March and April herald the arrival of standardized testing for most of the nation’s school children. On this week’s show, I talk with historian, professor, and education activist, Dr. Jessie Ramey about whether standardized testing helps or hurts our kids and why a growing number of parents are opting out of testing for their children. If you have a school aged child, or will have one, you will encounter standardized testing. Listen in to learn:

What role financial profit plays in the increased use of standardized testing
How these “high stakes” tests can affect a school’s culture
Why every school is likely to be deemed “failing” in a year’s time; and
What a parent’s options are if she does not want her child to be tested

I’ll be blogging about my thoughts on standardized testing on the Parenting With Playdate Planet Blog. I hope you’ll join me there for a post-show discussion.