Letter: Schools spend too much time testing

Although I am angry about Iowa's declining reading and math scores, my anger is not directed at teachers or school administrators. Far from it. I have the honor of visiting classrooms and working with educators throughout our state - from Dubuque to Council Bluffs - and I know what I'm talking about.

Iowa teachers collaborate with their peers, they put in far more than the required number of hours each week and they actively seek out professional development opportunities.

Why then are test scores declining? They're declining because teachers are required to spend a horrendous amount of time testing and testing isn't teaching. According to a 2015 study by the Council of the Great City Schools, the average classroom spends 20-25 hours a year testing. This figure does not include time spent on sample tests, optional tests and program tests. Neither does it include time to prepare for the test, individual classroom testing, tests designed or acquired by a particular school district, or tests administered to samples of students.

Who's to blame for this amount of testing, time that prevents teachers from teaching and students from learning? Evidence indicates that culpability for our assessment system rests at the doorsteps of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, the states, and test publishers and vendors.

For years, state and federal policymakers have known that kids are being saddled with too many mandated standardized tests. It's time they right their wrong and it's time we stop pointing fingers at teachers and school administrators.

Jacquie McTaggart

Independence