This resolution should be a model for the AFT and the NEA and for their affiliates. Teachers do not oppose testing; they oppose the misuse of testing. Teachers do not oppose accountability; they oppose accountability that is contrary to research and experience, whose purpose is not to improve instruction but to punish teachers for low scores.
The Rochester (NY) Teachers Association adopted the following resolution, unanimously:
RESOLUTION OF RTA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY
WHEREAS, the volume of mandated summative standardized testing to which students are subjected in the Rochester City School District (“RCSD”) has increased many times over in recent years, and
WHEREAS, a very large amount of learning time is lost through the administration of such tests, while the results of such tests cannot be used for diagnostics or remediation or other educational purposes, and
WHEREAS, such testing generates results that are used for high-stakes decision-making regarding both students (e.g., grade promotion and graduation) and their teachers (e.g., evaluation scores, tenure, retention), and
WHEREAS, the attachment of high stakes to test results necessarily makes such tests the focus of classes in schools, and
WHEREAS, such tests fail to measure the most important qualities schools should seek to develop in students, such as relationship, character, ethical development, critical thinking, persistence, imagination, insight, and collaboration, amongst others, and
WHEREAS, as a result, many students who in fact develop these valued but unmeasured qualities, but who have extreme difficulty with standardized and other paper-and-pencil tests, experience these tests as stressful to the point of abuse, and
WHEREAS, the increasing focus on such testing thus causes severe distortions of schooling, both inflicting trauma on many students and changing schools into test-prep factories that prepare students for little but further testing and lives of resigned obedience, and
WHEREAS, the commitment of substantial resources to testing and evaluation diverts those same resources from the educational needs of students, including the arts, music, other non-tested subjects, the challenges of special needs students and English language learners, moral and ethical development, social and emotional development, internships, practical and workplace skills, project-based, authentic learning opportunities, attention to contemporary cultural and social concerns, deep exploration of subject matters, and many others, and
WHEREAS, such commitment of resources also diverts resources from the professional development needs of teachers, who wish to align their skills to the real needs of students, and
WHEREAS, parents and guardians frequently express dismay that students are subjected to so much testing, and they express confusion about the rights and obligations of children and families
with respect to such testing, as well as about the rationales for the various tests, and
WHEREAS, parents, students, families, teachers, and some districts throughout the state have expressed forceful opposition to the current testing regime, and
WHEREAS, the Rochester Teachers Association (“RTA”) wishes to clarify its stance on the various issues involved with the current testing regime,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Rochester Teachers Association declares its opposition to the use of state- or federal-mandated standardized tests for the purposes of making grade promotion, graduation, or other high-stakes decisions regarding students or teachers, and
RESOLVED, that RTA supports the right of parents and guardians to choose to absent their children from any or all state- or federal-mandated testing, and supports the right of teachers to discuss freely with parents and guardians their rights and responsibilities with respect to such testing, all without any negative consequences from RCSD, and
RESOLVED, that RTA will, to the best of its ability, support and protect members and others who may suffer any negative consequences as a result of speaking about their views of such testing or about the rights and obligations of parents and guardians with respect to such testing, and
RESOLVED, that RTA calls upon the RCSD Board of Education to direct RCSD administration to provide parents and guardians, in a timely manner, with an explanation of the rationale, intended use, and costs associated with any state- or federal-mandated tests intended to be administered to students, and to provide an explanation, in a timely manner, of the steps parents and guardians would need to take should they choose to absent their children from such testing, and
RESOLVED, that RTA calls upon the RCSD Board of Education to make a determination as to whether such testing operates in the best interests of RCSD students, and, if they conclude that it does not, to give serious consideration to deciding not to administer any or all such tests, in consultation and alliance with other districts throughout Monroe County and the State of New York, and
RESOLVED, that RTA declares its support for the professional freedom of teachers to design, administer, score and use such testing as they deem necessary or appropriate for students in their classes, in their sole professional judgment, and
RESOLVED, that RTA appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to develop proposals for new, research-based, educationally sound measures to be used for accountability purposes, that will support, rather than undermine, the RCSD’s educational mission, and that such committee shall be free to work independently or in collaboration with RCSD to such ends, and
RESOLVED, that RTA, through its officers and staff, communicate these resolutions to anyone to whom they deem it fit and proper.
Adopted unanimously on March 17, 2015 by RTA Representative Assembly
Brilliant.
Secretary Duncan, Governor Cuomo, Candidate Bush, would you care to respond?
You forgot President Obama.
The union can pass as many resolutions as it wants. Cumo will take the printouts of them and use them as doormats.
