Contacting councilors, commissioners
and lawmakers takes time and expense, but
the cause is authentic and deserves the effort.
Jeff Simons
Eugene
FAILING THE TEST
I am a first year teacher, just out of the
UOTeach Program. Students in Oregon
face a deluge of standardized tests starting
in the third grade. Every year, numerous
hours of instruction time are dedicated to
test prep and testing. It is estimated that
standardized tests cost upwards of $27
million per year in Oregon. The cost to stu-
dents is much greater.
Due to testing, 4J Schools have limited
time and money for physical education,
music and art. Teachers struggle to squeeze
science and social studies into their sched-
ules. Funding for targeted interventions is
limited and always uncertain.
This means students with the highest
reading and math needs may not receive
the individualized help they need to meet
academic goals.
The current focus on testing is a huge
disadvantage to our youth. Students should
have a well-rounded education in which
they explore science, social studies, art,
music and physical education.
Education is more than just reading and
math. Testing has dulled the classroom ex-
perience by removing the fun from learning.
It is my job to somehow take a fixed
schedule and squeeze in everything that
has been removed due to testing. This is to
ensure that my students have the opportu-
nity to find out what they’re good at.
School should be a place full of experi-
ences that lead to students to love learning.
Testing does just the opposite.
Reneé Henderson
Eugene
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Louise and I have been missing some
of our favorite aspects of summer in Eu-
gene: Where’s the Bike Brigade, those
fun-loving lit-up pedalers who used to roar
through the neighborhood, often ending up
at Skinner Butte Park (where they once did
a midnight fashion show on the play-
ground bridge)? Where are the fire dancers
who entertained with their practicing down
at the end of Lawrence Street?
And, of course, where are the Skinner
Butte eagles, which for the first time since
their appearance in 2007 did not nest and
raise young on the butte this year?
On a different note, where is my buddy
Steve, who was a regular panhandler for
two years at the corner of 6th and High,
on the north edge of the Good Times park-
ing lot? I gave him a warm coat back in
December, and he greatly appreciated it. If
anybody knows why he disappeared this
spring, will you let me know? 541-687-
1023.
Jeff Harrison
Eugene
RED BARN
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eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 17, 2017
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