A comment from a Mad Mom in Utah. When the parents wise up and act in concert to protect their children, the toxic reform hoax will collapse.
She writes:
“I live in Utah and I have a third and fourth grader that completed the AIR SAGE test this last school year. Yes, those test are just as long as reported for my children. These tests were given over a number of days and my children suffered from high anxiety on these days and they were exhausted. After the testing was finished I asked them how they felt about it and they said they didn’t really like it because it was long and hard (there is no ceiling). I also heard from my children that some kids in their classes cried or just put their heads down and quit, which is interesting because some of the questions were supposed to get easier if they get a wrong answer on a harder question.
“I spoke with a retiring third grade teacher in another district to see if her experience with SAGE was similar and she said it was awful for the children. She said the tests lasted up to 10 hours for some children because of the essay section. Although, she said she had two students finish the essay in 10 minutes and then they hid under their desks.
“The crazy thing is that in Utah State Code R277-515-4 Educator Responsibility for Maintaining a Safe Learning Environment in Section B4 it states educators “shall take action to protect a student from any known condition detrimental to that student’s physical health, mental health, safety, or learning”. But right after this section, in B5, it states their duty on administering all of this testing. So, which is it Utah? Because I can attest that this testing is doing more harm than good for our children. Should educators administer the tests and remain silent (which I think they are being told to do) or should educators share their experiences so we can learn from them and hopefully do better?
“Shame on those in the position of power in my state for making this happen. And shame on me for allowing my children to be the guinea pigs. I know better; but I was curious. They won’t be taking SAGE tests next year.
“Thank you to all of those that have stood up and have been brave! You have educated me and reminded me that I too can be brave. I have a voice and it is time to use it.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My fourth grade daughter told me she cried during the math MCAS. The aide who was supervising noticed, but I was never told about it by the school. Also, the aide did not speak to my daughter during or after the test. Neither did my daughter’s teacher. This is appalling. To top it off, my daughter has a 504 plan for anxiety and selective mutism. They all know she has special needs and did nothing to help her. She won’t be taking that stupid test next year!
Sorry about that, but they probably weren’t allowed to speak to your daughter during the testing. In Utah, teachers cannot say anything to students during the testing. It could get us fired if we do. Awful, isn’t it? Opting out, particularly for students with special needs, is truly the way to go.
No test protocol should trump the needs of a student. Unfortunately, too often, they are ignored. The last two years of teaching, the high school in which I taught added map testing. Not once were the accommodations followed for my special ed students despite my asking about them every time. Opt your children out!
I want to opt out. Unfortunately, I am a teacher in the district. I am a veteran teacher, but new to this district, so not tenured yet. A little afraid to cause a stir, especially since, as I have said before on this blog, I can not find one other parent who will agree to opt out.
The time will come. Work slowly and quietly from within. You have to eat, and you do no one any good if you get fired. Good luck.
Parents and teachers who are about to retire are the people who can put a stop to this testing nonsense.
As a former teacher, this point caught my eye.
“Should educators administer the tests and remain silent (which I think they are being told to do) or should educators share their experiences so we can learn from them and hopefully do better?”
And yet, in Connecticut, when one of my colleagues went to the State Department of Education to point out errors and discrepancies in the state’s science CAPT test, he was informed that he had violated the directions by even looking at the test, and that if he were to continue to pursue his quest to correct errors and improve the test, his teaching certification would be revoked.
With that kind of threat, it is not a surprise that teachers are reluctant to face those who control their professional lives – even as the testing becomes more and more of what it is – child abuse.
Mad Mom has correctly identified the paradox that teachers face.
“Maintaining a Safe Learning Environment in Section B4 it states educators “shall take action to protect a student from any known condition detrimental to that student’s physical health, mental health, safety, or learning”. But right after this section, in B5, it states their duty on administering all of this testing. So, which is it . . .?”
One cannot simultaneously be a mandated reporter of child abuse, even if it is just suspected, and an administrator of known abusive testing.
Same in Utah. Also, if we even suggest opting out, the state could take our license.
I know no one wants to be the guinea pig, but the idea that the state could take your license for something like this is ridiculous and needs to be challenged in court. I guarantee there are no laws on the books for this, it’s just a threat. The list of criteria for why any license can be revoked is quite narrow and includes things like gross malpractice and harm to the children. Some teacher who has alternate means of support (a working spouse, for instance) needs to defy these kinds of orders and double dog dare the state to take their license.
Mandated proctored tests for kids= mandated proctology. A good way to brand this abusive practice.
Very, very clever!
“Proctorology ”
The “science” of standards-testing
Is really quite interesting
It’s Full of IT (proctorology)
The Bull of IT (ideotology)
taxpayer funds pay for the R&D so that Pearson /Parcc can develop a product that they can then resell to the taxpayers (in each state) each year, item by item; and, taxpayers pay to replace their computers every two or three years to deliver the te$t item$…
And, they use the children as the guinea pigs while they build the R&D and the busine$$ model…… I would hope a lot of parents and teachers would be upset about that (let alone the fact that the test items are not good curriculum but very expensive bait )
I’m a teacher but not one who usually gives tests. I was asked to stand in one day when a teacher was out. We are not allowed to talk to the students (unless it is an extreme emergency) during testing. I did comfort a student by putting my hand on their desk and give them a ‘it’s only a test’ look, after they flopped their head down on the desk (I was told later I shouldn’t have done that), and this was just our trial run. I’m glad to see this parent take a stand. They are the tax payers in their district, they are the parents of the children taking the tests, they are the stockholders in their own schools and how they are run. Parents need to really be looking at who they are electing to their school board, what is going on in the classrooms and what is happening to their public schools. They are really the ones who are in charge…if they want to be. I know I’m doing more for my local public school and my kids are all grown…because who knows what it will be like when my grandchildren get there (-; (good I hope).
