Jeff Nichols appeals to State Commissioner King and Chancellor Farina to call off the math tests.
He writes:
Dear Commissioner King and Chancellor Fariña,
Events are moving very fast. You are no doubt aware that today the principal, staff and parents of one of the most highly regarded schools In New York City, PS 321 in Brooklyn, will be holding a protest outside their schools to decry the abysmal quality of this year’s ELA tests. You have probably read the astonishing comments from teachers and principals that continue to pour into the the New York City Public School Parents blog and other sites (http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2014/04/liz-phillips-brooklyn-principal-i-have.html).
I have not yet heard your view of this situation, Chancellor Fariña. But as an opt out parent, I have to tell you frankly I was offended by your remarks earlier this week to the effect that while parents’ opinions should be respected, children should come to school prepared to meet challenges like the state tests.
Have you not realized that parents are protesting the tests precisely because we want our kids challenged deeply by real learning in our schools and these tests are obstructing that goal? Have you not realized that NYSED’s and Pearson’s claims that these tests represent new levels of “rigor” and “critical thinking” are demonstrably false?
There was no rigor applied to the development of these tests, nor does the practice of high-stakes testing in general stand up to critical analysis, so I fail to see how taking the state tests represents a worthwhile challenge for any child.
Moreover, Commissioner King, I cannot accept the state’s intention to keep the tests secret from parents. My wife and I are responsible for all aspects of our children’s upbringing. We would not permit a doctor to administer a vaccine to our children and forbid us from knowing what is in the shot. We will not let you subject our children to any exercise in school while forbidding us to know its contents, much less tests that are being used to determine their promotion and whether or not their teachers will be fired.
The forced, secret high-stakes testing of minor children is going to go the way of cane switches, dunce caps and forcing left-handed children to write with their right hands — practices that were once commonplace that we now regard as child abuse. It’s only a matter of time.
The question is, will our local and state education leaders join together and stop this travesty? Given the fact that the NYSED and the Pearson corporation have again utterly failed the test of earning parents’ and educators’ confidence in the quality of these exams, why should our schools proceed with administering the math tests later this month? Can you give me any reason other than obedience for obedience’s sake? All I hear from you, Commissioner King, is slogans about higher standards and career readiness. I have yet to witness direct engagement by you with the arguments made by the thousands of educators and parents in our state who are advocate abandoning high-stakes testing of young children once and for all.
I call on you, Commissioner King, to suspend the administration of this year’s state tests, and if you fail to do that (as I expect you will) I call on you, Chancellor Fariña to refuse to administer them.
We have lemon laws protecting consumers from egregiously faulty consumer products, but we no one is protecting our children from these worthless exams. Chancellor Fariña, they are state tests, so you can blame Commissioner King and the legislature for them, but you are ultimately responsible for our city’s schools. You must ensure that no one forces educational malpractice upon them. If NYSED continues to ignore the protests against the state tests that are exploding across the state, and you allow the math exams exams to go forward, the public will hold the DOE accountable as well as NYSED and the U.S. Department of Education.
We now have teachers in this city and beyond refusing to administer the state tests and parents refusing to allow their children to take them. Chancellor Fariña, will you stand with these disobedient citizens, or will you stand with Arne Duncan and John King and insist that the tests must go forward regardless of their quality, because an unjust law says they must?
I hope both of you will acknowledge that finally, enough is enough. Suspend the state tests and bring daylight onto the whole process that led to this debacle.
Sincerely,
Jeff Nichols
—
Jeff Nichols
Associate Professor
Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“I have not yet heard your view of this situation, Chancellor Fariña. But as an opt out parent, I have to tell you frankly I was offended by your remarks earlier this week to the effect that while parents’ opinions should be respected, children should come to school prepared to meet challenges like the state tests.”
Yet another inkling that Ms. Fariña is not the anti-rephormer her admirers want her to be. That kind of intentionally oblivious nonsense could just as well have come out of Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s mouth.
I have no doubt that DeBlasio and Farina have been threatened. I’m thinking that the parents are going to have to lead this one.
Threatened?
