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Actor Matt Damon rallies teachers in Washington

By the CNN Wire Staff
Damon said the things he values "came from the way that I was parented and taught," and that these qualities can't be tested.
Damon said the things he values "came from the way that I was parented and taught," and that these qualities can't be tested.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Damon speaks out against standardized testing
  • Teachers say focus takes them away from educating students
  • Damon attributes his success to his teachers not being forced to do "silly test prep"

(CNN) -- Actor Matt Damon rallied teachers Saturday at a march in Washington decrying the widespread use of standardized testing to judge how well teachers, students and schools are performing.

A group of teachers and education advocates organized the Save Our Schools March in an effort to inspire change in standardized testing policies, according to founder Anthony Cody. Critics say standardized testing takes teachers' focus off their core mission of educating students.

Teachers marched to the White House, chanting "Save our schools" and other slogans and carrying signs. One read, "Children are more important than test scores." Another read, "I am not the problem."

Damon, whose mother is an educator, said he achieved his successes in large part because teachers at the public schools he attended were not forced to focus on "silly test prep" and instead could work to educate.

"As I look at my life today, the things that I value about myself, my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity, came from the way that I was parented and taught," Damon told the teachers.

"And none of these qualities that I just mentioned, none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, none of these qualities that have brought me so much joy, that have made me so successful professionally, none of these qualities that make me who I am can be tested," he said.