According to Superintendent Lynn Moody’s statements Thursday in the Post (“Superintendent says scores prove point on income level”), standardized test scores are a poor measuring tool for proficiency. The reason given was the standard test scores are more a measure of poverty and not so much about learning. Rowan County has 15.3% of its people living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census. 

It seems that the superintendent believes students not living in poverty score better on standard tests; therefore, this test has more to do with economics than teaching and learning.

Hogwash. If this hypothesis were true, wouldn’t the 83.7% (those not living in poverty) carry the 15.3% (those living in poverty) to more positive results on these test? It would seem some of the 83.7% must not be learning as well, which would indicate we have a teaching/learning situation not this social-economic issue.

The problem is more about indoctrination or a politicization of everything, including education. Maybe it’s time to get back to reading, writing and arithmetic and let these economic issues be resolved by a thriving economy, not by government interference.

After eight years of socialism under President Barack Obama, it’s a surprise we only have a 15.3% poverty rate. Things have probably gone better in the past two years, but we can’t say that because that would give the current president credit for doing something good economically for the country.

Sometimes it is hard to accept facts about teaching and learning. Blaming the economy for a poor showing in these tests is just a way of deflecting attention away from a poor job of educating our children.

— Richard Roberts

Kannapolis