[RSCT] Support Teachers in Australia in their struggle against testing

[Bob Peterson]

Dear members of the RS Critical list serv,

A good friend of mine, Angelo Gavrielatos, president of the Australian Education Union, has asked for our help. They are engaged in a struggle with the Australian federal government regarding standardized testing. Up until now, the teachers' unions in Australia have been able to prevent the educational system from releasing "league tables" -- test scores tabulated by individual schools -- to the press. They know that if this were to occur schools would be compared and inequality would increase. Angelo said that they would welcome letters from the USA to the federal government in Australia explaining why the current policy in Australia should be kept and damaging effects of publishing such invalid scores should not take place.

If you want to help, click on the words "you can send a protest letter" and it will take you to the AEU site that allows you to do so.

In solidarity,
Bob Peterson
Rethinking Schools


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> League Tables Campaign
> Dear Colleague
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> It’s a critical time for education in Australia.
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> The Federal Government is planning to put the test results of every school  on a new website at the end of the year.
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> Unless that data is protected there will be nothing to stop the media using it to create and publish invalid and misleading league tables.
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> Ranking schools in league tables is bad for schools, students, teachers and parents.
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> Federal politicians say they oppose league tables but they are doing nothing to stop them.
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> We need your help.  Please visit the AEU’s league tables home page today. There you can learn more about the issue and watch a video on the damaging impact of league tables.
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> You can also send a protest letter direct to the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, the Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and your local MP telling them to protect school children and teachers and ban league tables.
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> Thank you,
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> Angelo Gavrielatos
> Federal President
> Australian Education Union
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