C’mon FLERP, you’re a lawyer, you know that “threatening” is so old fashioned. 2O2T was just using the term from when she was younger. Now, the methods are much more legal (didn’t say anything about being more ethical or moral). Let’s just say that DeBlasio and Farina have been “enlightened” perhaps by persuasion like “Would you like your children’s genitalia cut off or would you like some expresso to go along with this statement to read.”
Thank you, Duane. You said it better than I could.
2O2T,
We need more of you to put your voices out there. You’re the ones with experience that many don’t have. Thanks for your posts.
FLERP: there are a lot of different ways to twist someone’s arm. Especially in the area of politics. I’m sure you know that.
I know Bill diBlasio. He’s a good man and he’s got our backs. Albany and the super wealthy who are backing this debacle called education reform are going to do everything in their power to scuttle whatever he and Carmen come up with to stop them. They won’t back down.
You’ve seen two stark examples since the landslide election: want a minimal tax on the rich to fund pre school programs? Nope. We’ll sweep up our own crumbs, thanks. Want to charge rent to billionaire funded charters? And you’re not going to let Eva displace high needs children? Are you kidding? Nope…we’re taking over. Now shut up.
We have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors, but I guarantee you that it ain’t pretty in this arena. I agree with 2old2teach and I’ve been thinking it for years: the parents are going to have to lead this one. Protest and speak up loud and clear. I’ve always felt that a vote for a third party candidate is a wasted vote. This year is different. I won’t vote for either of the masqueraiders (misspelling is intentional). Let’s find a viable candidate and back him or her to the extreme.
I have some idea how politics work. BDB has already shown that he’ll back down when his poll numbers are threatened. But that’s irrelevant anyway in this discussion, because BDB and Farina have never given any indication that they would refuse to administer exams mandated by state law. Nobody needs to twist his arm to keep BDB from doing that. If for some inconceivable reason Farina decided that she was going to “cancel” the state math exams, then BDB himself would twist her arm to prevent that. And if a principal decided not to administer the state math tests, Farina would twist his or her arm.
Pretty sure of that, are ya?
Well, I don’t “know” BDB, so this is just based on what he’s said, what he’s done, and everything I’ve ever observed about politics. But yeah, I’m pretty sure of it.
After decades of seeing and hearing the SOS, I hear you, FLERP. It’s hard not to be cynical. But I know Bill diBlasio and I know his heart’s in the right place with education and he wants change. Whether that’s enough within the political climate he’s operating is the question. It might not be. I hear you there. But I do know that his decisions aren’t solely based on what’s best for his personal political future. He’s got integrity, has a house like mine, and is smart enough to know that a successful politician will make a stand when it’s necessary.
Congrats on the million-dollar house! (No offense, I just couldn’t resist the cheap shot.)
In all seriousness, I suppose my point is there’s a huge difference between “wanting change” in your heart and being willing to take enormous risks in the world. BDB’s election campaign platform included “reducing the emphasis on high stakes testing” or some wording similar to that. He could have pledged that, as Mayor, he would stop the administration of state-mandated ELA and math tests, but he didn’t do that. He didn’t do that because he knew that however popular a pledge like that would be among certain people, it would be political suicide. Because he knew (and everyone knows) he didn’t have the legal authority to cancel the state tests, and so such a pledge would mean that he would be campaigning on a promise to defy state law. You can argue that the state law is unjust, and that there’s a moral imperative to defy unjust laws. But BDB is not the guy to do that. He wanted to be Mayor, not a civil rights advocate. Now he wants to be an effective Mayor, and as we’ve seen in the aftermath of the Moskowitz dust-up, that does not include boldly pursuing policies no matter what the political consequence.
I also see no reason why anyone would think Farina would “cancel” the tests. First, she also lacks the legal authority to do it. Second, she serves at BDB’s pleasure and will ultimately do what he tells her. She could conceivably “oppose” the tests, and she’s actually in a much better position to do something like that than BDB. She’s in her 70s at the end of her career, and she has the freedom to walk away and say what she likes.
LOL. No offense taken. I was expecting it, actually. Good call. I could never afford this place if I was buying now. Fixer upper from the early ’90s. Still needs work…
You’re right. He and she do not have the legal authority. He’ll do what he can, but Cuomo and Co (and Obama and Duncan etc) will do all they can to stop him. But I think it’s important that people know he’s not just a flag that flaps to the most advantageous winds.
