Teachers in Pueblo protest new standardized testing

Teachers united by wearing black to silently protest an upcoming standardized test.

“This is taking basically a third of our year by the time all of the testing is completed,” said Suzanne Ethredge, president of the Pueblo Education Association, which represents teachers in Pueblo City Schools (D60).

Ethredge said teachers in District 60 and the Pueblo County School District (D70) were encouraged to wear black on Wednesday to mourn the “loss of teaching and learning.”

Starting in March, students across the state will begin taking a seven-week test called Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Students grades third through 12 are required to take the test. Students won’t take the test for seven weeks straight but Ethredge is concerned the testing will take up time that could be spent on new lesson plans.

She added that the timing of the new test is nerve-wracking.

“It matters a whole lot right now,” she said. “It matters probably more for us than for a lot of districts. And so having that unknown piece out there is really difficult.”

Pueblo City Schools is in the middle of its fourth year in priority improvement status. If student test scores don’t improve by 2016, the state will take over local control of schools and possibly the entire district. Ethredge doesn’t know what effect the upcoming tests will have.

“I don’t know if it has the potential to help more than hurt. I think that’s part of the unknown. And I think that’s what’s causing the pressure on teachers right now is that truly the fear of the unknown,” she said.

The president of the Pueblo County Education Association has concerns about the tests, too. Roxanne Pignanelli said it’s unfair that all students will be required to take the PARCC test on a computer.

“That requires children as young as 7 and 8 years old have to have typing skills. We don’t start keyboarding that early. We’d love to. We don’t have the money to do it,” Pignanelli said.

Dr. Constance Jones, superintendent of District 60, said in a statement, “It is important for you to know that our board of education is sensitive to the amount of time spent on testing.” She added that it’s ultimately up to the state Legislature to determine what standardized tests are required.