The National PTA adopted a resolution opposing parents’ decision to have their child opt out of state testing.
The resolution endorses the federal requirement of annual testing and says:
“National PTA does not support state and district policies that allow students to opt-out of state assessments that are designed to improve teaching and learning. While we recognize that parents are a child’s first teacher and respect the rights of parents to make decisions on behalf of their children, the association believes the consequences of nonparticipation in state assessments can have detrimental impacts on students and schools. Nonparticipation can result in a loss of funding, diminished resources and meaningful interventions for student subgroups, which would have a disparate impact on minorities and students with special needs and widen the achievement gap. Opting out also stalls innovation by inhibiting effective monitoring and improvement of programs, instructional strategies and exams, and could thwart transparency by providing incomplete data sets for states and schools.”
Di, despite 15 years of mandated testing, the National PTA still thinks that testing somehow promotes the best interests of the children in the bottom half if the bell curve, that testing narrows achievement gaps, and that testing promotes innovation. Note that no evidence is provided for any of these claims.
Fifteen years of testing and accountability and the National PTA says, “Stay the course.”
Surely this has no connection to the fact that the National PTA has received $3.7 million from the Gates Foundation, which has a deep faith in data and testing. $1 million of the total was earmarked specifically to promote Common Core.
Gates gave the group another $1 million in October 2015 specifically to support Common Core assessments and the results of those assessments.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane, what happened to the Democrats for Public Education? The last entry was in January 2015. I was so excited to see these democratic leaders speak up.
I don’t know
It takes a lot of dedication or money to sustain a new organization
As a parent, I pledge only to opt my child out of tests which are not designed to improve teaching and learning. There, something the PTA and I can agree on – opting out of PARCC!
Does the National PTA have any position on how much testing is too much? the right amount?
I’m guessing PTA means Paid To Advocate?
Could this be part of the reason so many communities have opted out of PTA?
Any community can start a Parent Teacher Organization, PTO, and avoid paying dues to this self-important association.
That is exactly what we did in my community a number of years ago.
Sounds like yet another national organization out of touch with grass roots members and bought by billionaires. And the list keeps growing…
A billionaire grant vs. evidence from Mother Jones that showed urban students take 266% more tests than their suburban counterparts. A Harvard education professor who says his own kids, in suburban Boston schools, shouldn’t take tests because they will crowd out important subjects like Shakespeare, while urban kids should be tested everyday vs. a compassionate and reasoned decision from the PTA.
The scale of justice tips again to the side of the plutocrats.
Diane, Your post has inspired me. Would you be willing to invite people to contribute to a list of pro-charter and pro- Common Core organizations that get money, and how much, from the Gates Foundation?
Jane, I think you will find ready resources in books by Diane, Mercedes Schneider and others such as “Follow the Money.”
An ever growing problem in following the money is the move to tap state and family or community foundations, many of these less prominent nationally than Gates, Broad, Walton, Hemsley, Arnold and so forth. There are also pass-through arrangements for reducing the transparency of funding. Rockefeller Advisors performs this function for the Gates Foundation, among others.
The Gates Foundation database is relatively easy to search.
It is tedious work to compile a master list of bought and paid for organizations and some of the descriptions of grants are purposely obscure…like, advocacy for higher standards may or many specify the Common Core. But Gates has invested so much in the Common Core that he is not giving up.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust is often working in lockstep with Gates, most recently on centers for “Transforming” teacher education with a clear intent to control that process so a new generation of teachers will be indoctrinated, trained to use a tool-kit of no-nonsense disciplinary practices from Doug Lemov and others who say a few ” high leverage” practices are all that beginning teachers need, plus content knowledge of the kind easily tested. This Gates initiative is clearly targeted to teachers who will be placed in schools where low-income and minority students are being set up to experience a really obscene punitive and test-driven form of training, not really education at all…in my opinion.
Jane, go to Mercedes Schneider’s blog and look for her many posts on where the Gates’ money goes. Deutsch29 is the name.
Same old, same old. Same script, different author – or same author bought out another organization’s integrity.
Luckily, parents go by what they experience with their own children, not the nonsense they hear spouted by the rheformers.