Awesome go RTA…I am on a BoE south of Buffalo and hope we will follow suit…my own grandson will be opting out.
“RESOLVED, that RTA appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to develop proposals for new, research-based, educationally sound measures to be used for accountability purposes…”
I hope they follow through on this. I think current accountability plans in NY came about because of the vacuum there. If they get strongly behind a system that has some accountability, there is a better chance of fixing what’s broken.
Accountability won’t be going away, but I do think it could be replaced with a better system.
John,
What makes you think that NY has a broken accountability system?
Diane,
Do you think the current system is good? I don’t think it works for teachers and I don’t think it works for accountability.
Sharon,
I know some districts had good plans, but I think it needed to be a statewide initiative. I think NYSUT studiously avoided any accountability for too long and overplayed their hand, ending up with something lousy.
Whether that can be recovered now is a fair question, but I’d like to see them proposing some alternative heavy on professional development, yet clearly identifying exceptional teachers, developing teachers, and a small percentage whose performance isn’t acceptable. I think if they proposed something that worked like that, it could be taken seriously.
I think test score growth could be part of it, but I think that has to be on norm-referenced test and compared to expected growth based on multiple factors. I think year over year state test grades are very problematic.
I’m afraid that the opt out movement and other attempts to dismantle the current system without some viable alternative will not have a good result for anyone. I see both sides doubling down as opposed to trying to reach some actually valuable compromise.
John,
Why are we the only nation that tests every child every year? Other nations–at least the ten high-performing nations–give a test at the end of sixth grade. Canada gives a test in third grade and sixth grade. Finland has no mandated testing. Why must we present an alternative to a stupid approach?
http://www.ncee.org/2014/04/statistic-of-the-month-when-high-performing-countries-test-students/
By Jackie Kraemer
“Unlike the top-performing countries on the 2012 PISA, the United States stands out for the amount of external testing it requires for all students. As the chart below shows, the United States is the only country among this set to require annual testing in primary and middle schools in reading and mathematics. A more typical pattern among the top-performers is a required gateway exam, or an exam that allows a student to move on to the next phase of education, at the end of primary school, the end of lower secondary school and the end of upper secondary school. This is true of Canada (Ontario), China (Shanghai), Estonia, Poland and Singapore. In some of these cases, the secondary school exams are used to determine placement in the next level of schooling such as in Singapore and Shanghai where the lower school-leaving exam determines placement in upper secondary school. And in Poland, Shanghai and Singapore the upper secondary academic exam functions as an admission exam for university. This differs from the United States where annual tests are used primarily for school and teacher accountability purposes. In his edweek.org blog, NCEE President Marc Tucker has written extensively about the challenges associated with this type of accountability scheme. In addition to administering census testing at only three or fewer points in a student’s school career, the top-performers typically test a broader range of subjects than English and mathematics, the subjects tested annually in the United States.
“How tests are used is also different among the high performers. South Korea and Japan test only for diagnostic purposes in the primary schools, and South Korea continues to test for diagnostic purposes through 10th grade. It is at the secondary level that they introduce the high stakes exams for students, with Japanese students required to take an entrance exam for upper secondary school and students in both countries required to take tests at the end of upper secondary school that will determine what kind of higher education institution they can enter. These tests are recognized as very high pressure for students and both countries are trying to address that issue. In both Korea and Japan, some students enter a vocational training system at the upper secondary level and take tests to qualify for vocational credentials rather than the tests for entry into university.”
Read the article to see the charts.
IMO, we have this onerous testing regime because of the confrontational nature of the management/teacher relationship in our public schools and the resulting misalignment of goals. The relationship between management and unions looks very different in other countries than it does in the US. This is as true in manufacturing as it is in education. I acknowledge that there are valid historical reasons for why our schools and classrooms can be centers of management/labor disagreement than like professional organizations with unified purpose, but I hope that can change.
In manufacturing, it caused the industry to become noncompetitive and lose market share to overseas manufacturers, and nearly caused the death of the US auto industry. In education, it’s causing overreaching laws that micromanage classrooms, testing that forces transparency where it did not exist, top down accountability plans that fill the vacuum where professional self-regulation did not exist, fiscal takeover of districts and other mechanisms to get out of overly expensive pension and healthcare costs, push for removal of job protections that other employees don’t have, etc.
I don’t see the pressure for these things letting up, hence my hope that viable statewide alternatives are proposed by unions. Unfortunately, I think unions look out for themselves first and that they are more valuable to their members when there is controversy and disagreement. They thrive on the adversarial nature that both sides in these debates are wringing their hands over.