It’s easier to oppose the absurd when you have nothing to lose. At 70, you should be able to speak the truth regardless of the consequences. It’s a lot harder to buck the system at 25, 35, 45, or even at 55 (if you still want a job).
Politics is similar in many ways to teaching – you are only as good as your last lesson (vote/stance). DeBlasio has to walk a fine line if he is going to achieve his stated results. I’m assuming he wants to work within the system. The question is whether he is willing to risk losing the next election by standing up for what he believes is right, even if it is at odds with Cuomo’s policies. Hopefully, his view of right and wrong coincides with ours (or at least mine).
Heart felt and beautifully written commentary by this parent! Wish someone like you would become a spokesperson for all the parents across this nation. I particularly liked this comment, “We would not permit a doctor to administer a vaccine to our children and forbid us from knowing what is in the shot. We will not let you subject our children to any exercise in school while forbidding us to know its contents, much less tests that are being used to determine their promotion and whether or not their teachers will be fired…”
It should never exist that a test be created whereby the questions are not allowed to be seen by teachers nor by students the second it is completed and is packed up for scoring. There is no need to have a test if it is not for assessment and learning purposes. Nothing is to be learned from a test where students cannot review the answers and seek understanding of questions they did not understand. Clearly these tests “are a trade secret” for Pearson and represent profit… this has NO PLACE IN EDUCATION… none!
A teacher can’t look at the very test that can ruin their career? What professional group on Earth would stand for this? Oh, that would be us teachers – but only because our union hung us out to dry.
Claims of test security by Pearson are bogus. They fear test scrutiny. The tests we saw this week must be seen to be believed. They would be invalidated after just one glance by any impartial expert in test writing, brain development, cognitive learning theory, or psychometric measurement.
Parents of Pearson test victims unite. Beat back the testing monster.
Boycott the math exams and JUST SAY NO!
“They would be invalidated after just one glance by any impartial expert in test writing, brain development, cognitive learning theory, or psychometric measurement.”
They already have been completely invalidated back in 97 by Noel Wilson in his never refuted nor rebutted “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” found at: http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/577/700 All the talk of questions, time frames, difficulty are tertiary, maybe secondary at best. The primary objections are brought out by Wilson. Read and Learn!
Brief outline of Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” and some comments of mine. (updated 6/24/13 per Wilson email)
1. A quality cannot be quantified. Quantity is a sub-category of quality. It is illogical to judge/assess a whole category by only a part (sub-category) of the whole. The assessment is, by definition, lacking in the sense that “assessments are always of multidimensional qualities. To quantify them as one dimensional quantities (numbers or grades) is to perpetuate a fundamental logical error” (per Wilson). The teaching and learning process falls in the logical realm of aesthetics/qualities of human interactions. In attempting to quantify educational standards and standardized testing we are lacking much information about said interactions.
2. A major epistemological mistake is that we attach, with great importance, the “score” of the student, not only onto the student but also, by extension, the teacher, school and district. Any description of a testing event is only a description of an interaction, that of the student and the testing device at a given time and place. The only correct logical thing that we can attempt to do is to describe that interaction (how accurately or not is a whole other story). That description cannot, by logical thought, be “assigned/attached” to the student as it cannot be a description of the student but the interaction. And this error is probably one of the most egregious “errors” that occur with standardized testing (and even the “grading” of students by a teacher).
3. Wilson identifies four “frames of reference” each with distinct assumptions (epistemological basis) about the assessment process from which the “assessor” views the interactions of the teaching and learning process: the Judge (think college professor who “knows” the students capabilities and grades them accordingly), the General Frame-think standardized testing that claims to have a “scientific” basis, the Specific Frame-think of learning by objective like computer based learning, getting a correct answer before moving on to the next screen, and the Responsive Frame-think of an apprenticeship in a trade or a medical residency program where the learner interacts with the “teacher” with constant feedback. Each category has its own sources of error and more error in the process is caused when the assessor confuses and conflates the categories.
