NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) –Some Tennessee teachers and parents are concerned about posts on Craigslist that appear to be recruiting people to grade achievement tests in other states. The company is the same one that developed TN Ready, but education officials claim Craigslist recruiting isn’t something happening here.
A representative for the Tennessee Education Association said the posts have been a concern for the past year.
A representative for the Tennessee Department of Education, however, said there is a high set of expectations involved in who is grading TNReady tests.
On Craigslist, there are listings for bikes, boats, tickets, tools and much more. What some didn’t expect to find was an ad claiming to be hiring for test grading.
“If I need a guy to help me move a couch up the stairs at my house, maybe I go to Craigslist,” said Andy Spears, an education blogger. “You want someone well-educated, well-trained if it’s math and English tests. I want to know they have a background in that. It seems highly unlikely they’ll find that on Craigslist.”
The post offers a starting pay of $11.70 an hour for someone to work in a test center in Michigan. A bachelor’s degree in any field is required.
The ad claims to represent Measurement, Inc., the company that developed TNReady.
“What’s really disturbing is high-stakes decisions, teacher records, whether a school will remain open or not, are all boiling down to someone who sees an ad on Craigslist,” said Carolyn Crowder, executive director of the Tennessee Education Association.
Crowder said they have been seeing the Craigslist ads claiming to be for Measurement, Inc., for the past year. The ads said they are hiring for centers in different cities.
“I have a fourth grader. I want to know who’s grading their tests. I want them well-screened,” Spears said.
A representative for the Department of Education said TNReady scorers are not being found through Craigslist. She said there are interviews, training, and an English language arts and math screening assessment for test scorers.
She said the “scorer must demonstrate accuracy and consistency during the training process by taking qualifying examinations that contain a range and variety of student responses.”
Measurement, Inc., did not return requests for comment on the validity of the posts for centers in other cities by deadline.
The Tennessee Department of Education representative added they cannot speak to how Measurement, Inc., advertises to customers in other states.
Source: NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) Channel 4
Parents question Craigslist ad seeking test graders
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