As Congress continues to take steps to protect the status quo of high-stakes testing, resistance to this misguided approach to education continues to build. When the public is not heard by its elected officials, the public finds ways to be heard. It was public demonstrations that built the civil rights movement; it was public demonstrations that built the anti-war movement in the 1970s. Keep your eye on what the public is doing. The politicians don’t hear or see until the noise is deafening and the sights cannot be hidden by blindfolds.
Bob Schaeffer of FairTest writes:
Across the U.S. the testing resistance and reform movement is rapidly expanding as annual standardized exam begin in many schools. This week’s stories from more than half the 50 states clearly show the significant impact that parents, students, teachers, administrators and community leaders are having on policy makers in the fight against testing misuse and overuse.
FairTest Opt Out Resources
http://fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
Fact Sheet: Why You Can Boycott Testing Without Fear of Federal Penalties for Your School
http://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fear
National Poll: Parents Give Standardized Tests an “F” Grade
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/poll-parents-give-standardized-test-f-grade
New Video: Parents Opting Their Children Out of Common Core Tests
https://vimeo.com/120619448
Opt Out Movement Surges Across U.S.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/02/opt_out_national_movement_grow.html
Grade-Span Exams Would be Better
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article11232887.html
Alabama Retrenching on High School Testing
http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/education/state-retrenching-on-high-school-testing/article_aa6ede52-bd30-11e4-a845-2b67604bd0bb.html
Arizona Schools Balk at Being Forced to Buy Pricey Equipment for New State Tests
http://tucson.com/news/local/education/school-districts-forced-to-buy-equipment-for-azmerit/article_8e5435cd-2644-576e-87a6-330c28fdd1f4.html
California’s Poor Children Need More Help, Not More Standardized Tests
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article11177228.html
Colorado Opt-Out Movement Says “No” to New Tests
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27618088/opt-out-movement-just-say-no-new-colo
Colorado Testing Has Not Improved Education Quality for Communities Most in Need
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_27590042/guest-commentary-operating-at-margins-learning
Ed. School Deans Say Connecticut Must Stop Bashing Teachers and Relying on Tests
http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-basmadjian-dont-blame-teachers-0225-20150224-story.html
Connecticut Teacher Explains Flaws of Annual Exams to U.S. Senator
http://ctmirror.org/2015/02/27/op-ed-sen-blumenthal-please-put-and-end-to-high-stakes-standardized-testing/
Parents, Teachers Push Back Against Delaware Testing
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2015/02/27/parents-teachers-push-back-testing/24146775/
Problems Plague Debut of New Florida Online Test
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-school-testing-trouble-day-1-20150302-story.html
Legislators Under Pressure to Overhaul Florida School Testing
http://www.winknews.com/2015/02/26/florida-legislators-under-pressure-to-alter-school-testing/
Georgia State Super Explains Problems with Federal Testing Mandate to Arne Duncan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/27/georgias-education-chief-has-some-words-for-arne-duncan/
lllinois Educators Leery of New State Achievement Test
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150225/NEWS/150229494/11669/NEWS
How to Refuse PARCC in Illinois and Promote Opt-Out Legislation
http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=16d71997b1c1711b098bb21c8&id=57bb2e24ae&e=5444f96919
Parents, Educators Express Concerns About Indiana Tests, Score Misuses
http://www.tristatehomepage.com/story/d/story/parents-educators-express-concerns-over-istep-acco/30836/DOuFt0nkBEakvuSAlLhSpA
Louisiana Parents Opt Children Out of PARCC Tests
http://www.wafb.com/story/28203752/louisiana-parents-opt-children-out-of-parcc-testing
Maine Families Push Back Against Standardized Testing
https://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/01/education/testing-the-test-mainers-push-back-against-standardized-testing/
Super Says Maine Students May Not be Ready for Common Core Tests
https://bangordailynews.com/2015/02/26/news/bangor/superintendent-webb-says-bangor-students-may-not-be-ready-for-new-common-core-tests/
Bipartisan Group of Maryland Legislators Challenges Excessive Testing
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/maryland-excessive-testing-schools-challenged-legislators/2015/03/02
Standardized Tests Taking Toll on Mississippi Schools
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/03/01/standardized-tests-taking-toll-mississippi-schools/24239399/
Judge Rules Missouri’s Common Core Testing Pact is Illegal
http://m.ky3.com/missouri-judge-rules-pact-with-common-core-testing-illegal/21050392_31458122
Thousands Opt Out as Controversial Testing Begins in New Jersey
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150302_Monday_the_day_for_controversial_student_testing_in_New_Jersey.html
New Jersey Parents Want PARCC Test “Parked”
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2015/02/25/cranbury_press/news/doc54d4f7348aa55959092090.txt
Thousands of New Mexico Students Walk Out of School Over Testing
http://krqe.com/2015/03/02/parcc-testing-sparks-massive-high-school-walkouts/
Parents Join New Mexico PARCC Protests
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3715951.shtml#.VO3KO-FLUZw
New York City Educators Seek Parents’ Help in Fight Against Governor’s Test-Based Evaluation Scheme
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/26/teachers-at-popular-school-ask-parents-for-help-this-may-sound-absurd-but-its-true/
Teachers’ Rally Protest’s New York Gov. Cuomo’s Testing Policies