4. Wilson elucidates the notion of “error”: “Error is predicated on a notion of perfection; to allocate error is to imply what is without error; to know error it is necessary to determine what is true. And what is true is determined by what we define as true, theoretically by the assumptions of our epistemology, practically by the events and non-events, the discourses and silences, the world of surfaces and their interactions and interpretations; in short, the practices that permeate the field. . . Error is the uncertainty dimension of the statement; error is the band within which chaos reigns, in which anything can happen. Error comprises all of those eventful circumstances which make the assessment statement less than perfectly precise, the measure less than perfectly accurate, the rank order less than perfectly stable, the standard and its measurement less than absolute, and the communication of its truth less than impeccable.”
In other word all the logical errors involved in the process render any conclusions invalid.
5. The test makers/psychometricians, through all sorts of mathematical machinations attempt to “prove” that these tests (based on standards) are valid-errorless or supposedly at least with minimal error [they aren’t]. Wilson turns the concept of validity on its head and focuses on just how invalid the machinations and the test and results are. He is an advocate for the test taker not the test maker. In doing so he identifies thirteen sources of “error”, any one of which renders the test making/giving/disseminating of results invalid. As a basic logical premise is that once something is shown to be invalid it is just that, invalid, and no amount of “fudging” by the psychometricians/test makers can alleviate that invalidity.
6. Having shown the invalidity, and therefore the unreliability, of the whole process Wilson concludes, rightly so, that any result/information gleaned from the process is “vain and illusory”. In other words start with an invalidity, end with an invalidity (except by sheer chance every once in a while, like a blind and anosmic squirrel who finds the occasional acorn, a result may be “true”) or to put in more mundane terms crap in-crap out.
7. And so what does this all mean? I’ll let Wilson have the second to last word: “So what does a test measure in our world? It measures what the person with the power to pay for the test says it measures. And the person who sets the test will name the test what the person who pays for the test wants the test to be named.”
In other words it measures “’something’ and we can specify some of the ‘errors’ in that ‘something’ but still don’t know [precisely] what the ‘something’ is.” The whole process harms many students as the social rewards for some are not available to others who “don’t make the grade (sic)” Should American public education have the function of sorting and separating students so that some may receive greater benefits than others, especially considering that the sorting and separating devices, educational standards and standardized testing, are so flawed not only in concept but in execution?
My answer is NO!!!!!
One final note with Wilson channeling Foucault and his concept of subjectivization:
“So the mark [grade/test score] becomes part of the story about yourself and with sufficient repetitions becomes true: true because those who know, those in authority, say it is true; true because the society in which you live legitimates this authority; true because your cultural habitus makes it difficult for you to perceive, conceive and integrate those aspects of your experience that contradict the story; true because in acting out your story, which now includes the mark and its meaning, the social truth that created it is confirmed; true because if your mark is high you are consistently rewarded, so that your voice becomes a voice of authority in the power-knowledge discourses that reproduce the structure that helped to produce you; true because if your mark is low your voice becomes muted and confirms your lower position in the social hierarchy; true finally because that success or failure confirms that mark that implicitly predicted the now self evident consequences. And so the circle is complete.”
In other words students “internalize” what those “marks” (grades/test scores) mean, and since the vast majority of the students have not developed the mental skills to counteract what the “authorities” say, they accept as “natural and normal” that “story/description” of them. Although paradoxical in a sense, the “I’m an “A” student” is almost as harmful as “I’m an ‘F’ student” in hindering students becoming independent, critical and free thinkers. And having independent, critical and free thinkers is a threat to the current socio-economic structure of society.
Outstanding. Very well said!
Carmen Fariña is in a very bad position. She has claimed to want to really restore the “parents” input within the system. It’s about parents, parents, parents. This letter is fascinating as it calls her out. Fariña is just another waste if a chancellor pick if she decides to not fight and stand with, the parents.
This is her moment.
She can be a hero. She can be a leader. She can show moral courage.
Or she can be a sell-out, another toady, another collaborator with the Vichy ed deformers.
Such a moment comes, perhaps, once in a lifetime–the moment when one has the opportunity to stand for something important, to make a difference.
And what’s at stake?
Kids
I think that she is in a very good position. It’s not often in life that one gets an opportunity to be a hero, to make a difference. she now has that opportunity. Life has handed her that. And it’s golden.
