https://www.facebook.com/TexasKidsCantWait
Texas parents created a Facebook page to vent their anger at Governor Perry for vetoing HB 2836, which would have reduced the heavy burden of testing in the elementary and middle school grades. Presently, as much as one month–sometimes more–of the school year is devoted to testin and testing preparation.
HB 2836 passed both houses of the Legislature unanimously.
Our hero? Rep. Bennett Ratliff.
Read more here.
But don’t forget, Pearson has a contract for $500 million for five years of testing. It would be rather unpleasant, wouldn’t it, if the state didn’t want so much testing. After all, the state already reduced the number of graduation tests from 15 to 5. Pearson can retreat just so much and no more. Fortunately, Pearson has its top lobbyist, Sandy Kress, taking care of business. You know Sandy, the architect of NCLB. The testing industry’s best friend.
If you want to keep up with the anti-testing movement, follow their Facebook page.
Now that parents understand that all that testing doesn’t help their children, the game is up.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
These parents will need to opt out and take that upon themselves- they cannot depend upon a politician or facebook for that matter. Organize yourselves and simply refuse to allow your children to be tested. That is what it is going to take.
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Absolutely right. Social media is very powerful but so is Pearson. To really send this message, it is essential to actually opt out, not just continue to whine. Don’t make the mistake of blaming the local schools, though. The problem is in Austin, not Anywhere ISD.
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You need that Million Mom March….in Texas….
The creators of the first Million Man March were very successful.
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I mean the results of March
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Barbara is right; nothing will change until parents start keeping their kids home on test days.
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I smell override.
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Interesting.
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More parents should do this!
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Perry, in a move envied by nincompoops the world over, has just made Texas an even better candidate for a move to being a more purple state. Does he really believe that Texans are going to roll over for a dictatorial veto like this one? TEXANS??? The man is all hat and no cattle with no brain in the head that the hat rides on. We should be glad that he jumped the shark like this.
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Thank you so much for this mention!
The post we did about Perry’s veto of the bill to reduce testing in grades 3-8 absolutely exploded! In only a few hours, there were several thousand hits on the page. Two days later it has more than doubled that first day. Now, if we can just organize everyone!
The stories that teachers and parents are posting about the cost to kids for this insane testing are heart-breaking. There isn’t a way for the legislature to over-ride the governor’s veto since he did not include the topic in his call.
Some have asked about the name of our organization. It was inspired by a poem by Gabriela Mistral, Nobel Laureate in Literature:
We are guilty of many errors and Many faults, but our worst crime Is abandoning the children, Neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time His bones are being formed, His blood is being made, and His senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer “Tomorrow.” His name is “Today.”
Sent from my iPad Bonnie A. Lesley, Ed.D.
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Beautiful poem. It is going up on the wall in my classroom. Thank you so much for standing up for your children.
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Oh how I miss Molly Ivins and her long “love affair” with Rick “Goodhair” Perry.
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Excess testing is a form of child abuse. We are allowing the love of learning to be destroyed in our children for economic and political purposes. If we don’t remember Perry and his nonsense at the next election, then we once again deserve to be the recipients.
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Here is another great blog from Jason Stanford. He interviews Rep. Bennett Ratliff, sponsor of the bill that Perry vetoed.
“Life is not a bubble test” http://jasonstanford.org/2013/06/life-is-not-a-bubble-test/
Sent from my iPad Bonnie A. Lesley, Ed.D. 1205 Windstone Dr. Waco, TX 76712 254-848-4483 254-855-0594 (cell)
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