes a blog extolling their virtues, says they improve performance, and criticizes their detractors.

I would not say that my blog “extolls the virtues” of testing or “criticizes their detractors”. Neither would I say, as the reporter later states,  that I “blog enthusiastically about standardized testing”.

I would say, instead, that I have been examining the pluses and minuses of opting out, and that I come down on the side of supporting standardized testing, but within limits.    And I have not been criticizing the detractors of standardized tests, but rather I have been challenging their arguments and presenting my own point of view.   While I try to blog with purpose, I also try to persuade with logic and reason and to represent the views of others fairly.  When challenged, I try to follow Desmond Tutu’s advice:  “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

Regardless of how my own views were represented, I hoped that the article would add some value to the discussion of the PSSAs and standardized testing.  Was that accomplished?  Not so much.