You are 100% correct on this, Robert. If she is truly an educator, then she MUST make the difference and do the right thing.
Otherwise, she needs to go.
She probably will “go” if she acts in a way that state authorities find contrary to their wishes. Bill DeBlasio has obviously been subjected to state pressure as well. I suspect they are in their own battle that for DeBlasio is far greater than the schools.
There are teachers in NYC who are refusing to administer the state tests?
Not heard of any anywhere. They’re all GAGA*ers.
*Going Along to Get Along (GAGA): Nefarious practice of most educators who implement the edudeformers agenda even though the educators know that those educational malpractices will cause harm to the students and defile the teaching and learning process. The members of the GAGA gang are destined to be greeted by the Karmic Gods of Retribution upon their passing from this realm.
Karmic Gods of Retribution: Those ethereal beings specifically evolved to construct the 21st level in Dante’s Hell. The 21st level signifies the combination of the 4th (greed), 8th (fraud) and 9th (treachery) levels into one mega level reserved especially for the edudeformers and those, who, knowing the negative consequences of the edudeformers agenda, willing implemented it so as to go along to get along. The Karmic Gods of Retribution also personally escort these poor souls, upon their physical death, to the 21st level unless they enlighten themselves, a la one D. Ravitch, to the evil and harm they have caused so many innocent children, and repent and fight against their former fellow deformers. There the edudeformers and GAGAers will lie down on a floor of smashed and broken ipads and ebooks curled in a fetal position alternately sucking their thumbs to the bones while listening to two words-Educational Excellence-repeated without pause for eternity.
YES! See this — http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/04/teachers-refuse-to-administer-standardized-tests/
I think this article may come to be seen as the turning point, at least in my state. Now teachers AND parents are calling on our chancellor to take a stand. I have no doubt the pressures on her are tremendous, but I also believe this is the moment to change course definitively. New York City must declare educational independence from Albany and Washington.
The poster’s arguments are well known, They need no additional comment. What is laudable is his combination of clarity of thought and forceful argument. It was a pleasure to read hi letter. At this point, we all know that King will sweep the letter into his garbage bin and Farina, BDB’s hire should be out sourced.
Have you folks seen the PR piece by Marc H. Morial the President and CEO, National Urban League. Here is Part Three which has links to the first two parts:
National Urban League Endorses Common Core State Standards — Part 3: Study Reveals Overwhelming Confidence in CCSS
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-h-morial/national-urban-league-end_2_b_5034194.html
This was beautifully written. As I have posted elsewhere, what is the next step? There is so much rage, so much unhappiness at what is happening, at the fact that our elected officials seem to be ignoring not only the wishes of those who have cast the votes but frankly, all common sense. This just isn’t how you treat children. What needs to happen to harness the voices of all these parents, teachers, school administrators–and children?
“What needs to happen to harness the voices of all these parents, teachers, school administrators–and children?”
Don’t expect anything from the vast majority (99.99999999. . . %)of GAGA teachers and administrators. They live in fear, have no cojones and are basic chicken $h!t$ plain and simple.
http://www.ny1.com/content/news/206411/brooklyn-teachers-say-latest-ela-test-too-hard-to-comprehend
The Chancellor can make a heroic, courageous, and momentous decision here and choose to stand against the child abuse. The Mayor needs to stand behind her on this.
King suffers from a hearing problem. Don’t expect anything there.
Diane, Keep an eye on Washington State. Washington Education Association just passed a motion to encourage parents to opt-out of state testing!!
Sarah, that is great news! Can you send me a link to a news story about Washington state and opting out?
The Washington Education Association passed this motion within the past few hours. I’ll be sure to pass along news stories when available.
AWESOME!
Reblogged this on Schools of Thought Hudson Valley, NY and commented:
Bravo!
I was appalled by the reports I received about the ELA exam. You would think that Pearson would have learned from last year’s outcry and cleaned up their act, yet the resulting assessment was even worse than expected. I loved their use of brand names within the exam, as an example of their corruption. Inappropriate, overly lengthy reading passages with equally lengthy and confusing questions and answers does not endear these so-called testing experts to the public (meaning teachers and parents). I am not “impressed” – either by the test or as a possible sailor forced into service against my will (see the vocabulary on the sixth grade assessment).
