Fred Smith is a testing expert in New York City who has been advising parent organizations about their rights and explaining the technicalities of the tests to laymen.
He writes here:
“There are many reasons to refuse to participate in the field tests. They are summarized here–concerning New York State’s stealthy field testing practices, but having wider application to field testing, in general.
“It all comes down to parents becoming informed about when the tests are coming–where, what schools are involved–and acting in the best interests of their children’s education. Parents must insist on having this knowledge, as a simple matter of transparency. Then, it is THEIR choice alone on whether to allow their children to spend time taking field tests.
“As I see it, neither the state nor local educational entities have any legitimate authority in a matter that is entirely up to parents to decide on. Field testing carries no mandate demanding compliance. By arrogating to themselves the right to dictate actions that are in all ways voluntary (and must, at least, require informed consent) officials are simply usurping power to which they have no claim.
Fred Smith”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Fred hasn’t gotten the memo. Our oligarchs have made the decision that from this time forward, their authority to make whatever decisions they wish to make concerning the lives of others will be absolute.
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My hat is off to Fred and to all others encouraging civil disobedience in this matter.
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Hi Diane,
I hope you are well…
Today I was reading Susan DuFresne’s latest post on teacherletterstobillgates about the KG Common Core MAP test that these babies are currently suffering through… I made it about 3 minutes into the assessment demo she linked the article to before I had to shut it off in disgust. It’s well worth sharing…
Shortly after, I saw on the BAT’s FB page a “call to protest” these upcoming (or ongoing) field tests, much like your post here.
In response, I wrote on their FB page a question that gnaws at me – it’s a question that seems so simple, yet I know the answer is so very complicated, even though I still (after all this time) can’t quite understand why it should be….
I’m hoping you can shed some light…
Why can’t all the BATs, and all the other indignant teachers, and all the other teachers who feel as we do, simply REFUSE to administer these PARCC field tests (and their relatives)?
What would happen?
Surely every (decent) teacher in every school in America wouldn’t be fired or otherwise disciplined for such opposition…there would be no teachers left.
I can, at this point, kind of understand why the teachers are resistant to take such a stance against the “actual” tests – the tests that “count” (not that I agree w the resistance), but cannot understand why they don’t collectively stand up against PARCC while it remains in the “field testing” stages…
PARCC doesn’t “count” yet in most of the country – why are teachers so willing to soon let it? It’s not as if any of their feedback about the field tests will make any difference…this is all just the final gateway into the official policy that will soon enough be ruining their lives – even more that what’s happened til now.
My point is, I think we need to stop relying on – or hoping that – parents will be the ones to “Just Say No”. The only ones who possibly will are the ones who are educated enough, interested enough, brave enough, and angry enough to do that. Which isn’t nearly enough. Since the recent news in the Worcester MA district happened, only ONE parent opted his child out. & let’s face it, parents in the inner city schools will be the very LAST to rise up, for a myriad of (often valid) reasons.
How many teachers in America support these field tests? So why can’t a revolution start TODAY…why can’t each one Just Say No? Why are teachers continuing to be ever-so-compliant?
Instead of whining and complaining and filing useless grievances and going to therapy and taking anti-depressants and drinking themselves to sleep and whatever other coping strategies are surely inundating the profession at this point…why can’t each and every teacher Just Say No?
What would happen then?
What harm would come to them?
And if any possibly did, would it be worse than what they are living through now?
Maybe I’ve been hiding from reality here in Dubai for too long…maybe I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel what it feels like in the fire. But I don’t think that’s the case. I resigned last year after 15 years because I WANTED to stand up for my students and say no to the high stakes MCAS…I WANTED to refuse…but I couldn’t do it alone, and it was clear at that point in time no one was willing to stand beside me. So my choices were either to walk away, or deal with likely unspeakable retribution for being disobedient. Obviously, I chose the former.
But as I said earlier, that was about a test that “counted”. The PARCC field test DOESN’T COUNT yet. Let’s find the teachers who are willing to come together in unity to see that it never does. Because it shouldn’t. Ever.
Boycotts, protests, Twitter Storms, and the like are all great initiatives. And I hope more than I can say that someday, they will have proven to be successful. But time is of the essence.
I think it’s time the teachers truly come together and speak as loudly and as emphatically as possible, and simply REFUSE these ridiculous field tests. Someone is bound to listen then. Aren’t they?
Diane, I am calling on you to straighten me out, & clarify whether or not I am really that naive…or if it’s really not that simple. I – and just about every teacher I know – look to you as the absolute expert here. You have earned that title tenfold. Thank you for all you do!
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“. . . simply REFUSE to administer. . . ”
The vast majority of teachers are GAGAers* who do not like to “rock the boat” much less show the guts or in Spanish cojones to stand up to administrators who can easily destroy the teacher’s career and livelihood.
*Going Along to Get Along (GAGA): Nefarious practice of most educators who implement the edudeformers agenda even though the educators know that those educational malpractices will cause harm to the students and defile the teaching and learning process. The members of the GAGA gang are destined to be greeted by the Karmic Gods of Retribution upon their passing from this realm.
