ALBUQUERQUE ― American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly released the following statement on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s 2015 PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) student well-being results released today:

 

“Today’s PISA report highlights another troubling statistic for the United States: our students are stressed out, with nearly 68 percent reporting anxiety related to testing, a full 13 percent higher than other international peers. We must treat today’s report with the same sense of urgency we do when the PISA releases their international country ratings – we cannot pick and choose the statistics we use based on convenience.

 

“The data is clear – countries who excel in education have lessened their reliance on testing, shifting the focus to student well-being, both in and out of the classroom. Schools that promote inclusive environments free of bullying, build strong partnerships with parents and community members, and limit excessive internet usage as part of instruction have some of the highest achievement in student well-being, across the board. All of these data points refute the current course set by President Trump and US Education Secretary DeVos, both of whom favor cuts to proven programs like in-school child nutrition, wraparound services provided by community schools, and before- and after-school programs.

 

“The PISA report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development not only provides a diagnosis for challenges in the American education system, but also a prescription for remedying our shortcomings. As professional educators, lawmakers, and parents, we must not only be willing to listen, but also act. Improvement for and by our students will only occur when the two are done together.”