Over at the N&R's Chalkboard, Bruce Buchanon takes a critical look at how an editorialist for a Triangle area alt-weekly views state mandated student testing scores and practices.   The Independent's editorial by Bob Burtman mirrors my thinking on the subject and is a good read.  He slams high stakes testing, teacher bonuses, and the limits and challenges it all places on providing students with a real education.  Here's some of it...

"(North Carolina's) punitive, high-stakes design serves more to validate superficial state administrative goals than to really benefit the kids who take them...."  

"The development of critical thinking and leadership skills... is practically irrelevant in a test-driven environment."

But The Chalkboard takes Burtman's column to another level. More accurately... Buchanon's post puts a local face on the implications and charges leveled by Burtman and offers a newsprint quality quasi-editorial take that you won't find in the N&R's print edition.

An obligatory "we-blog-you-decide" disclaimer is offered -  "It's not our place... to decide if Burtman's opinions are on target - we will leave that to you..." - but then Buchanon goes on to agree with most everything Burtman asserts and puts a Guilford County spin on it and I like it. 

Shades of things to come? Read it here.  Burtman's piece is here.

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In the comments to yesterday's post about Councilwoman Johnson's weblog, Sue suggested that it might be a good idea to offer a get together of interested local guvment officials to introduce them to blogs.   Roch likes the idea and suggests holding the seminar at the library and JW said she'd be happy to help.  I like it, too, and would like to be involved as well.

However, Ross came in with some concerns, "...Who would be making the "brief introductory presentation"? What kind of blogs would these be personal, offical, political or otherwise? What vendor software would be recommended? Would all vendors have an equal oppurtunity to represent their products? Would the "blogger mentor" job be to facilate comfort in using the tools or to dictate their application?"

All good questions, but they wouldn't have been my first thoughts on such an endeavor.  The idea was just floated yesterday so first let's see if there is actual interest in such an effort before we work out the seating arrangements and such.  To that end, Sue over at SouthernRants has ideas a' flowin' to get folks involved.

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Update: Cone weighs in and starts more conversation.

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