Quotables

From the L.A. teachers' testing boycott

"My students would be tested on Mendelian genetics when we're just getting to how chromosomes separate," said Joseph Rowland, who taught science at Roosevelt High School for 22 years before moving to Franklin High this year. "It's ridiculous."

Joe, just forget about all that chromosomes stuff and get right to Mendel.

"We are supposed to be teaching, not testing," said Emerson English teacher Cecily Myart-Cruz. "We can come up with our own assessments in our classroom, and we do -- every day."

Yes, but if they let you do it, everyone will want to do it. Then where will we be?

Manual Arts High School English teacher Travis Miller said two rounds of his own class assessments did not count last year. Once, his tests weren't picked up on time, and once, he didn't receive all materials until the period for submitting them had closed.

Don't worry Travis. Just think of the testing madness existentially, or maybe as a way to prepare your students for life in the corporate world or in politics.

Supt. Ramon Cortines (Hey, at least he's still called a superintendent, not a CEO):

Cortines asserted that the assessments are part of teachers' assigned duties -- they are not optional. He also said he has and will amend aspects of the tests that need fixing. But he won't toss them out because, he said, they have contributed strongly to rising performance on the state's own annual tests.

Yes, the tests are important because they improve the scores on other tests, which in turn, improve the scores on other tests...

More Cortines:

"This is not to be onerous for teachers and principals and schools," Cortines said. "It is to be helpful."

No, superintendent. It's really onerous.

(L.A. Times)