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A principal’s opinion piece in the New York Times criticizing standardized testing in US schools has invoked a fierce reaction of support from the top of one of America’s biggest teachers’ unions.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has gone after assessment giant Pearson in a letter addressed to its Chief Executive John Fallon and Chairman Glen Moreno. Sent 24 April, Weingarten says she was “deeply disturbed” after reading an opinion piece penned by New York principal Elizabeth Phillips that criticizes both the questions included in Pearson’s tests, and the fact that she is contractually prohibited from revealing the nature of the questions.

“These gag orders and the lack of transparency are fueling the growing distrust and backlash among parents, students and educators in the United States about whether the current testing protocols and testing fixation is in the best interests of children,” wrote Weingarten. “We’re concerned that Pearson is using gag orders to cover up – rather than address – problems with its standardized tests.”

In her Times article, the principal of 15 years at Brooklyn’s Public School 321 made it clear that the issue is not the tests themselves, but that their complexity and length are inappropriate and too difficult for primary-aged children.

“I want to be clear: We were not protesting testing; we were not protesting the Common Core standards. We were protesting the fact that we had just witnessed children being asked to answer questions that had little bearing on their reading ability and yet had huge stakes for students, teachers, principals and schools,” wrote Phillips, referring to state standards designed to properly prepare children for the future. “In general terms, the tests were confusing, developmentally inappropriate and not well aligned with the Common Core standards.”

Weingarten echoed Phillips’ words, making it clear that she and AFT are not opposed to assessments, but rather the lack of transparency that prevents test improvement.

“Parents, students and teachers need assessments that accurately measure student performance through questions that are grade-appropriate and aligned with state standards – especially since standardized tests have increasingly life-altering consequences for students and teachers,” Weingarten wrote. “By including gag orders in contracts, Pearson is silencing the very stakeholders the company needs to engage with.

The AFT president wrote that she will air her concerns to Pearson’s senior management and board at the company’s annual meeting on 25 April. She has asked them to seriously consider the concerns of various stakeholders, and suggested that a failure to do so could harm both Pearson’s reputation, and share prices.

To read Weingarten's letter to Pearson, click here

To read Phillip's NYT Op-Ed click here