So disheartening. Once the National PTA takes a position, the State and local PTAs are not permitted to take a different position on the same issue. Unfortunately, it is difficult to give feedback to the National level to be certain that the stance at the National level reflects the will of the PTA membership at the local level. On another note, there is always a great need for volunteers for leadership positions at the State and County PTA levels. PTA has tremendous potential and is volunteer run except for at the National level. PTAs at all levels can inform parents about issues and provide parents the opportunity to support or oppose various initiatives in education.
PTA Mom,
Every national poll now shows parents opposed to Common Core and to the quantity of tests. But then parents don’t have grants from Gates. Why doesn’t your group drop out and form a PTO that speaks for parents?
Having served on the National PTA Board of Directors in the mid-90s and the early 2000s, both as a State President and an elected member, I can tell you that this National PTA is NOT the organization I knew and was proud to be a part of. And yes, it is all about the money – always has been; always will be.
You want Gates money for your organisation ? Just stick the word “National” in its name.
Yes Gates $ may be a factor but we who follow U Diane have to listen & provide helpful responses as this viewpoint is entrenched throughout the USA among ordinary adults despite data from experts.
I’ve found the same thing to be true. False narratives from the privatizers and corporatizers, appeal to people, even without Gates funding. The parroting of the narrative’s talking points, shows that intellectual processing doesn’t occur. The propaganda appeals at an emotional level, to people who feel better about themselves by adopting the dogma of the message.
Journalist Jane Mayer, who researches the Koch’s, identified the source of their new messaging, anchored with the phrase “well-being”. The parroting, despite evidence that refutes, is ubiquitous.
It is to the tune of $1 million dollars.
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2009/12/National-PTA-to-Mobilize-Parents-for-Common-Core-Standards
Linda you hit the nail on the proverbial head.
My school and district this year for a number of reasons, not the least of which is not contributing money to the national PTA, switched to a PTSO — no more national PTA. Much better to have a local organization, responsive to serving local students and their families. I wrote my check for membership happily and no longer pay any attention whatsoever to the “national PTA” (I also boycott the United Way now for the same reason — taking money from Gates to promote the low quality and testing-shepherd Common Core is WAY outside any charitable mission….)
Glad to hear about your school’s abandonment of the PTA. And, you are right. Too many United Way organizations are in bed with school privatizers. I’ve contacted a few. The message I received was, they move in the direction the money takes them. Others, run by people with consciences, wanted no part of the privatizers’ agenda.
Linda, the worst of the United Way organization is in Los Angeles. They are Gates funded and leading the charge for testing, test-based accountability and charters. They also tried to insert themselves and Broad toadies into the selection of the new superintendent (after all, they represent “the community”). Fortunately the LAUSD said no dice.
Nice to hear. Exposure of the bad guys is proliferating.
UnKochMyCampus is gaining momentum, as reflected on their Facebook page.
Last month, a North Carolina Chancellor “Pledged Faculty Involvement to Vet Controversial Koch Money”, at Western Carolina University. But, as is said, universities are quite good at co-opting through the theatrics of participation,
Doesn’t seem like they’re adding a lot of value as an organization, frankly. That statement is identical to that of the federal government, my state government and every single ed reform org.
I’m not clear why we need another organization devoted to scolding parents on testing.
Ed reform orgs are weirdly redundant 🙂
“Weirdly redundant” Either paid parrots or emotionally-needy parrots.
Linda, bingo again! The only parents I see at our PTA are there for THEIR kids only. I asked about opting out in 2012 and was told “you are the only parent in the district to complain about CCLS”. And, you need to pay double dues if you attend both the middle school and elementary school PTA meetings – bye bye. In 2014, some reached out for my feedback – my email was down unfortunately.
“We use data from a large-scale school-level randomized experiment conducted in 2010–2011 in public schools in Indiana. Our sample includes more than 30,000 students in 70 schools. We examine the impact of two interim assessment programs (i.e., mCLASS in grades K-2 and Acuity in grades 3–8) on mathematics and reading achievement. Two-level models were used to capture the nesting in the data. Results indicate that the treatment effect is insignificant in grades 3–8 and thus students in treatment schools perform as well as students in control schools. In contrast, the treatment effect is negative and significant in grades K-2 (i.e., kindergarten and second grade) indicating that students in control schools perform higher than students in treatment schools.”
Were parents in Indiana public schools told that their kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders were part of this experiment?
Will they now be told that the experiment offered no benefit to children in grades 3-8 and actually had a negative effect on K-2 students?
