The Recycled Teacher

I work in public education and just completed my 35th year. I want to retire when the opportunity to teach middle school online becomes a reality. To meet this goal I am getting a certificate in e-learning from the University of Wisconsin--Stout. This summer I am taking my fifth course practicum in e-learning.
The content of this week looked at the traditional reasons for assessment. They include screening, diagnosis, record-keeping, feedback, certification and selection. The instructor had us complete an online survey, post on a wiki, and complete a partner interview to experience some of the more student-centered ways of assessing students. The week was rich in discussion and we learned from each other as well as from the instructor. It was like we were all coaches gently shaping each other's learning with descriptive feedback. I can see my middle school students really benefiting from this type of feedback, in lieu of or in addition to, the traditional types of assessment which quantify their work with numbers and then grades. What can we do to convince politicians to get rid of the standardized tests and move to this type of assessment?