If you live anywhere on Long Island or near it, you should show up to meet and greet Dr. Joseph Rella, a hero educator who spoke out against New York State’s nutty and abusive scoring system. The event is on Saturday at noon.
I received the following notice from his admirers:
Dr. Joseph Rella, superintendent of Comsewogue School District, has created an opportunity for everyone who wants to end high-stakes testing. It was not part of an elaborate plan to further his career in education. It is the result of a letter he wrote for the children he was entrusted to educate, but felt forced to protect. That letter resonated loudly in the hearts and minds of those who know the negative implications of high-stakes testing and it went viral in one day.
Today, Dr. Joseph Rella, was presented the first “Lace to the Top Certificate of Appreciation.” This is the inscription:
“This award is presented to Dr. Joseph Rella, Compassionate Superintendent, for selfless dedication to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and all other stake-holders in the State of New York through courageous actions against high-stakes tests and their destructive implications, the members of Lace to the Top celebrate your Leadership and Conscience that inspire the fight for Public Education.”
Kevin and I sat with Dr. Rella and his beautiful wife, Jackie for over 2 hours. Our conversation followed a common theme; these tests abuse children and they cannot continue. It was a pleasure to hear him speak passionately about teaching, learning, and the future of public education.
I did not think I could love Dr. Rella anymore than I did after I read his letter, but I was wrong. Dr. Rella accepted our award with teary-eyed gratitude, his wife by his side. He posed for some pictures and turned to his wall filled with diplomas. His wife asked where to hang his award. His response was, “Take down the doctorate.” I thought he was joking. He was not. He took his doctorate off the center of the wall and hung the Lace to the Top award in its place and even used his shoe to hammer in a new nail. Now, hanging behind the man who inspired a rally is a certificate draped with a fresh pair of bright green laces.
The opportunity he created is this weekend at 12:00 at Comsewogue High School, 545 Bicycle Path in Port Jefferson Station, NY. Make it a priority. Be a part of a rally for children and education. Wear your green laces and unite behind this inspirational leader.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
That was a nice read. It made me smile….just great! He just responded to my email. I’m not sharing mine. lol
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Thank you for sharing this with us. It warmed my heart and made me smile! Dr. Rella— Thank you for being an inspiration and for giving us the inspiration to continue in our efforts to protect children from the abuse of high stakes testing.
Marge Borchert
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Many thanks to the brave people who have stood up and said enough is enough.
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Here is the drivel from PBS on Common Core, like someone is reinventing the wheel. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/july-dec13/commoncore_08-13.html
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More on Dr. Rella’s rally this Saturday… http://thepjsta.org/2013/08/10/lets-have-a-rally/
We will be interviewing Dr. Rella in the coming days and posting it on thepjsta.org. If there is anything specific you want us to ask him please let us know.
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Pathetic. In view of the quashed PBS documentary ‘Citizen Koch’, perhaps we can expect no better.
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And here is the message that needs to be heard from your posting:
“Our conversation followed a common theme; THESE TESTS ABUSE CHILDREN and they cannot continue.”
The language you have chosen to describe the impact of the current “corporate reform movement” on children is perceptive and needs to be emphasized. These reforms are not just ill-informed and manipulative, they in fact do constitute child abuse and must be addressed and stopped.
Congratulations to both you and Dr. Rella.
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God bless Dr. Rella! What an amazing educator. He is an inspiration to us all. I wish I was in town to attend and support him.
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An interview with Dr. Rella: http://thepjsta.org/2013/08/14/an-interview-with-dr-joseph-rella/
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The best quote, When Dr. Rella thanked Diane Ravitch he said, “Having her support is the educational equivalent of being blessed by the pope.”
I just returned from the Rally in Port Jefferson and it was really great. Big turn out, great energy and I was excited to see that given the short notice of this event. It was informative for people of the community. It was also enjoyable because of the personalities included. There were politicians including Al Graff, a student, a concerned parent, president board member and the president of NYSUT. Dr. Rella was really enjoyable, funny, smart and gave a real personable experience. I hope we keep the momentum going with this and stand up to the madness.
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