WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Parents of children in Newark schools sign a petition to wrest control from the state and give the school board a more active role. -- New York Times

Resisting charter takeover of Newark school

“You could see the new furniture coming in,” said Shellian Peters, 38, a mother of three. “Whereas on the district side, it was the same as when the school was built. That’s how blatantly obvious it was.” -- "Growing Push in Newark to Retake School Reins" by Winnie Hu, New York Times

Diane Ravitch

"The entire current reform movement rests on a fanatical belief in standardized testing. Yet testing experts warn us that the tests should be used for diagnostic purposes, not to fire teachers and close schools. The basic rule of testing is that a test should be used only for the purpose for which it was designed." -- Speech to National Opportunity to Learn Summit December 9, 2011.

Author Judith Warner

"The chief promise of their brand of reform — the results of which have been mixed, at best — seems to be that they can remake America’s students in their own high-achieving image." -- "Why Are the Rich So Interested in Public-School Reform?

On New York's Testing Madness

“I think the last thing we want is a test of stamina,” said Richard Organisciak, superintendent of the 11,000-student New Rochelle district in Westchester County. “The thought of a third grader sitting there for three hours — it boggles my mind that he would stay as focused or perform as well on a high-stakes test.” -- New York Times