John, you are WRONG! Many NYS districts had very good, very thorough, and very HELPFUL means to evaluate teachers. The teachers in my district loved the process that was used, and felt it helped them grow as educators. It had to be ditched in favor of APPR, the very plan that Cuomo shoved down the districts’ throats and now feels is inadequate in ferreting out bad teachers.
john – I was part of an ad hoc committee made up of teachers students area professors and community members that was started and led by one of our board members – we did develop proposals for culturally responsive curriculum etc – we are following through
Accountability is an euphemism for “it’s all your responsibility/fault” message. It means, authority is Not Responsible for the problem. Kind of message nationalistic politicians like.
Unfortunately, our local NY union leaders told us to keep quiet and don’t talk to students about opting-out and report any discussions to administrators. We could lose our teaching licenses.
Reblogged this on stopcommoncorenys.
Excellent, excellent, excellent.. NO to the high stakes testing and YES to the opt out movement.
New York’s children belong to their families, it’s public schools to its citizens. Mr Cuomo, you belong to the morons bent on thebdestruction of public education in the United States, Obama, Duncan, Gates, and the next Bush salivating for his “turn”…
Frankly speaking, Mr Cuomo, they can have you. This New York citizen rejects you and your lack of morals and ethics.
Calling Mike Mulgrew!
Wait, he wants to punch me in the face cause I don’t support Common Crap!
Calling Randi Weingarten!
Wait she is still making robocalls for Kathy Hochul!
Facepalm!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Let’s go AFT and NEA, get this out there. All the work is done for us!!!!!!!
As if Randi would do anything to jeopardize her seat at the table.
http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2015/03/in-case-you-think-assembly-dems-are.html?m=1
I trust my assemblyman/woman to buy MAC cosmetics to kiss the royal posterior of our enemy.
Nice job NYS
I am a retired Superintendent. If my kids were still in school they would not waste their time taking these tests–and I would encourage the friends of their parents to have their children opt out. These are terrible assessments that are used for very inappropriate purposes. Do not feed the Tisch/Cuomo testing machine–take your child to a museum when other kids are being tested–and make clear to administrators that under no circumstances are your kids to be taken out of class for make up exams!
I became a teacher in the Rochester City School District because at that time (many years ago) we were frontrunners in the name of sound educational practices for students – I was beginning to think we lost our way – but my faith is again restored – thank you to my union leaders and colleagues on this unanimous vote -lets keep this momentum going
This would be a model for the AFT, as Diane states.
Randi, are you reading? Are you listening?
The opt-out movement will not bring an end to the testing madness. I am convinced that it simply will not work on a large scale (statewide/nationwide) basis. Too many parents still believe in testing as a means of measuring academic growth, comparing students, comparing schools, and even judging teachers.Too many have bought into the snake oil sales job to bring about any real change. Too many can’t shake the accountability issue and Arne knows this. As he stated recently. “Millions of students are taking the tests all across the country. We’re fine.”
Once NCLB is re-written and re-authorized we will be stuck with the basic framework of the Duncan waiver program. Obama will veto any bill that does not meet the basic demands of high stakes, annual testing in grades 3 to 8. When the final re-write is signed into law, we will be stuck for 7 years in the same mess we are in now. This is a depressing conclusion and I wish someone could talk me off the ledge. I think that the best we can hope for is a return to state control of standards and testing – and the hope that fair and reasonable tests replace the disastrous national exams that are being rolled out this year. NCLB on steroids, minus the Common Core standards and Common Core (PARCC/SBAC) tests may soon become the new, long range normal.
NY Teacher,
I don’t know if I can talk you off the ledge, but I do believe that the opt out movement can make a difference. If enough parents say no, Washington will have to notice. At some point, regardless of a new federal NCLB renamed, states will pass laws saying that parents have the right to refuse the tests. If enough do so, it will invalidate the tests. It doesn’t have to be 50% or even 30%. Gene Glass wrote recently that even 10% would throw a monkey wrench into the machine: https://dianeravitch.net/2015/03/15/gene-v-glass-can-the-opt-out-movement-succeed/
I asked my NYSUT rep what the tipping point is for refusals. She claimed that it is listed in a NYSED website that a minimum of 60% is required for the tests scores to be used. However, she said that NYSED will ignore this and use whatever scores they get. Other than the small pockets of testing resistance, there are still far too many who are blindly believing the accountability myth. Eventually litigation may save the day, but that will be a slow go. Hasn’t enough harm occurred to warrant a class action law suit? The thought that we have been spitting into a gale force wind here for the last several years is sinking in. With Cuomo about to force most of his education agenda into law, the future looks more bleak than ever. Once these new federal and state laws are settled, what recourse will we have? Better tests may be the best we can ask for. No one complained about our Regents testing program for the simple reason that the tests were fair and transparent.