On a positive note, 27% of the students in a local Western New York school district (West Seneca) opted out. I’m waiting to hear from my own school district, Williamsville. The Superintendent is a strong advocate of sit and stare, but I know that the parents will to fight his ridiculous stance. I am proud that my daughter chose to opt out my grand daughter, even if she had to twiddle her thumbs this past week.
Jeff – thank you for speaking out on our behalf. Whether it is Brooklyn or Buffalo, Long Island, Syracuse, or Binghamton, this is one battle we must win together – for our children’s sake.
Ellen, you are so right to be appalled. There is not–& has never been–any quality control imposed on Pear$on. The reason for this is, of course, the huge numbers of lawmakers & state superintendents & boards who must have some financial ties to them. Follow the money–who owns Pear$on stock? Arne is certain to be getting a job w/Pear$on when his gig is done, & look at all the trip$ & perk$ some state supers have received courte$y of Pear$on (actually, courte$y of u$, the taxpayers, considering all the $$$ that should have been going to our public schools have been going to…Pear$on! I have known for years how terrible their tests are–as a sped. teacher, I was allowed to read portions of tests to students. Nothing new that the questions often made no sense, had more than one correct answer, had NO correct answer, were grade inappropriate, and so on…ad nauseum. In addition to all of this idiocy, I have friends who worked on alternative assessments for Pear$on for several years, & they’ve said that they made suggestions for improvement, but they were not listened to by any Pear$on employees–the teachers felt they were just there so that Pear$on could say that their products were, in part, teacher-written or teacher-approved (!)
I am SO glad that parents (& kudos, also, to the Washington Education Assn.!) are fighting back!
We the People should demand our money back from Pear$on. This testing is a travesty. SED is out of touch and needs a complete over-haul.
The egregious PARCC and SBAC tests–collectively, the Common Core College and Career Ready Assessment Program, or C.C.C.C.R.A.P.–will be the death of Education Deform. When the people actually get a load of what is being cooked up there, that’s when they will grab their pitchforks and shovels and track the Ed Deform monster it its lair.
Look at what is happening right now on TestingTalk.org.
Teachers and principals and parents have had enough of this child abuse.
They are ready to take their schools back from the deformers.
They see Big Data and Data-Based Decision Making based on these amateurish bullet lists being passed off as “standards” and based on these egregiously misconceived and invalid summative assessments for what it is:
numerology and
child abuse
pushed by know-nothings.
It’s time for teachers and principals and parents to take back their schools and bar these ed deformers, with their stupid tests, from coming within 2 miles of them.
@Bob … Every time you abbreviate common core college and career ready assessment program CCCRAP it sends me into fits of laughter. As they say… this stuff you cannot make up! Now can we FLUSH the CRAP down the toilet where it belongs? Wait.. we don’t want to pollute the oceans. Perhaps we need to encase as is done with nuclear waste!
The Regents don’t need to respond to requests from the public because they are appointed by the Legislatue, not elected by the people. And Commissioner King is only accountable to the Regents. It is time to get Regents with real, practical experience with public schools who will respond to our concerns, including the firing of King. If you agree, sign here and pass on. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/call-to-hold-open-elections
wlevit, you saw how the legislature responded to parents’ demands for four new Regents. They re-appointed three and found someone from upstate who had no idea what the Regents do and never heard of Common Core.
signed!
Signed and posted to my FB page along with this excellent post, Diane.
Hear, hear, Jeff Nichols, educator and parent! This is an excellent letter.
I’m more than happy to see this, and I expect it to be one of many similar protests. The problem is that diBlasio and Farina’s hands are tied in many ways. This is about Albany, Washington DC, and the powers that control them.
What would people think about finding and strongly backing a third party gubernatorial candidate? I honestly can’t see myself voting for either of the candidates on the ballot. It would be the first time I ever voted third party but I’ve got a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. The lesser of two evils is getting very, very old.
B R A V O
I am so glad my son has already successfully completed the traditional E.L.A. Regents so that he will not have to take the Common Core version in June. I am surprised that Pearson is still in serious educational circles after all of its past mistakes.