Maybe the PTA could debate and pass a resolution on the possible downside of testing. That would be new information for the vast majority of parents, something they won’t hear from either their government or the 5000 ed reform and lobbying groups.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19345747.2015.1116031?journalCode=uree20
When Gates/Walton/Broad-funded groups “pass resolutions on the possible downside of testing” and privatized education, the oligarchs will enlist politicians and will infiltrate government departments to foist their agenda on the American people……Wait.
This is one of my favorite lectures on testing. It’s from Arne Duncan. He cites the book they were all citing that year- The Smartest Kids in the World and points to South Korea:
“There’s a new book out called “The Smartest Kids in the World, and How They Got That Way.” The author, Amanda Ripley, found an interesting way to compare American schools with those in top-performing countries. She spent time with American students who did a year of school abroad, and with students from other countries who went to school in the United States.
One of the countries she compares us to is South Korea.”
Except he leaves out a part of the book. He forgets to tell us that parents in South Korea pay out of pocket for a huge private sector tutoring industry, which one would think would be important information for US parents- what those test scores cost families:
“Tutoring services are growing all over the globe, from Ireland to Hong Kong and even in suburban strip malls in California and New Jersey. Sometimes called shadow education systems, they mirror the mainstream system, offering after-hours classes in every subject—for a fee. But nowhere have they achieved the market penetration and sophistication of hagwons in South Korea, where private tutors now outnumber schoolteachers.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324635904578639780253571520
Not only in South Korea but also in the US. I worked at such a center for Korean children in NYC. These children attend an additional 3 hours after school at these centers learning math and English. I pity them, as they have their fun time crowded out for academics. I see children poorly socialize and emotionally developed.
The PTA must not be able to extrapolate. If they could, they would see the privatized education of the Bridge International Academies, backed by Gates, Z-berg and Pearson, and promoted by the World bank, to the exclusion of tax-supported schools.
Chiara, did you know that Amanda Ripley wrote the TIME cover story about Michelle Rhee, the savior of US education. The title was something about “she has a fix for our broken schools.”
I’ve never read anything from Ripley that would win any awards…assuming no fix was in.
Something else the worshipers of high stakes tests never mention:
“When a
student’s rank in the high-stakes College Scholastic Ability Test falls below her average ranks in
prior national examinations, she exhibits greater suicidal tendency. The reference dependent
effects, however, are absent for low-stakes in-school academic performance. The findings
highlight the potential adverse consequences of disappointment in high-stakes testing.” …
“the results support the argument that high-stakes testing may
pose suicide risks to individuals with reference-dependent preferences when they perform worse
than expected, while low-stakes testing is less likely to pose such risks”
Click to access the_deadly_effect_of_high-stakes_testing_on_teenagers_with_reference-dependent_preferences.pdf
In addition, from deutsch29, “South Korea, It’s High PISA Scores, and its Suicide App”
“The alarming rate of South Korean teen suicides has prompted the South Korean Education Ministry to resort to its own “creative problem solving”: An app to assist with combating suicide:”
And then there is this; Rising unemployment – Are there too many graduates?
“Fast growing East Asian economies have rapidly increased the numbers of students attending university in recent years. Now the pool of unemployed graduates is rising to worrying levels in the region generally – and even in some high-growth economies.”
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20140213153927383
“Opt Out”
Opt out of the PTA
Funded by the Gates’, oy vey!
Opt out of the tests they love
Orchestrated from above
“Vinh
February 1, 2016 at 8:18 am
Not only in South Korea but also in the US. I worked at such a center for Korean children in NYC. These children attend an additional 3 hours after school at these centers learning math and English. I pity them, as they have their fun time crowded out for academics. I see children poorly socialize and emotionally developed.”
That, and it’s an apples and oranges comparison, because the parents are paying for it. In fact, parents are paying extra, out of pocket, for all or part of those scores. That’s a crucial piece of information for low income and middle class families.
He’s a product of (literally) the most prestigious private schools in the country. He has to omit information to sell his agenda?
Thank you for sharing this information.
At the same time, I’m furious at the PTA for taking money from the enemy. Isn’t that treason?
Well, Gates did give the National PTA $$$$$. Gates is spoiled and will use his $$$$$ to GET HIS WAY. After all, he wants to go backwards though he says he looks to the future. He likes the OLD WAYS of owners and slaves on the plantation. Now the plantation is warehouses.
