The WASL is not racially biased. This is just another example of Political Correctness gone amok! The student obviously has a chip on his/her shoulder.

What is the question? I don't see the question so am unable to know if this question is offensive or not.

The question is not offensive for sure. Because Blacks are dumm and are idoits.

I need to see the WALS question, how do I know if it's offensive or not.

I believe that it is a question, only a question. To make it seem offensive is taking it way out of context. What I mean is that the person who raised the "red flag" about the question wanted to find a problem about it, believing that it was racially biased because of today's society. (everything that could be seen as racist, automatically becomes racist) The question came out of a book written in the 1950's. I'm sure that the author that wrote the Award winning book didn't intend on anything being racially biased. Especially when the story took place in the 1950's a time when racism was widespread. When the book was written in the 50's that was what most hispanics did for work. Now hispanics are government officials and hold other jobs that are well respected. If in another 50 years a question was to appear on a WASL test about hispanics in the early 2000's the question would reflect them in an entirely different and better way.

YES, I THINK THIS QUESTION IS VERY OFFENSIVE, THIS SHOULD BE ON THE WALS.

First, the news is remiss in not stating exactly what the question is.
I asked my high-schoolers of color this question and they laughed, having seen it on the WASL. Since the book is from the era of the 50's, we have to take it in context. And, depending where one is, it sounds like it might still be somewhat accurate. After all, the father of my granddaughter is illegal and did janitorial work under the table for a man in Mukilteo. Nowadays, not fifty years ago.
Should Scandinavian old-timers in Ballard get upset if a question depicted them as fishermen? Seriously, too much PC pandering.

We need to see the question before making a statement. Bring back another blogpost on the war .. that seems to create lots of stir and activity.

Noah Barto is an idiot. (Learn to spell).

what was the question? does anybody know who has already judged and gave their opiion?

I think the question should be taken out of the WASL. I understand from your broadcast that it doesn’t state that it’s from a book or specify the era it was written. The purpose of the WASL is to find out how well our school systems are teaching the youth of our society. If the subject matter or the book isn’t part of the curriculum, why is it so important to keep it in? We need to respect all races and ethnic culturals - the student may be sensitive to the subject because racial prejudice is something he faces in everyday life.

The purpose of the WASL is to determine whether students have learned anything. The ONE STUDENT who complained obviously couldn't understand the point of the question. This doesn't mean you pull the question, it only means that this ONE STUDENT failed to learn his history. Might be his fault, might be the fault of teachers. In other words, the WASL is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. It's finding a weak point in the learning process.

If we continue removing questions that actually test learning, we will remove the entire quality-control purpose of the test. Needless to say, removing accountability is the eternal goal of Leftists, and this one student has obviously learned Leftist tactics very well, even if he hasn't learned anything else.

How can we comment on a question when you don't give the question? I guess the answer is 42.

From what my kids said who actually saw it on the WASL, it was a series of questions pertaining to a section of material from the book that they firstly had to read in order to answer the questions. The objection seems to be on the reading material itself, since all the questions pertained to the book, which referenced "stereotypical" aspects pertaining to Hispanics in the 1950's. As I said before, get over it. Pretty soon, we'll be re-writing history, so as not to offend anyone. What's wrong with the truth, if that is what it happens to be? If we're sensitive to every damn thing that offends someone, there won't be any subject matter to present to students. Get over it.

I don't think that anyone should be offended. There are tons of books that are written about the past and all we can do is learn from it. Every culture has gone through their struggle in the past and the children today have to understand that that's how hard our grandparents, parents had to work to provide for our families back then and possibly even till now.

This whole subject is irrelevant. I am sick and tired of thinned skinned, ignorant people. Maybe Washington State Students should be given a First Grade WSL exam. That's about the extent of their knowledge.

Really - is this as low as we can get to discuss? there is no real basis for this. Wahhhh, grow up.
Lets play the race card on a migrant question from the 50's. Grow up people. You want something to complain about, bring the Bible back to the library at school (ohh taboo) or Uncle Remus and the Tar Baby (heaven forbid). just answer the question - shut up and move on.

remember the lone ranger and his trusty side kick tonto? this is what it means in spanish.
tonto,-a

I adjetivo silly, familiar dumb: ¿cómo pude ser tan tonto?, how could I be so stupid?
fue lo bastante tonto como para decirle la verdad, he was foolish enough to tell him the truth
una observación tonta, a trivial remark

the lone ranger and his trusty side kick stupid the indian!!

It must be a really slow news day......

I think that the WASL was wrong to be so uncaring, and unaware, but I would need to see the question to give my full point of view.

I am becoming very offended that someone is always offended by something. It seems to be the latest "in" thing. Pretty soon we will all have to drive the same color car that is the same cost so that nobody would be offended that yours is more expensive than the one they can afford (but which color would be non offensive to everyone?). Why can't we just look at the positive sides of being able to live in this great country? We are the most priveledged, spoiled people that take everything for granted and have become a society that must find the negative and wrong in everything. I think the media is largely to blame for this. There were probobly things that offended many of us when I was in school in the 70's, but our parents told us to grow up and get over it and take responsibility for our own happiness. If people are so offended go somewhere else. My guess is that this student had other reasons for being offended by the WASL question, such as not being prepared to take it. Pretty soon it will be given in Spanish only anyway so maybe if won't be so offensive.

they could have posed the question without naming a nationality.

they could have posed the question without naming a nationality.

Is the hispanic student a US Citizen? If not, then they have no reason to question anything. This book was written long ago and has never been questioned prior to this. If we ban this book, we will be banning books that go back to the creation of writing.