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eOPINION Testing the system VX When the Elementary Tcachers' Federation of Ontario z (ETFO), at its recent 2010 convention, issued a statemeni Scalling for the Ministry of Education to implement a two-year Smoratorium onl Grades 3 and 6 Education Qualitv and Accountabilitv Office (EQAO) testing, it didn't cor-ne aîs miuch ~of a shock. t The organization, which represents morc than 76,000 teachers across the province, askcd the government io do away with the standardized tests altogether earf jet ibis year. SCharging that the Ontario governimenî has pOured more than $ 100 million int the standardized tests, xxhiclb have Sbeen administcred in schools across the province since ilie l ate 1990s, the FIFO argues that the monte>' coufd bc betici spent elsewhere. In addition, it says the drive for scbiooks b improve ibeir SEQAO scores potas so mnurb focu-, oin Iicrar s and noîniici ar(, ihat aicasl lit a-, Iwtoiý ()c iai tidiu aid 1 Pc it-t c gel( lîned. Teachers ccel ihcv'te spcnding ioo imotblimne fi flic classroomn teaching to the test. Heightening the concernis are the fact that LQAO reSoLîIS form the basis for the School Information Finder, wxhicb rcaf estate companies rcfy on to rank schools and necigbibour- hoods. We wonder why a[ter 14 years of adininistering the stan- dardized tests, sehool s have been unable to find a way to teach the requisite numeracy and fiîeracy skiffs wiîhout sac- rificing other areas of the curriculum. By now, shoufdn't the numeracy and lîteracy preparations bc integraf comiponients of not onfy Grades 3 and 6, but afso the grades feacfing up bo the testing f evels? Earlier this year, Ontarios Auditor General concluded that the EQAO tests refleci the provincial curriculum lairfy and accurately and are consistent in difficulty fromn one year bo the next. Further, they serve as valid, consistent antI reliable indica- tors of student achievement. fn short, EQAO, created as an independent agency in 1996 to conduet assessments and gather objective information from our sehools, is at the top of the class when it cornes to providing value for money We doubt very much that a moratorium on the standard- ized tests would accomplish an effective review on how to best assess what our children are learning. Readers Write Email lettor e ttrla@nIoldklat(d-po - Letters, whîtch rnay 1 t Wd mus-t a oiiild the wniteos name i -si iri phorn nber Traffic concerns on Britannia Rd. DEAR EDITOR: 1 notîced James Snoxx Parkway us now paved fromt Louis St. Laurent to Britannia Road. Hopefufly ibis new road wiff bc opcned later thîs year. We also ncd traffic lîghts on thîs part of Britannia. Also, f note - wîth great inîcrest ihai Britannia %vestbound ai the park- way now has a provision for a left tomn fane goîng south. Howxex'er, the only place to go is into the farniers field. Or is ihis to be the site of the Milton icats' new stadium? jusi wvondering. JOHN GALLAGHER MILTON lrEje Caîîatban (CE!anwion Milton's Community Newspaper Since 1860 555 bndustnial Dr., Milton, Ont. L9T 5E1 905-878-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertismng Fax: 905-876-2364 Ctassified:905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 www.miltoncanadlianchampion.com V.P. - Group Publisher Neil Oliver Regional General Manager David Harvey General Manager Debbc Koppejan Editor in Chief Managing Editor Karer Miceou Production Manager T;m Coles, Circulation Manager Charlenie Hall Office Manager Sandy Pare The Canadian Champion, publinhed every Tuesday and Thursday, is a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Advertisng is accepteo on the conditon tha, in the event of a typographical error, tha porion of the adverts snq space occupied by thre enronenos item, toget5ef with a reasonable allowanice for signature, wil ot ire ctrarged ni, bot the balance of thre adveiemen wril tee paid for at tne applicable rate. The pobesher reserves trirenht to categoncze advertisemens or decline êÇ~ CCAB Audited 1Oecoegnized foi-e te-c-e i0s Ontario Community A o S Newspapers Association tC A anadan Communioy Newspapers Association M16 Suburean Newspapers emn of America Aroundtowni The rnost wonderful Urne of the yaMaybe, rnaybe flot Hi toc etc r LCOlC1S fI might not feel fike it, but faf f is in the air no matter what Mother Nature will have us believe with this heat speil. Just as the Ex signais the beginning of the end for kids everywhere going back to school, there are certain things in Milton that, to, me, mean summer is wrapping up and a new season isjust around the corner - even if the thermometers stîlf in the thirties. There's the obvirous, with trees already sporting the occasionaf red or orange feaf. Soon the Mill Pond will host a full array of harvest colours, afong with the impressive Niagara Escarpment. It's up to, us to take advantage, of .these spectacles, and we al know how fleeting faf I is. But there are plenty of other signs of auturms anival - some welcoming, sorte flot so much. Perhaps the most exciting, for this reporter anyways, is when information first cornes across my desk for stories on this weekends Steam-Era and the September 24 to 26 Milton Faîl Pair. The events themselves are a tradition for many families, and 1 can't resist themn either. f love the sound of the steam engines as- they hI ow their horns during the Steam-Era event and, during Saturday's parade, slowfy chug afong Main Street. And whats not to fike about the fali fairs piglets, produce and the midway? This past weekends Ribfest was a great sueeess, and with organizers hoping to make it a yearf y event, f woufdn't be sur- prised if that becomes Mil tons CNE equivafent - when you see Ribfest advertised in the Champion toward the end of August, you know the end is necar. Eventuafy, as the days gel shorter, so too do the bouts at Jay's ice cream. l'm flot sure exactly when * see LOOKING on page A7 MILTON SANTA CLAUS PARADE UNITED WAY OF MILTON CANArI)A O)AY ' VYMÇA iTHFts GALA Awards __- reMAi Oh1Ji a bRid1h