NY Teacher,
I know you must be going through very difficult times, but you are a pessimist. . . . which is fine. I’m surmise you might characterize yourself as a realist.
But, listen: I have been saying for SEVEN year s now that it will be the parents who will turn this thing around. Not that we educators can just sit back and do nothing. But understand that this is a process, and it will take a few years, but the opt-out movement is growing, and you must realize that a single little match can burn down 700,00 acres.
Some cogent reasons why opt-out will be powerful:
1) Parent voices have been excluded form policy. Parents are pissed about this.
2) Parent want their children to be challenged and stimulated, but not put down by a series of tests whose design is questionable and highly politicized.
3) Parents love their public schools for the most part. They may think that schools in general are not doing well, but the vast majority of them sing praises for their own local school and teachers.
4) Parents have been left footing the bill for the new mandates. So you know how much standardize testing costs? And software to maintain APPR systems? Cha-ching.
5) Parents see the distress their children are going through. Hell hath no fury like a parent whose child is being used as a pawn or being bullied by a one-sided, one-size-fits-all political culture.
6) Parents are finding it hard to stay in the middle class They know the overclass is creating this testing monster. Therefore parents, the underdog, see the policy makers as the enemy. Well, they sort of are.
7) Parents will and should not give up local control over their schools through their own advocacy and elected school board members. Parents enjoy tons of transparency in how schools are governed and set up. They WILL NOT part with this autonomy. They will fight for it.
Cheer up, NY Teacher.
Join us. You’re one of us, whether you like it or not. I stand to lose my job just like the next guy, and my scores have been through the roof and I am Nationally Board Certified.
So what.
Testing may change all of that, and believe me, I believe in academic rigor supported by engagement and enchantment of learning.
You have only lost this battle if you think you have . . . .
Go have an ice cream sundae with caramel sauce, whipped cream, walnuts, some diced pears poached in vanilla, and some freshly made chocolate ganache. You’ll feel better . . . .
NY and Robert,
They are not going to make fairer tests. The purposes of the tests are to make money for Pearson, sell technology and support the failing school narrative. Opting out is catching on in Newark , a development I never expected.
I have been always believed that parents love for their children and instincts to protect them would be the downfall of this testing madness. It is only recently that my hopes have begun to fade. I just don’t think that there are enough, well informed people to make the difference. Yet, they are our only hope for salvation. The media, the politicians, and our union have all abandoned us. With every mainstream news piece or article I see, my hopes grow dimmer. There are just too many low information people happy to buy the snake oil. Snake oil salesmen are in business for a reason; people believe in magic bullets. The magic bullet of testing will be locked into state and federal law soon. Then parents can scream all they want. They can refuse all they want. But the voices of the vocal minority will not rule out. Eventually, we came to our senses, but the generation of old school teachers that see the wrong, that live the educational malpractice, that see the destruction of what education should be, will soon be replaced by a new generation of tech savvy young teachers raised to believe in the data god. I think we are looking at the new normal. Not the forever normal, but the normal for a long time to come.
NY Teacher:
You are not completely right:
Parents still vote and give politicians their jobs pensions, and parents boycott and organize.
And for god’s sake, man (woman?), look where the whole situation is compared to 7 or 5 years ago, where almost no one was saying anything in the mainstream. Unions were hush as they were sleeping with Eli Broad. Teachers were their usual apolitical selves (most). The media started it campaign against education. Democrats turned from Fred Rogers to Charlie Manson in a matter of months.
The glass may be broken, but it’s still half full . . . . I personally am choosing to repair the glass and fill it with more water, even if drop by drop.
I’m going to have a sundae . . . . a pretend one made out of salad.
I am a dinosaur and I am being run out on a rail. My boss called me old fashioned. I believe in literacy, vocabulary duevelopment and writing instruction. I do not worship the data gods. I have nothing in common with the largely compliant younger teachers. When I started teaching, I thought I had a lot o learn from the veterans. Now I am considered a bumbling idiot. Our society will ultimately get what it deserves due to lack of critical thinking and political engagement.
It’s really just the beginning for the opt-out/refuse movement. When parents see their children angry, frustrated, anxious, hating school, and maybe even worse (suicidal thoughts, having to be on medication, etc.) because of the pressure of these tests, they will start to question more and refuse the tests. It may take a little time but it will happen.