After reading the tragic story of Ethan Rediske, the boy dying in hospice who could not be excused from taking the Florida state test without documentation, this principal wrote about a student in her school. Bear in mind: Nothing is more important to the State of Louisiana than the tests: Not the boy’s health, not his life: Just his test score. If the state didn’t have his test score, how would they know how to rate his teachers and his school? How would they develop the data for his cradle-to-grave record? What would it do to the state’s data warehouse if his data were missing? Data-data-data-data-data-data matter more than anything.

I have a similar story from Louisiana! I am the principal of a middle school in south Louisiana. Last year, while I was still the assistant principal, one of my 8th graders had to leave for Memphis to go to St. Jude for treatment of his Osteosarcoma, which had spread. In Louisiana, 8th graders must take and pass the LEAP test to move to high school. This child has his leg AMPUTATED to save his life.

I was unable to find anyone at the department of education who could help me with this child’s special circumstance. As a matter of fact, for him to have the option to move to high school, I had to complete a form that allowed me to administer the test to him in an alternate testing environment. I went to Memphis, LEAP test in hand, and administered his test over a four day period. He took his test while working around his chemotherapy and radiation appointments. He was a total champ about this absurd and offensive situation! And, to all of you who are wondering, he PASSED his test and is in 9th grade now. Although he is still in Memphis receiving treatments, when he returns he can go straight to high school.

Our community was so outraged by this story and the lack of human dignity attached to this insensitive requirement for this child to take the test, that the entire community came together. My trip, which was initially going to be self-funded, became entirely covered with the help of the local fire department, who drove me to Memphis, and generous donations from various businesses. Our student body was so supportive of their classmate that they raised and donated almost $10, 000.00 to St. Jude.

When I had the honor of handing the check to Richard Shadyac, the CEO of ALSAC (the organization that fundraises for St. Jude), even he was apalled that the child had to take the test. From what my very famous student tells me (you’ve seen him announcing the Saint’s first round pick at the NFL Draft, you’ve seen him on Kelly and Michael, and he is a always speaking on behalf of St. Jude), when he and Richard speak at fundraising events for St. Jude, Richard still mentions my trip to Memphis and what an entire community did to fight the good fight against wearhousing education!