Lake County parents, teachers and district administrators got together Wednesday evening at Tavares High School to discuss state and regular-classroom testing.
- School Board Chairman Marc Dodd calls testing culture 'very toxic'
- Some parents feel prep time for tests takes away education time
School Board Chairman Marc Dodd says the school board wants less tests and say they continue to lobby the legislature to take a look at how testing is used.
"We as a school board have recognized the testing culture has become very toxic. There are so many tests now, school days are interrupted, bell schedules have to be adjusted simply so kids can take tests," said Dodd.
Like other parents at the forum, Jane Irwin wants there to be less testing in Lake County schools.
"How much instruction time is being lost to test prep and how many days of their library's at the schools are shut down, no one allowed in for weeks at a time and classes turning into technology time to practice on the computer," said Irwin.
Dodd says this year, they reduced the number of progress monitoring tests but say other tests, like tests that grade a teacher, are outside of their control.