In an earlier post, I described how a parent organization called out Scantron, the testing company, for inserting a blatantly propagandistic item into its standardized tests. The reading passage was about the alleged superiority of charters as education reform and named a fictitious “multi-millionaire” who sends his own children to a charter. Public school students in Chicago were shown this advertising for charters, with no critical views included.
The parent group is called PURE, or Parents United for Responsible Education. They are watchdogs for public education in Chicago, and they are fearless. Every city should have a group like PURE. This parent group is an affiliate of Parents Across America, and Julie Woesterhoff–its leader–was a co-founder of PAA.
One important lesson to be learned from this episode is that parents can be powerful. Parents have the freedom that teachers don’t have to call out bad test items like this one, which was blatantly untrue. If a teacher called a press conference or put out a statement blasting a test item, the teacher might be fired for revealing what was on the test. Parents are not bound to remain silent.
And parents should not remain silent.
The best parent organization in the United States today is Parents Across America. Unlike the national PTA, which has taken sizable contributions from the Gates Foundation, PAA fights for children and public education. Like PURE in Chicago, PAA is fearless. Google it, and if you like what you see, join them. (I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that the National PTA–which should be staunch defenders of public schools–had a showing of “Waiting for ‘Superman'” at its 2011 national convention in Orlando.)
Or better yet, start a chapter of PAA in your town or city.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
PURE is a reminder of how powerful grassroots action can be. We are not powerless. Diane, thank you for this reminder.
How is it possible for parents to find the questions on the exam that their child took? Are they public?
Good question. I suspect the kids mentioned it? Or perhaps a teacher leak?
The pineapple fiasco was made public after kids were publicly scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to answer such silly questions.
Diane, Parents have been organizing in NYC for years, as you know. But we need even more oportunities to find each other. Check out http://www.nycpublic.org Change is coming. We need to get behind sites like these to make it happen.
You can get a pretty good idea from the previously published state tests. Many teachers at my school download those and use them for prep. You can also ask a special education teacher. Science, math, and writing tests must be read verbatim to kids who have reading disabilities. Never mind that those same kids may struggle in all grade-level academic and nonacademic areas. Can you imagine reading something to a child, and not being allowed to explain or help if that child is confused? Can you picture it how disconcerting it for a child to be told that no help will be forthcoming? Furthermore, can you understand the utter frustration of reading a computerized math test to a child with severe math learning disabilities and anxiety, especially when you know that that child is only beginning to master skills that are significantly below the level of that test?
Unfortunately, as a special ed. teacher. I have had to administer tests in this way. The student frustration I’ve witnessed is absolutely heartbreaking. These children–many of who have low-self-esteem to begin with–turn into students with NO self-esteem. I’ve seen crying, hiding under desks, tantrums, singing to self in while curling up in a fetal position–you name it. And, if things couldn’t get any worse, I have found myself reading absolutely ludicrous questions, as well as
those which have no correct answer (whereas so many of my LD students COULD have figured out the correct answer, had there
been one). So–frustration for them, as well.
Parents should ask their children about the questions on the test. Teachers sign “confidentiality and security pledges” rendering them unable to publicly discuss the nonsensical questions. Thank goodness for the amazing 8th graders and their parents in NY to blow up Pearson’s ridiculous “Pineapple” question.
Parent groups should attempt to FOIL (Freedom of Information) the tests. These tests are more damaging to their children than they realize, and parents have every right to know what’s on the test!
Better yet, visit the Library of Congress. AT one time they had copies of copyrighted tests. They have a backlog but you never know. You might just luck out. Wouldn’t that be sweet. Game on.
Thank you, Diane, for your kind words. You have helped PAA enormously with your support – and your brilliant national presence keeps us all going.
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Someone needs to do the sequel movie, “Superman Found.” It will be a documentary, and I have a few thousands of teachers in mind who can star in various segments.
How did the producers of “Waiting for Superman” miss them?