Editor, News-Register:
All I keep hearing about this year is the “mental health” of our children. If any policy makers out there are truly listening to the children, and truly considering their mental health, then state testing would not be taking place this year. My daughter is a good student and would do fine on the state test; however, she is constantly fretting over it lately. Being a teacher myself, I told her that I couldn’t agree more. I, too, think it is unfair and unnecessary to test these kids this year. My daughter asked me “Well, who is making these decisions? I want to talk to them!” Right then I came to a decision. I am going to see if my child’s voice CAN actually make a difference in the world. I told her to write me an opinion paper about it. I promised that I would send it to every politician I could think of. Here is what my daughter wrote. Her words exactly.