Joyce Murdock Feilke, a child psychologist, warns of the harm our society is doing to children by subjecting them to 10-12 hours of high-stakes testing. This stress does nothing positive for them. By the time the scores are returned, the children have a new teacher. The teacher is not allowed to see what they got wrong. The tests have no diagnostic value. The only beneficiaries are the testing corporations.
Feilke writes:
“The reformers have created a machine that is turning our children into emotionally desensitized functional robots via spiritual annihilation, and good teachers with moral courage are refusing to participate in “soul murder”.
Dr Shengold, clinical professor of psychiatry at the NY University School of Medicine, describes “soul murder” in his book:
SOUL MURDER: The Effects of Childhood Abuse and Deprivation”.
“To abuse or neglect a child, to deprive the child of his or her own identity and ability to experience joy in life, is to commit soul murder. Soul murder is the perpetration of brutal or subtle acts against children that result in their emotional bondage to the abuser and, finally, in their psychic and spiritual annihilation. In his compelling, disturbing, and superbly readable book, Dr. Shengold explores the devastating psychological effects of this trauma inflicted on a shocking number of children.
Every parent needs to be able to recognize “the subtle acts against children that result in their emotional bondage to their abusers”. Spiritual annihilation is what is happening to children captive in this dark environment of authoritarianism that has reared its ugly head in schools from mainstream society. Adults who remain silent and allow this to happen to our nation’s children are participating in “Soul Murder”:
Can you recognize this guise in your child’s school? It looks pretty on the outside but it’s dark inside. The only way you can see it is to be able to recognize the signs of traumatic stress in your children (regression, dissociation, anxiety, depression), and when those signs appear, the damage has been done. Stop it Now: Opt Out!”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
There’s is already a load of evidence from China where there are three crucial exams that children face K – 12. Students are ranked by their scores and that rank determines the middle school, high school and university they will end up in. By the time, young adults have tested into a university in China. about 85 – 90% of the children have tested out of the educational system and been sent back home or to a vocational school for training.
Let’s not forget, that China only tests like this three times in 13 years but in the U.S. we are starting to test annually in every grade with talk about college career readiness tests for children who are not even in kindergarten yet.
And then there is this from Global Education magazine.com on Education and Suicide.
Statistics show that every year circa 200,000 teenagers worldwide commit suicide while about 4 million adolescents attempts it. We have been noticing a rising suicidal trend since some years.
http://www.globaleducationmagazine.com/education-suicide/
Then there this: 15 Reasons Why Standardized Tests are Worthless
http://institute4learning.com/blog/2012/08/10/15-reasons-why-standardized-tests-are-worthless/
In addition, Teen Suicide Rate Soars
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a big increase in the percentage of teenage suicides from 2003 to 2004. For all young people between the ages of 10 and 24, the suicide rate rose 8 percent. This is the biggest single year increase in fifteen years.
http://institute4learning.com/blog/2012/08/13/teen-suicide-rate-soars/
For sure, if we attempt to link this increase in the teen suicide rate to the increased pressure of standardized tests. Pearson will pump out propaganda to refute that claim.
Thank you, Lloyd. So TRUE.
“The reformers have created a machine that is turning our children into emotionally desensitized functional robots via spiritual annihilation, and good teachers with moral courage are refusing to participate in “soul murder”.”
Joyce Murdock Feilke’s description could be that of J.K. Rowling’s dementors:
“”Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them… Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself… soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.”
—Remus Lupin[src]”
“A Dementor is a non-being[1] and Dark creature, considered one of the foulest to inhabit the world. Dementors feed upon human happiness, and thus cause depression and despair to anyone near them. They can also consume a person’s soul, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state, and thus are often referred to as “soul-sucking fiends” and are known to leave a person as an ’empty-shell’.”
As educators, we need to do everything possible to avoid being complicit with these “creatures”.
“Hope and Chains”
Regimes change
But core remains
To rearrange
The Hope and Chains
What does she suggest for teachers who have to give and proctor these standardized tests? Some teachers have to give tests to students that they KNOW the students will fail. These tests are part of SLO’s that are used to determine whether teachers have taught “effectively.” Is this right?
High stakes tests are at the center of much that is wrong in American education.
Teachers and principals are being subjected to requirements that are called “high stakes” because, among other consequences, you can lose your job if you fail to comply with the specifications in your contract and in your job description. And job descriptions can change even if your contract does not.
Children are being labeled failing based on a test score that is probably rigged from the get-go around a normal curve, meaning about half of them will be above or below average. Same thing with teacher evaluations.
If you refuse to participate in the sham practice of testing that is now connected with “SLOs” and/or VAM you can probably be fired for insubordination of “being uncooperative.”