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/local/article_25bd8e30-be9b-11e4-bc94-5f4a036cc29f.html
Ohio Families Opt Out of State Tests in Droves
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2015/02/24/tri-valley-parents-opt-testing-droves/23958859/
Critics Say There Are Too Many Standardized Exams in Ohio Schools
http://www.local12.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Critics-say-there-are-too-may-standardized-tests-for-schools-88498.shtml
Oklahoma Legislators Working to Stop End-of-Course State Tests
http://kfor.com/2015/02/25/oklahoma-lawmakers-working-to-end-end-of-instruction-testing/
Too Much Testing Drives Oregon Opt-Out Surge
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/20150226/lead-story/too-much-testing
Smarter Balanced Assessment Fails the Test in Oregon
http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/32801990-78/failing-the-test.html.csp#
Philadelphia Pennsylvania Parents and Teachers Slam High-Stakes Testing at Opt-Out Forum
http://thenotebook.org/blog/158275/parents-slam-high-stakes-testing-opt-out-meeting
Rhode Island Educators Support Parents’ Right to Opt Children Out of High-Stakes Tests
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150224/NEWS/150229622
Manifesto Against Rhode Island PARCC Testing
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150225/OPINION/150229541/13819/TOPIC
South Carolina Educators Say Leave NCLB Behind to Advance Equal Educational Opportunity
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150302/PC1002/150309947/1021/leave-nclb-behind-to-revive-equal-education
New Tennessee Ed. Commissioner Hears Teachers’ Concerns About Testing
http://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/education/2015/02/27/education-chief-seeks-teachers-input/24151865/
Resolution to Reduce Testing Passes Utah House
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865622826/Move-to-reduce-student-testing-passes-House.html?pg=all
Seattle, Washington School Refuses to Administer Smarter Balanced Test
http://iamaneducator.com/2015/02/24/new-seattle-test-boycott-erupts-nathan-hale-high-school-votes-to-refuse-to-administer-a-common-core-test/
Wisconsin School Testing Roller Coaster Takes Another Sharp Turn
http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/school_testing_roller_coaster_takes_a_sharp_turn_481542633.html
More Colleges Look Beyond Test Scores to Determine Admission
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/colleges-and-universities-rethink-selection-process/31498196
FairTest List of 850+ “Test Optional” Bachelor-Degree Granting Institutions
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
Noam Chomsky on the Dangers of Standardized Testing
https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/noam-chomsky-on-the-dangers-of-standardized-testing/
Report: New Federal Teacher Prep Rules Too Stringent
http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/02/26/new-teacher-prep-rules-too-stringent.aspx
Contentious Teacher Evaluation Policies Moving to Courtrooms
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/contentious-teacher-related-policies-moving-from-legislatures-to-the-courts/2015/02/28/6ec1f31e-b83d-11e4-aa05-1ce812b3fdd2_story.html
In Test-Based Systems, Even Young Children Resist Learning
http://theconversation.com/in-test-based-systems-even-young-kids-resist-learning-37569
Current Tests Don’t Measure What Kids Should Really Master
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2015/02/26/things-every-kid-should-master/uM72LGr63zeaStOp9zGyrJ/story.html
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Cross posted at
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/FairTest-Weekly-Report-on-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Diane-Ravitch_Education_Schools_Testing-150303-187.html#comment535693
with a comment by LI Trustee Ali Gordon, taken from a blog here.
I belong to BATs and read this blog because I wish to be part of a passionate group seeking change. I began a lab school six years ago in an effort to fight this battle. I empathize and ache for every teacher within the confines of the current climate. I want to begin to share the other side. Freedom. Creativity. Passion. It’s flourishing in a little tiny town in Colorado. Here’s my op-ed on testing from the perspective of my little lab. Public ed could be allocating resources appropriately. They just could.
http://orsch.net/2015/03/testing-resources-from-an-orsch-perspective/
The Opt Out movement is exploding in Chicago following the decision of CPS to administer the PARCC in all elementary schools despite the massive problems with PARCC. The Chicago Teachers Union is fighting against PARCC, and that fight includes the fact that the children of many CTU members (including my son Josh, in fourth grade, and CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey’s sons Caleb and Leo) are opting out as the movement grows across the city. At this point (March 4) it is literally impossible to calculate the total number of children who are opting out, and whole schools, via their local school councils, are taking a stand as well against PARCC. The Board of Education will continue to lie about the massive Chicago Opt Out movement, while we will continue to try and get some decent numbers and published them at the CTU website (www.ctunet.com) at Substance (www.substancenews.net), and through the leadership caucus CORE (www.coreteachers.org) as well as on many individual blogs.
Fair Test is doing a great job of gathering these reports. It would be wonderful to have a map and some other graphics to show that this is a national movement and to facilitate exchanges among the activists. There is free computer software that can do this with animation and a timeline that will show there is a nation-wide movement. I will get the source and post it layer.
Here is a demonstration of the software Laura H. Chapman mentioned to represent data in a compelling story, with graphics.
Here is the source of the free software, downloadable, use on any computer developed by Hans Rosling.
Gapminder Foundation