Someone is trying to gag the National Assessment Governing Board鈥檚 board members.
The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)鈥攎ore commonly known as 鈥渢he nation鈥檚 report card.鈥� As the NAEP website , 鈥淔irst administered in 1969, [NAEP] is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation鈥檚 students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and writing.鈥� In short, NAGB is in charge of the most reliable, trusted data on how American students are faring.
NAGB鈥檚 sprawling 26-member governing board includes a lively mix of 糖心动漫vlog, researchers, elected officials, the general public, and more. The whole value of such a board is to get multiple perspectives, allow the board members to learn from one another when discussing issues, and provide guidance that reflects the concerns of various stakeholders.
Well, on April 20, Haley Barbour, the chair of the NAGB board and a former governor of Mississippi, sent the board members a two-page letter spelling out a series of restrictions on how these board members can henceforth communicate.
Checker Finn, a former NAGB chair, president emeritus of the Fordham Institute, and one of the nation鈥檚 leading authorities on NAEP, earlier this week of Barbour鈥檚 missive: 鈥淣AGB members must cease communicating with each other and with outsiders, at least if it鈥檚 in writing and pertains to matters that may come before the board. If they persist, they must share all such communications with board staff . . . Which is to say, Big Brother will henceforth watch every written communication that every NAGB member has with anyone on any 鈥榤atter within the Board鈥檚 purview.鈥欌��
This is disturbing. Since NAGB deals with reading, math, civics, school performance, assessment, and more, pretty much any professional matter that 糖心动漫vlog or education researchers might discuss falls under the board鈥檚 purview. Presumably, this means that board members will no longer be free to question or discuss the organization鈥檚 decisions, with board colleagues or anyone else, except under the watchful eye of organizational leaders. It also means that any educator or official who raises a concern to a board member or asks a question of one will have their query forwarded to NAGB officialdom. Intentionally or not, this move could squash dissenting or inconvenient voices who fear getting caught crosswise with federal education officials.
As Finn notes, 鈥淢oreover, the Barbour letter says they鈥檙e going to shut down the 鈥榗hat鈥� function during Zoom meetings so that board members cannot have side 鈥榗onversations.鈥欌�� The message this sends? As Finn puts it, 鈥淭urn off the internet. Don鈥檛 let them communicate. And they won鈥檛 be able to conspire or dissent.鈥�
It鈥檚 not entirely clear what provoked this troubling move, or whether it came from Biden staffers at the Department of Education or NAGB officials seeking more control of the board. Aside from lots of vague head-nodding toward 鈥渕anagement of government records,鈥� 鈥渞egulatory guidelines,鈥� and 鈥渕andatory training,鈥� Barbour鈥檚 letter (which has not yet been publicly released) never actually explains what changes necessitate or excuse its Draconian step. The letter suggests COVID-19 was the impetus, since it has 鈥渓imited the time and ease with which鈥� board members can engage one another鈥攖hough it鈥檚 not clear how restricting communication helps with that. Barbour also alludes to federal laws 鈥済overning the preservation and protection of government records鈥濃�攖hough, again, it鈥檚 unclear why private in-person conversations were kosher in 2019 but private conversations are suddenly illicit in 2021.
Some suspect that the letter is a response to the roiling concerns about NAGB鈥檚 proposed new reading 鈥渇ramework,鈥� which features an increasingly controversial push to throw out the long-standing approach to reading comprehension in favor of one which, prominent critics , will de-emphasize texts and inflate scores.
Perhaps NAGB has a good reason for trying to impose a gag order on board members; stifle their ability to discuss issues with one another; or communicate with the nation鈥檚 糖心动漫vlog, parents, researchers, and public officials. If so, I鈥檇 very much like to hear it. Otherwise, this directive sets a troubling precedent and one that needs to be reversed鈥攖he sooner the better. My understanding is that there鈥檚 already been substantial, commendable pushback from a number of board members. It can only help if those on the outside make their own voices heard, as well.
