For Immediate Release

UFT react to Gotbaum on testing

Jan 16, 2008 4:39 PM

On January 16, New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum released results of a study showing that the city’s Department of Education is spending over $335 million on experimental student testing systems – instead of hiring more teachers and opening new pre-kindergarten classes – despite warnings from education experts about excessive testing. Gotbaum said the money could pay for 6,364 new teachers or almost 26,000 new pre-K seats or 167,500 after school slots.

UFT President Randi Weingarten responded with the following statement:

"This study affirms what teachers have been saying about real learning being forced to take a back seat to test prep in our school system because the city Department of Education is focused on standardized tests to the exclusion of just about everything else. That $335 million is a lot of money even when times are good, but in a soft economy like the one we’re in now the city must make a special effort to utilize resources wisely. Assessments do serve a useful purpose in education, but the DOE must redeploy some of the millions being lavished on testing into classrooms for direct services to children."