April is National Poetry Month, but it is also standardized testing season. As a public educator, I have the utmost respect for the laws that govern our institutions of learning. However, many educators, including myself, advocate for a more holistic approach to assessing student achievement and holding schools accountable. It can be challenging for underfunded and impoverished schools to “meet the mark.” Often, the score does not equate to their efforts. This poem is dedicated to all schools, but especially those lacking the resources they so desperately need.
More Than a Score
Judgement Day is upon us
The time has come once again
To confine our knowledge to bubbles
And cite our evidence
We’ll strip the walls of all knowledge
And put the desks back in rows
The moment has arrived
For students to show what they know
They will be asked to read and write
At levels that are quite complex
If we only test what we value,
Is there no value in the rest?
We’re told it measures potential
That it helps build resilience and grit
180 days of learning
Yet, it all comes down to this
We will follow the rules of the game
But will not be defined by the score
You cannot quantify the qualities
That make us so much more
We are smart in many ways
That you simply cannot measure
You could not put on paper
What we have accomplished together
We cultivate problem solvers
Day in, and day out
We greatly impact the future
And that’s what really counts
Click More than a Score for the printable poster!
