Bravo, Sydney!
Sydney Smoot appeared at a Florida school board meeting to voice her concerns about standardized testing that she believes unfairly judges students. She took her turn at the podium and by the end of her brief speech, the entire audience leapt to their feet in applause.
Watch her incredibly poised speech here:
Syndey suggested changes and railed against a provision she was asked to sign saying that she wasn't allowed to
discuss the test with her parents:
Sydney suggests tests be administered throughout the year, instead of once at the end of the year. “One test defines me as either a failure or a success through a numbered rubric.” That test score is not revealed until after that school year is over, according to Smoot.
She’s also concerned about a form in the test requiring students to refrain from talking about the test to parents. “I am not comfortable signing something like this,” Sydney said, “I have the right to talk to my parents about any- and everything related to school and my education.”
Tests or no tests, it's clear that Sydney Smoot has a very bright future ahead. Bravo, Sydney!