8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, May 15, 1996 N Ew S
State's Sierra Club launches campaign to fight Gov. Engler, protect environment
Daily St Reporter to shed some light on the inner workings of gov- unsound practices. the Sierra Club's efforts "a war they're clearl4
ernment agencies. Advertising the anonymous allegations against loosing," and said the Mole campaign is generally
0 Organization accuses Engler "Enforcing the law has become increasingly the Engler administration and getting the truth to laughed at within the office.
administration of intimidating hard to do," said Alison Horton about staff in the the public is the goal of the "Save the Mole" cam- He said the campaign will accomplish absolute-
DEQ. paign. ly nothing and he assumes it tobe politically moti-
environmental staff workers Horton is the director of the Michigan chapter By distributing 1,000 business sized cards to vated "to generate headlines."
Environmental organizations often say Gov. of the Sierra Club. DEQ staff people, the Sierra Club hopes to offer a Horton said the reaction to the Sierra Club
John Engler is an enemy of the environment, Horton said laws created to protect the environ- safe, anonymous outlet for state workers to tell the voiced by officials like Silfven "has been extreme-
accommodating big-business and industry, and ment can be side-stepped when a DEQ staff person public administrative secrets, Horton said. ly strident and aggressive."
that he is unwilling to compromise. is influenced to give undue permission to a given So far, the Sierra Club has publicized anony- Horton said she did not know of any DEQ staff
The Sierra Club is launching a campaign to industry. mous letters from DEQ staff people charging would be willing to come forward with inform s
fight the Engler administration through the "Save "We've had people indicate ... they've been Engler and Russ Harding with intimidating staff tion against the Engler administration.
the Moles" operation. directed to make sure a decision they're making people. Silfven pointed to the Sierra Club's failure to
Charging the Engler administration with intimi- about a permit turns out favorably," Horton said. One letter said: "If you use my name ... I hon- provide concrete evidence to support its claims.
dating lower staff workers in the Department of Horton said DEQ staff fear being humiliated or estly believe I will be fired or punished in some "People have never been fired for (failing to
Environmental Quality and barring them from fired if they take an environmental position on a way." accommodate a client). They throw out ridiculous
doing their iob, Sierra Club officials say it hopes case and are forced to endorse environmentally Ken Silfven, spokesperson for the DEQ, called charges," Silfven said.
Education symposium examines standardized testing
By Jennifer Harvey and by the Ford Foundation and was tions in educational testing and chal-
Managing News Editor organized by education Prof. Michael lenges in the communication of testin
Jo n t e tM e a t!C m oNettles, to a variety of audiences.V
Join the Sum mer Dai.y' COme tO 8 The second National Symposium on "(The symposium) dealt with Miskel said the symposium aims to
M ass Meeting tom orrow at 7:30 pm Equity and Educational Testing and issues of admissions tests and develop new ideas on performance test-
Assessment was held Monday and yes- whether or not ing, addressing
Call 76-Daly fO1 r more intiormation. terday in Washington D.C. It focused on the tests actually issues of relia-
measuring the performance and assess relevant There are a lot bility and valid-
achievement of economically disadvan- information ity.
taged students, ethnic minority students said Cecil of real concerns "The sym-
and female students. Miskel, dean of posium sets up
The symposium was sponsored by the School of that need to be a national dia-
the University's School of Education E d u c a t i o n. logue, target
"There are a lot a ddressed. ing policy
of real concerns makers, testing
that need to be - Cecil MIskel agencies and
addressed." School of Education Dean i n t e r e s t
Miskel said symposium participants groups," Miskel said.
discussed the fairness of assessment Among those attending the confer-
tests, although they offered ence were College Board President
dichotomized views on the subject. Donald Stewart and United Ne ro
About 120 symposium participants College Fund President William Gray,
examined the impact of new standards of Ill.
testing and assessment on focus students Miskel said although it may not facil-
and progress toward equity and chal- itate direct changes, he believes the syn*
len ges of-the testing and assessment posium produces an "elevation of dis-
at o iindustry. cussion and more sensitivity to issues of
B ut your vacation s Participants also addressed innova- equity in testin
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