Reblogged this on Politicians Are Poody Heads and commented:
Perhaps it’s time for the local PTA’s to opt out of the national PTA and form their own PTO’s.
After all, the national PTA did not consult with the locals before making this pronouncement.
The Chamber of Commerce, which has been described as a hired gun, reflects a similar pattern, The national Chamber received Gates money for Common Core. Sadly, the local community Chambers have everything to lose from the corporatization and privatization of public schools.
Linda, it is no surprise that the Chamber would tout CCSS and testing, even without being paid to do so.
The big surprise is that the National PTA would do it, against the will of most parents (see the Gallup Poll).
Many national unions (NEA, AFT) follow the same pattern (eg, on backing political candidates like Clinton). The “leaders” don’t even bother to ask the members what they think. They just go ahead and state positions.
Not sure why members tolerate such autocratic methods.
Chamber management comes from business. When businessmen can get someone to give them money to do what they were already going to do, they take the money and, label the giver, a sucker.
National PTA price is: $ 1 million dollars.
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2009/12/National-PTA-to-Mobilize-Parents-for-Common-Core-Standards
I wonder did they or Gates write the release?
Diane, I can’t seem to post anymore. I read your column almost every day and post a comment maybe twice a month. I sometimes respond to others and include a link to an article. Is that a problem?
My views on public education are very close to yours, and I’m not a troll. Please tell me what your policy is about links, or kindly review my prior two or three comments which have not appeared. Thank you.
DL Paulson,
You have not been blocked. There is something in the blog software that occasionally blocks comments, for no reason. I have been told that it works if you sign off, then sign on again. If that doesn’t work, let me know.
Also, if you have links, the comment sometimes go into moderation. But I approve 99.9% of comments in moderation.
Any more than one link in a post or just one f l e r p will send the comment to moderation. One link gets through okay.
At least that is my experience.
The very idea of a “national PTA” is a little strange.
Another embarrassingly bad proposal from the ed reform crew in Ohio-
http://plunderbund.com/2016/01/29/tell-parents-about-opting-out-of-state-tests-gop-wants-you-to-lose-your-job/
Correct me if I’m wrong, but every time we find a national organization linked to educaiton in any way that supports high stakes tests, VAM, corporate charter schools and vouchers, Bill Gates or the Walton family have always given them a lot of money first.
One teeny-tiny comment/correction: it’s a position statement (voted on by the board of directors), not a resolution (voted on by the delegate body at convention.)
Reblogged this on Exceptional Delaware and commented:
Thank God the Delaware PTA has the backbone to stay the course!
Odd how the Delaware PTA supported a parent’s right to opt out with Delaware’s House Bill 50. If parent organizations like this can’t support parental rights, I can’t support their organization… I will support the Delaware PTA, but National? Hell no!
I will not be renewing my membership with the PTA and will remove myself from my board. This was a slap in the face to parents everywhere from an organization that was supposed to stand up and protect our rights. Don’t be fooled, this will trickle down to state and local units! The support you thought you had will be gone.
What a GREAT IDEA! OPT OUT OF THE PTA! NATION WIDE!
Cross-posted at
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/National-PTA-Opposes-Paren-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Education_Education-Curriculum_Education-Laws_Education-Testing-160201-458.html#comment581547
with this comment whites embedded links to this site.
So, what to believe about testing?
This article by Andrew Ujifusa in Education Week is a good summary of where the opt out movement stands today. In addition, it describes the Network for Public Education’s 50-state report card, which will be released in D.C. on February 2 at the National Press Club at 1:30 pm. If you are in the area, plan to attend and learn which states support and value public education.
Emmanuel Felton and Sarah Butrymowicz write in the Hechinger Report that students in New York have shown little progress in three years of Common Core teaching and testing.
Here is Diane Ravitch with her reports on
Testing Resistance and Reform News from Across the Nationhttps://dianeravitch.net/2016/01/06/testing-resistance-and-reform-news-from-across-the-nation/
The PTA does not represent 90% of their student body – the PTA is high on STEM! Keep smoking that crack while students continue to fail State tests meant to score teachers! As for the PTA: I rescinded my membership in 2012!