Few teachers signed on for the rules that they are now required to follow.
That is one reason many teachers are retiring early and also joining the resistance movement. They have the power to condemn current policies that are known to be invalid, unreliable, costly, of no educational value at all…relentlessly punitive, but routinely marketed as ESSENTIAL for “accountability.” We work for a significant change in current federal and state policies that help to create terrible district and school policies, focussed on policing more than promoting learning.
One district in Ohio of about 16,000 students is losing 100 teachers this year. Why? Two main reasons. Wrong and demoralizing policies that limit their ability to teach. Also, under new rules, teaching beyond this year will result in a loss of value in their pensions.
Federal and state officials have created what is clearly a hostile work environment for teachers, with court cases that seem not to favor a legal remedy.
That is why many of us have become participants in a movement to change the terms and conditions under which this generation is being educated in public schools. Part of that effort is stopping the takeover of public schools by privateers (pirates) who have been given the blessing of federal and state officials.
Too many of these public officials continue attacking the institution of public education and will not listen to recommendations from professionals in educators.
Those attacks have added insult to injury. Those attacks give energy to this movement. They help to mobilize us for a sustained fight against policies that are wrong for this generation, undemocratic, and unworthy of a great nation.
I cross posted it at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Are-You-Complicit-in-Soul-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Childhood_Diane-Ravitch_Effect_Experience-150316-965.html#comment537474
with four comments which include your posts from this blog by Bob Shepard, Kevin Glynn,Steven Rasmussen and Susan Chyn, plus the NPE statement and link
The Network for Public Education supports opting out of Common Core tests.
“The Network for Public Education stands in full support of parents, students and educators who choose to teach and learn about the reality of high stakes tests, opt out of high stakes tests, speak out against high stakes tests and who refuse to give those tests to students.
Recently, in NYC, an aunt committed REAL murder–she beat to death her THREE YEAR OLD nephew because if didn’t want to do his SPELLING HOMEWORK. Can you even list and/or name all of the “edu-re-deformers” complicit in this poor child’s death?!
Holy cow! Methinks there was more at issue here than teacher demands to do homework.
It’s not even clear whether the homework story is true. Initial media reports said the suspect confessed to beating the child because he wouldn’t go to sleep and/or wouldn’t let her sleep. Authorities referred to the appearance of a pattern of ongoing abuse.
But the lack of facts should certainly not stop anyone from blaming corporate education reformers for the death of this child. This is war, after all.
Clearly! But this still goes to the heart of this article–the mere iimage of a three year old struggling to do his/her spelling homework boggles the mind! Such mismatched tasks with ages could create many future behavioral problems. Nevertheless, the aunt was clearly distubed and just read below that the hw tale may have been untrue.
To Shelley:
If you understand that a person can physically kill an innocent 3 years old child in blood relative, regardless of any excuses, except that it is to maintain their own control.
Similarly, in any ideology, the power, the rich and the educated who DO NOT HAVE CONSCIENCE in HUMANITY (= are soulless), will protect and maintain THEIR CONTROL even if they will physically and mentally slaughter = GENOCIDE millions and millions INNOCENT people, young and old; educated and uneducated, healthy and handicapped, male and female…
I am very sure that ONLY Americans can stand tall and unite to preserve HUMANITY because this VERY YOUNG land, and country is THE GOD’s CREATION where all cremes of the crops in the world gather and relentlessly work hard to build THE SPIRIT of LIBERTY.
We, NORTH AMERICANS, open arms to welcome the world (=immigrants) to treasure, enjoy and fight hard along one another for THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY. For this sole reason, it is time that all parents, all educators, and all students need to unite in one STRONG FORCE of OP OUT MOVEMENT in a CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE in order to get back and preserve OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION AUTONOMY with children joyfully love learning, and teachers fearlessly cultivate the spirit of liberty, creatively debate about corruption in society, and freely apply all appropriately practical teaching for age group of challenged or gifted children.
NO foreigners, NO corrupted government officials, and NO corrupted movers /shakers shall RUIN or DESTABILIZE the American PUBLIC EDUCATION = American YOUNG GENERATION’s SPIRIT OF LIBERTY.
These corrupted souls can kill their own children, BUT NOT the public children. Back2basic
To all readers who may agree with me:
It is time for all of us to deeply think about:
“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles;
Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.
COURAGE breeds CREATIVITY; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency ask the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?
But CONSCIENCE asks the question, is it RIGHT?
And THERE COMES A TIME when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is RIGHT.”
I hope that you would agree with these quotes. Back2basic
I do!
