Opinion
School & District Management Letter to the Editor

Student Milestones Should Be About Discovery, Not Tests

June 03, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

I found Marc Prensky’s Commentary “The Goal of Education Is Becoming,” very insightful.

As a new principal, my challenge has been to increase student achievement, yet not lose sight that the whole child is important. Yes, I want my students to have a strong grasp of the academics that bring them to school; however, I know the school’s role is so much more than that. Schools are charged with partnering with parents to make sure that our students “become” responsible and contributing citizens. They need to understand their worth, and the role they will need to play to move the future forward in a positive direction.

I have had many conversations with my teachers in which they express their frustration in moving from one assessment to the next. Sometimes I think we have so much data, and yet we are not quite sure what to do with it all.

My teachers do not feel able to stop and show students the beauty of learning while enjoying the moment of being a child, whether that is in elementary, middle, or high school. Every milestone in a student’s life should be about discovery, to include learning to work with others, appreciating differences, and overall development of character.

In our testing-focused era of education, the focus is more on a student’s level and not whether he or she is becoming a well-rounded individual.

As an educator, I most certainly understand the purpose of standardized tests, grading, accountability, and standards. I just think they have been taken to an extreme. As I walk the halls of my school visiting classrooms, I know it will be more important, as Mr. Prensky states, that our students are “creative and effective thinkers, communicators, and doers.” That, after all, is what our society needs more and more of.

Sherry Watts

Principal

Minneola Elementary Charter School

Minneola, Fla.

A version of this article appeared in the June 04, 2014 edition of Education Week as Student Milestones Should Be About Discovery, Not Tests

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion The Stunning Resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan—and Why It Matters
The university president’s departure is more than just a headline. It’s a lesson in leadership.
2 min read
Opinion Licensed Not for Reuse Wait What FCG
Canva
School & District Management In Their Own Words This Custodian Got Students to Stop Vandalizing and Take Pride in Their School
Andy Markus, the 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year, helped boost behavior and engagement in his Utah district.
5 min read
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year.
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year for his mentorship of students.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management What the Research Says About School Boards: How Much Conflict Really Is There?
Plus, how competitive are board elections? How much do teachers' union endorsements matter?
7 min read
Houston ISD's appointed school board votes on the "District of Innovation" status during their monthly work session meeting at HISD Central Office on Sept. 7, 2023 in Houston.
Houston's appointed school board takes a vote during a meeting on Sept. 7, 2023 in the district's central office. A number of studies from recent years have answered questions about school boards' makeup, how competitive board elections are, whether conflict is on the rise, and more.
Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP
School & District Management Opinion How a Weekly Email to My Staff Made Me a Better District Leader
Writing helps make sense out of what feels messy and focus us on what's most important.
George Philhower
5 min read
Blue hand holding red pen.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week