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/23/fact-sheet-president-obama-announces-over-240-million-new-stem-commitmen
And this!
https://www.pta.org/newsevents/newsdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=4682
Disappointed to see the PTA, which is supposed to represent the best interest of ALL parents, discouraging parents from using their right to opt children out of a high stakes assessment system that ineffectively measures both teachers and students. As a non-governmental organization, the PTA has the potential to be a useful tool for parents and teachers to promote positive change in the education system. Its so unfortunate to see this organization being swayed by the alternative interests of donors, just like those in the government. C’mon PTA! Step up your support for smart parents who don’t want their children or teachers victimized by the vicious testing system.
Proof that almost everyone has a price for their soul:
Straight from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
National PTA to Mobilize Parents for Common Core Standards – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Receives $1 million grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to engage parents in four states
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2009/12/National-PTA-to-Mobilize-Parents-for-Common-Core-Standards
In 2010 – straight from the mouth of National PTA.org
PTA received $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to educate families on the Common Core State Standards.
http://www.pta.org/about/content.cfm?ItemNumber=972
They both call it a “grant” but it’s really a bribe.
As one of the local PTA boards, we feel compelled to respond to this blog regarding the National PTA’s stance on Opting Out. When the resolution was brought to our attention we did some research and made a few phone calls.
We spoke with Jackie Ball, Director, Government Affairs, who told us that the resolution represents its stance for the entire nation. Speaking as the Southold PTA, we prefer to provide the parents of our students all information available regarding the state standardized tests. We have, and will remain, completely neutral regarding opting out, and respect a parent’s decision.
The New York State PTA states: “The collective work by PTA and other organizations, working together to pressure our state to review, change and listen to parents and teachers, for the betterment of all, works. But it takes you to take action, to learn and listen,” Each Board of Education is required to review each year’s tests and approve the tests for our children each year.
Southold PTA is in agreement with NYS PTA’s Position Paper which encourages appropriate assessments.
USE OF STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON HIGH‐STAKES EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS
In Summary it states:
High‐stakes testing associated with political initiatives has changed the landscape of education in New York State and across our country. The effects of some of these changes may be unintended, but when devoid of a sound educational rationale, they can actually interfere with educational improvement. NYS PTA supports the continued development and implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards and the academic challenge needed to compete in a global society. We also support the need for meaningful pupil assessment and educator accountability. Current trends unfortunately exaggerate the use of narrowly defined results to judge educational performance and make high‐stakes educational decisions. These trends cannot be permitted to stifle student and educator creativity or to impede the imperative to educate the whole child.
Please also note, that nationally, states are utilizing a variety of assessments. National PTA has compiled all the resources parents need to learn more about these new college and career standards aligned assessments, and lists the assessments that other states are utilizing.
We understand that at first glance National PTA’s position may offend those who have been of the opinion that the assessments that were given to New York Schools, by the Pearson Co., who contracted with New York State Ed., were inappropriate. It is in fact the National PTA’s supportive position that local parents, teachers and Boards of Education in every state is to critique assessments, and when they are not appropriate – take the steps necessary to communicate that. That a measurement of students opting out of any states assessment must be weighed. Our Local PTA is in alignment with this position – parents have communicated their concerns, teachers, and board members, students opting out must be heard. State wide these concerns were echoed, and while it takes time, all of our voices were heard. There will be a new assessment contract for 2016 with Questar. It is believed that the assessment offered by Questar will be more in line with the assessments our children had in years past, that were acceptable and appropriately on grade level. Please see the links included.
This is just one reason that membership in local PTA’s are so important. The History of PTA has always been, and still is, to support our youth, their families, and those committed to their education.
We think its important for those who are members to know about the fees that your PTA collects. For example, our individual membership fee is $15. Of the $15, only $4 of those fees goes to the New York State PTA, the other $11 goes towards the different events, programs (like Parents As Reading Partners also known as PARP), and scholarships to deserving seniors. While we do understand that this position for the National PTA to negatively affect our local PTA, we hope that the knowledge of how the membership fees are actually proportioned. We also plead with our local members, and future prospective members, to ask your local PTA before making a final decision not to help your local school.
Links referenced above:
Click to access National%20PTA%20Title%20I%20Recommendations%20to%20ED.pdf
Dear Southold PTA,
As a resident of your town and as a great admirer of your Superintendent David Gamberg, I thank you for your statement explaining your reaction to the National PTA statement.
You probably know that New York is using Pearson for the spring 2016 assessments.
I doubt that you will be happy with the Questar assessments.
But neither of us can judge them until we see them.
Diane Ravitch