The following statement was released by the New York State Allies for Public Education:
http://www.nysape.org/nysape-press-release—parents-respond-to-cuomo-tisch-elia.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2015
More information contact:
Lisa Rudley (917) 414-9190; nys.allies@gmail.com
NYS Allies for Public Education http://www.nysape.org
The Message of 220,000 Opt-Outs Has Not Been Heard: Elia Calls Opt-Out Parents “Unreasonable” and Cuomo Continues Trampling on the NYS Constitution
For over three years parents across New York have called on Albany to substantially change the direction of education reforms built on the flawed Common Core, its intertwined high-stakes testing and fundamentally broken teacher evaluation system.
Despite outrage with the appointment of an education commissioner without a public process, parents initially withheld their concerns with MaryEllen Elia and the reports of her support for Common Core reforms coupled with a heavy-handed, non-collaborative approach that factored in her firing in Florida.
Just a few short weeks into her appointment in New York however, Elia has proven parent skeptics right. She has adopted the “tough-talk” tactics of Andrew Cuomo and Merryl Tisch, apparently as cover for a governor and chancellor who have dramatically softened their education rhetoric to the public. Elia has labeled opt out parents as ‘unreasonable’, opt out supporting educators ‘unethical’ and threatened funding cuts if opt outs are not stopped.
In a press release yesterday expressing “sympathy” for parents, Cuomo called for a review of the Common Core in New York, blaming the State Education Department’s implementation while vowing to revive his Common Core panel to review the mess.
Parents across the state are not fools.
They know the problems are hardly limited to implementation of the Common Core, but the actual Common Core itself, its excessive testing, and a fundamentally broken teacher evaluation system.
Parents know that Andrew Cuomo is not part of the solution. Cuomo is the problem.
It is Cuomo who forced his unproven teacher evaluation system down parents’ throats.
It is Cuomo who slashed and underfunded the State Education Department staffing.
It is Cuomo who accepted ‘Big Donor’ campaign money and enabled the build-up of a privatized, unaccountable shadow government within the State Education Department –The Regents Research Fellows—who created the “Implementation” mess Cuomo now blames.
It is Cuomo who repeatedly tramples on the New York State Constitution–which gives a NY Governor NO authority over education policy—with his serial habit of forming pro-corporate education reform stacked panels, complete with Washington lobbyists salivating to eliminate parental consent for data profiling of children.
Parents of New York are outraged and will continue the fight to take back their schools and classrooms from the Albany shenanigans of Andrew Cuomo, Merryl Tisch and MaryEllen Elia.
“In New York, Governor Cuomo and Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, teamed up for the past five years to turn theory and promise of the Common Core into a living nightmare for our children and their teachers. Parents see through the ploys and will not back down. We will continue to refuse to participate in the Common Core tests that are destroying our schools and our children’s education. Governor Cuomo’s role in this mess will not be ignored.” – Jeannette Deutermann, Long Island public school parent and Long Island Opt Out founder.
“The spirit of our children is being broken. When will Albany start really paying attention and make the changes that parents are asking? We want our classrooms back, we want our teachers to teach, and we want a well-rounded curriculum for all our children. More test prep or testing is not the answer to closing the achievement gap.” –Charmaine Dixon, Brooklyn public school parent and NYC Opt Out member.
“Parents will not stop fighting for their kids. Tests MUST be decoupled from teacher evaluations, state tests MUST be reduced, and student data MUST NOT be shared without parental consent.” –Eric Mihelbergel, Western NY public school parent and NYSAPE founding member.
“The corrupt influence of ‘Big Money’ and ‘Big Data’ Collection in New York has ushered in the most destructive education laws and policies in the nation based on model American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) legislation and “pushed” by the privatized Regent Research Fellows think tank. Parents very clearly see how profit motives are driving the loss of local control in their children’s classroom…and they reject it.” -Lisa Rudley, Westchester public school parent and NYSAPE founding member.
“The results of the recent annual PDK/Gallup education poll are telling. An overwhelming majority (64%) of Americans say there is too much emphasis on testing in schools and a majority of public school parents oppose the Common Core. How much longer will parents in New York tolerate what Albany is doing to their children’s classrooms? The next election cycle will be very telling,” said Jessica McNair, Central NY public school parent, educator, and CNY Opt Out founder.
NYSAPE, a grassroots organization with over 50 parent and educator groups across the state are calling on parents to continue to opt out by refusing high-stakes testing starting on the first days of school. Go to http://www.nysape.org/resources.html for more details on the how to be part of the Great Opt Out of this decade.
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One small correction for the courageous parents in NY. The teacher evaluation system is not unproven so much as it’s been well proven to be a giant pantsload. There is no basis in any reality other than profiteering and the assault on public education itself for VAM based teacher evaluations, either alone or as part of the “multiple measures” camoflage scam that seeks to obscure the truth of this farce.
Wow– fabulous! These words and their defiant spirit warms and cheers the heart of this “vintaged” classroom teacher! This should be used as a model for like groups throughout the country.
“warm” and “cheer”
Fabulous statement from NYS Parents! I would just like to reorient ourselves from what we are AGAINST to what we are FOR.
1) We are basically FOR restoring local control of education. Local folks are best situated to know what is best for their own children. The state should get the hell out — whether it’s dictating how local districts evaluate their own teachers or misstating how well children are being educated. The state has imposed its will on localities and has made education worse. The only area where (IMHO) the state has a legitimate say is in SETTING (not imposing) standards. which must be based on EDUCATIONAL (not ideological) priorities..
2) NYS must fully fund education as the state constitution requires. The state has failed to comply with the judiciary’s ruling that in order for the state to meet the constitutional mandate to provide ALL children with a “sound, basic education,” it must fund local districts adequately.
Very good response. Shows that Opt-Out leadership and parents in NYS are vigilant and ready to take the fight forward. Very encouraging. Opt-out can stop the looting of our public schools by the testing and tech biz; it can stop commercial parasites from taking our school money by abusing our kids and our teachers. No kids to test, no tests to sell and impose on the schools. We stand on the moral high ground in this fight–advocating for high-quality public schools for all kids, advocating against the private takeover of the public sector. Cuomo, Tisch, Elia, and their billionaire backers on Wall St. stand in the low-ground of moral mud, and the more they struggle there the deeper down they will go.
Little Andrew thinks he will be one day be President?
And he just got whupped by a bunch of parents?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Sorry, Guv. Your commission to exam Common Core is a joke. We will be opting out again this year.
You support school choice. How ’bout giving parents a CHOICE to send their kids to schools where there are no state standardized tests?