That’s a bit much for me. Even with high stakes testing, there are many aspects of current K-12 education that is much improved. My children are in elementary school and I don’t think their souls are being murdered by testing and assessments.
I will post once again what I did some time ago.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, stood to his feet and said the following. Hitler was taking over the churches, the pastors debated whether to go along and try to help their flocks as best they could – they knew that Hitler would take over the churches anyway- but it was difficult to really know how best to confront the conundrum.
The story goes that Bonhoeffer stood to his feet and quietly said the following and then sat down.
One man asks what is right
the other what is to come
And that is the difference between the free man and the slave.
As before, I do not blame anyone who does not confront. The stakes are VERY high but I admire those who do.
Bonhoeffer worked with others to depose Hitler, was caught and was hanged shortly before the Allies arrived.
“A Test of Courage”
The school is where we make our stand,
Against each other or hand in hand
This public school is all we know
There is no other place to go
Courageous teachers we salute
Protecting students, resolute
Refuse to give invalid test
They simply know their students best
Principled principals we applaud
Who won’t appease the testing God
Who will not bend and will not bow
To Pearson and their test cash-cow
The parents who have opted out
Are worthy of our praise, no doubt
They’re fearless and they won’t be cowed
By Duncan and deformy crowd
The students tell us what’s at stake
Democracy, to break or make
And opting out’s the only way
To keep the testing beast at bay
OPT OUT! Vote 3rd Party.
The fact that children stress over these tests and then reap no benefits is sad. Many teachers who administer these tests know their students will fail, but have no choice unless they are okay with losing their jobs. As a student who has recently taken standardized tests, I can say from experience that I found no benefit in studying, because I was never able to see what exactly I got wrong and learn how to fix it. Therefore, I saved myself the stress and put forth minimal effort.
First graders were punished by a Hartford, CT school principal last week for failing to advance a level on NWEA MAP tests. The punished students were made to sit silently in a nearly empty classroom while their classmates enjoyed a pizza party. The “failing” six year olds were not silent. They sat and cried. This sounds like soul murder to me.
To concerned mom:
I hope that you will be able to re-write what you write and express in this thread of March 16, 2015, as in: (versus in 2025 later)
“My children are in “elementary school” (versus in IVY league university, 10 years from today) and I don’t think their souls are being murdered by testing and assessments.(= by the demeaning culture of entitlement students)’
Please watch out for CULTURE OF FEAR that will impose on your children any stage of their school life whenever we lose our battle of keeping our PUBLIC EDUCATION AUTONOMY, so that let children be children, and every child has their own path to advance their potential and unique talent. Here are four links that represent children who they are with their own interests:
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfgZGm3nOOs
Blind 5 year old plays piano (makes you cry)
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4snT568DVY
Adorable 4-Year-Old Geography Expert
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG7T5DMNfXE
An Adorable 7-Year-Old Paleontologist Teaches Ellen!
4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1uWHgvWHOo
Memorable Moment: A Young Anatomy Expert
5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdcuaeYV9oM
Adorable 3 year old is very happy to dance! At 4:40, 8:09
6) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgf2U-VEX4
Exclusive! See the Full Version of Noah’s Interview at 9:03
Please enjoy watch these children and remember that each child has their own potential and unique talent that we SHALL NOT DEMAND to convert them into ROBOT or ZOMBIE. Back2basic
From my experience and those of my older relatives, I still believe there is much more kindness and joy in schools these days.
Were some aspects of education better back in the day? I believe so, but the overall atmosphere in the school I have experience in (a Title 1 school in a mid-size city) is great.
There is great joy in my classroom and in many. We have learned much in the last 30 years and have embraced the importance of diverse grouping, collaborative learning, respectful discussions, creative projects, listening skills, . . . so many aspects of becoming a thinking, caring, educated person. However, we are now devolving into test prep factories. Not me. I’m 62 and I don’t care. I am not afraid. But many of our new teachers know no different. Some of our older teachers are afraid and/or compliant. Many are just tired.
Speaking of The Lorax . . . I spoke at our school board meeting on the day after Dr. Seuss’s birthday and I spoke in character. My friends and colleagues stood with me. Here’s my message (3 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZeOvvh6teo&feature=youtu.be
Great job. I hope they did more than just listen. I hope they paid attention and learned what they MUST do.
my revered professor Michael Scriven includes opportunity costs when evaluating policy: there is a great “opportunity cost” for teachers and students who have paid the tolls for NCLB … I have to ask what creative possibilities have been crushed and what gifted students and colleagues have been exiled by the horrid policies of test and punish?
Best article I’ve read so far on the topic of testing.