Karmic Gods of Retribution: Those ethereal beings specifically evolved to construct the 21st level in Dante’s Hell. The 21st level signifies the combination of the 4th (greed), 8th (fraud) and 9th (treachery) levels into one mega level reserved especially for the edudeformers and those, who, knowing the negative consequences of the edudeformers agenda, willing implemented it so as to go along to get along. The Karmic Gods of Retribution also personally escort these poor souls, upon their physical death, to the 21st level unless they enlighten themselves, a la one D. Ravitch, to the evil and harm they have caused so many innocent children, and repent and fight against their former fellow deformers. There the edudeformers and GAGAers will lie down on a floor of smashed and broken ipads and ebooks curled in a fetal position alternately sucking their thumbs to the bones while listening to two words-Educational Excellence-repeated without pause for eternity.
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Tremendous!
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Glad you think so highly of your own profession. Will you be picketing outside your school? Wait a minute didn’t MO opt out of all this nonsense? I hide behind a pseudonym; at first I hoped to find another job. Now I do so because if someone chose to attack me no one would notice. I am of no importance and therefore an easy target. I enjoy the limited contact I have with schools and want to keep it. People think that the people in the spotlight are most vulnerable, but the little guys are easier to eliminate. Notice that they continue to easily pick off experienced teachers with no fanfare. I don’t know what your magic sauce is, Duane, that your school district declines to curb your tongue. What is the line that you know not to cross?
Perhaps at some point, an open teacher revolt may occur, but why is it that teachers need to throw themselves on the funeral pyre? It needs to be important enough to our communities to support us and fight with us. Otherwise, I think most teachers will devolve into the automatons the deformers want or leave quietly when they can no longer find ways to teach authentically.
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2O2T,
MO, unfortunately, has not opted out. And you are quite correct in stating that “the little guys are easier to eliminate.” No doubt. I was “eliminated” from one district (or at least I chose to “look for another district” as the NEA counseled me to do without hardly lifting a finger-mighty union that it is-not) for questioning/challenging all that was being done with “data driven decision making” that was stemming mainly from the state standardized tests. So I have no “magic sauce” and am still as vulnerable as ever. I’ve just become a lot more “clandestine” in my activities overall while still questioning/educating the administration on a personal level about the travesties that they choose to force on the teachers.
I do stand by my statement that most teachers, administrators and board members are GAGAers for many reasons (and that is not all bad in the sense of “conserving” the good parts of public education that have come down through time), some being the lack of understanding the total irrationality and invalidity of the policies that they are implementing and causing harm to students (not that the information to understand isn’t readily available.)
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“I’ve just become a lot more “clandestine” in my activities…”
That I think is where many teachers could focus their energies–a teacher underground. Thanks for responding. I think back to my last days in the classroom. All I wanted to do is teach. The bottom line was economics; the bogus reasons they gave just showed their ignorance about teaching special ed. I still would like to shove their data where the sun don’t shine.
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…not that I want you to curb your tongue.
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Although I rarely am in agreement with Duane, though I admire his cogent comments, I do agree that at least in LA, teachers are not coming forward in great numbers to attack PARCC.
Most live in fear for their jobs, for Supt. Deasy would love to do a mass firing and bring in TFA kids at slave labor wages. But it is not the nature of teachers, generally, to pick up pitchforks and lead the revolution. In the 60s when UTLA was trying to get in to LAUSD, I marched on a picket line every morning with crying terrified elementary school teachers who would vomit at the curb out of fear…the John Birch Society would send their goons to photograph us and the police kept a close eye on this group of middle aged women.
Times have not changed…now the Tea Party keeps an eye on teachers, and Eli Broad’s goons tamper with democratic process.
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Jill,
Amen to your points made! I worry about this country becoming even more fascist and FOR $$$$$$, no less. I guess $$$$$ counts when one is empty inside and thus must mess with other people’s lives and make moolah at the same time.
As an aside….Did you know that there are teachers and airline pilots who are on food stamps? In the meanwhile Congress NEVER STARVES. They dine on champaign and caviar.
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I admire your passion. Very difficult to refuse to give any of these tests for numerous reasons, and I’m not sure it would go over well with the public.
Outrage needs to come from the parents for anything to change. Civil disobedience by teachers doesn’t mean much to policymakers.
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Maybe I am naive but it was my assumption that in order to participate in a research experiment the participant must sign an agreement stating that they choose to participate. It is unethical to coerce cooperation, that is why we have an IRB. Why are policy makers exempt from this statute?
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… and then there is the issue of field test questions embedded in the “real” state assessments….
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In most schools teachers cannot refuse to administer field tests without the threat of losing their jobs or being harassed in many different ways. In some districts teachers are forbidden to speak of opposition to tests. I have seen people lose their jobs and others made so miserable that they hate their work. One of my friends just lost her job for promoting the teachers union among her colleagues. Civil disobedience has serious consequences.
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