SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Testing, Rankings, & Choice

Read our letter to the editor in today’s Globe & Mail in response to Marcus Gee’s column on Why School Rankings Help Parents Make Better Choices.

He wrote:  “For parents, the EQAO data is an invaluable tool. Those looking for a school for their kid can base this critical decision on something more than rumour and hearsay. Others can approach the principal and ask “Why don’t our Grade 3s do better at reading?” without being waved off with we’re-doing-our-best excuses.” and then: “In an ideal world, the province would use the EQAO results to rank every school in the province, best to worst. Imagine the pressure that would put on bottom-ranked schools to pull up their socks? Imagine the spotlight it would put on the top schools?”

Hurrah. Finally, some honesty.

Contrast Gee’s column to this press release from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation which is full of the usual cliches and excuses.