Opt-Out by parents is the best way to stop the billionaire takeover of our kids’ learning and our public schools. This intense regime of testing is child abuse as well as legalized theft of public tax funds by Pearson and other private vendors. We parents have to stop the abuse of our kids and the looting of our taxes. The teacher unions, the PTA and the school boards won’t do it–they’re part of the looting league.
Don’t blame teachers for not talking about opting out. In Utah, teachers CANNOT tell parents about opting out, or we will lose our licenses.
“When the parents wise up and act in concert to protect their children, the toxic reform hoax will collapse. ”
and when they do it in Utah, Bill, Arne and Barack (BAB) had better sit up and pay attention (“BAAAAB…BAAAAB…BAAAAAB…..SIT UP!….Thank you.”*) because, in case they are not aware, Utah is not a place where parents casually flout the laws and “buck the system.”
Having lived and taught in Utah, I see this as a very good sign. It looks to me like the BAB House of Tarot Cards (TM) is inching ever closer to inevitable collapse.
You’re exactly right, Larry. People in Utah don’t have a tendency to fight back, so the movement is growing slowly, but it IS growing.
It is time people to stand up to these policies. I am calling all parents, teachers, administrators, para-pros and anyone else who cares to make your voices heard. I am going to D.C. soon to voice my concerns at the BAT march at the DOE on July 28th. My 84 for year old mother, a retired school teacher is coming with me. If you can, come. If you cannot come, hold a rally at your own state capital or school board. Everyone must stand in unity on this issue of over testing our kids. That is the only way to beat the powerful corporations who are behind this trend. So on July 28th let’s have a massive twitter campaign, Facebook campaign, phone call campaign, email campaign, marches, and rallies to end this madness. Do what YOU can but say something. These policies are abusive.
My daughter did not take the NYS tests this year. I felt bullied by the school district when I informed them of my decision to opt her out of the tests. I was told they were talking with their lawyers and later told she would be required to take a local parallel assessment. I stuck to my decision and my daughter was not required to take any tests. I look forward to this again next year since the school won’t have a leg to stand on now that there is a moratorium for 2 years on the tests for appr. A lot can happen in 2 years.
Good for you. Can you talk to other parents about why you are doing this? The problem for teachers (aside from possibly losing our credentials) is that it looks as though we just don’t want to be held accountable because we’re lazy teachers.
I am afraid that in 2 years testing, complete with punitive evaluations and far more stress for students than the previous tests, will be back with a bang. At the beginning of NCLB I was told that it was so unrealistic it would never last. Well, it’s 2014, and surprise, surprise, all children are not on grade level and my school is in its 6th year of Program Improvement. Things haven’t changed much.
The damage Common Core’s Machiavellian testing is doing to children is being documented by parents and teachers. Thank you, Mr. President, for this gift that will only damage future generations and possibly destroy the United States as a democracy.
What does the US do to traitors? For an answer, look at what the U.S. did to Benedict Arnold.
Hmmmm….I wonder if anyone has tried to challenge the “secret” tests under rues that say all educational materials must be made available to parents.
I thought about trying to foil the test but I don’t know if it applies.
Opting out of abusive test prep is far more important.
I stumbled upon an article called Shutting Teachers Up written by Nancy Flanagan. She writes, “When practitioners aren’t allowed to openly share their critical perspectives, they lose the ability to speak their own truths and use first-hand experience as a lever for change.” Threatened out West has mentioned several times that this is the case where she works. I asked many questions of my children’s teachers but never felt like I got very straight answers, for example, they never told me the many days (weeks even?) they practiced and prepared for the SAGE tests. I don’t blame my children’s teachers as their hands are tied. It is just so sad that we have lost our right to a dialogue to truly be able to “discuss better education for all”.
I have another sad test story. I spoke with a friend yesterday that moved from Utah to Texas this year. She said that her 3rd grader had an awful year. She believes this was largely due to the pressure from the high-stakes testing environment, and I guess the pressure is on all year at this particular school. This mother told me that if her child did not take and pass the state test then they would have summer school. What this meant for this child was that they would not be able to come back to Utah to visit their very ill grandmother this summer if they didn’t pass the test. Imagine the pressure this little nine year old was under! I said, “what about opting them out?” She said, “It is against the law.” My jaw dropped. What about the right as a parent to see something that is harmful to your child and stop it?
Well, those sneaky lawmakers in Texas put in the state code a line where parents can opt their child out of things for moral or religious reasons but they can’t opt out from taking the tests. This reminds me that as a parent it is so nice (not) to have lawmakers to help guide and direct me in my every decision because without them (gag) I would be so lost as to how to actually parent (gag). I told my friend that I know that some parents and educators are trying to change things in Texas and across the country. And we still have hope because so many have not given up the good fight, so all children can have a quality public education with meaningful assessments (preferably ones that don’t stress our little ones out so much and take so many hours to complete).