PARCC is very controversial and has sparked many debates. As a parent, taxpayer, and educator I often struggle with the impact these assessments have on our students, my own children, fellow colleagues, and education as a whole. Here are twenty reasons for and against PARCC.......

Reason #1 (For) ~ Students need to know how they progress from year to year in subjects like math and literacy.

Reason #2 (Against) ~ Schools will be in testing mode for 40 days (20 in March and 20 in May)

Reason #3 (For) ~ Parents need to know how their children progress from year to year in subjects like math and literacy.

Reason #4 (Against) ~ The test results do not come back until late summer or early fall. This timing makes it incredibly difficult to help students when results come back six months later.

Reason #5 (For) ~ Teachers need to know their students' progress, or lack there of, in order to impact future instruction.

Reason #6 (Against) ~ The computers being used for testing will not be available for other students who are not testing for close to 40 days out of the school year.

Reason #7 (For) ~ Schools can use test results along with other pieces of evidence to help promote the success of students.

Reason #8 (Against) ~ Teachers and support staff will be pulled out of their regular classes to proctor the tests for up to 40 school days.

Reason #9 (For) ~ The shift from paper tests to online tests has forced districts to buy more technology and upgrade infrastructure.

Reason #10 (Against) ~ Critics of standardized testing claim that PARCC is technically not being used for diagnostic purposes.

Reason #11 (For) ~ Ultimately the PARCC will have results made available in a more timely fashion which will address student learning gaps.

Reason #12 (Against) ~ PARCC scores are being tied to teacher evaluations. Is this really fair given that it's one piece of the puzzle?

Reason #13 (For) ~ Students are working on their typing skills more at much younger age in preparation for the PARCC test. This will help them down the road when they enter the real world.

Reason #14 (Against) ~ STRESS. Students, Teachers, Administrators, and Parents are going through undo stress as it relates to testing. This can not be good for anyone's health.

Reason #15 (For) ~ Over time results will show which schools and teachers are ineffective.

Reason #16 (Against) ~ PARCC testing is costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

Reason #17 (For) ~ Standardized testing results help people understand how schools match up with others nationally and globally.

Reason #18 (Against) ~ Tech staff have no choice but to be solely focus on ensuring that the online tests are working at all times. What about other tech issues in non tested learning areas?

Reason #19 (For) ~ Students work hard in school preparing for the PARCC exam. This is their time to shine and show what they know.

Reason #20 (Against) ~ Finnish students rarely take standard tests and are tops in the world at educating their students. Why is it that the United States wants to compare themselves to every other top performing country except for Finland?

Not sure if I totally agree with the reasons listed above, but I am glad I got it off my chest. It will be interesting in the coming months and years to see how these new age standardized tests impact the educational world. Let's all try to keep an open mind and continue to do what's best for kids.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Bammy Award Finalist, ClassDojo Thought Leader and Google Certified Educator. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

• Published and displayed our Week in Review Animoto Video highlighting best practice educational experiences that take place in our school. 
  
• Created and disseminated the first edition of the Bulldog Bulletin that provides district staff with five best practice resources to explore on a weekly basis. 
  
• Read and discussed with a few colleagues an article from AMLE Magazine related to using primary source documents and digital resources to understand the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 
  
• Observed middle school students in our Innovation and Design Class working on their Westward Expansion Robot Project in the halls. 
• Observed middle school students in our Computer Application Class filming scenes for their SAT Word Project in the halls.
• Discussed piloting blended learning tools such as Blendspace, Nearpod, and Educreations in Art Class.
• Watched a student created video on the topic of math using the Educreations App on the iPad mini. 
• Updated our school's website, Pinterest Board, Facebook Page, and Twitter Handle. 
• Received an email from a parent congratulating me on making a list of top education bloggers in New Jersey. 
• Helped out an elementary teacher utilize a Web 2.0 Tool called Smore for an upcoming lesson. 
• Observed an elementary teacher successfully implement Sokikom as a way to help students focus on their Common Core math skills. 
• Observed an elementary teacher break down a piece of nonfiction text with students in a small group setting. 
• Participated in a Student-Staff basketball game to end the day on a high note. As a fundraiser before the game we taped one of our teachers to the wall and had people watch via Facetime in the gymnasium. One of our terrific students organized the entire broadcast production.