Peg Robertson, a mother and teacher, responds to those who tell the Lee County Board of Education to be reasonable and to rescind their historic vote to opt out of testing. Peg wants them to stand strong and defend the children. She is one of the founders of United Opt Out.
She writes:
“As this common core and high stakes testing war comes to a head I am watching lots of folks trying to mediate and ask folks to be reasonable. They want to talk about all the harm that could come to our schools should we refuse these tests or refuse test prep common core curriculum. When I hear this my hair stands on end. Number one. Don’t flipping tell me to be reasonable. Don’t insult me – as a professional – my first job is to do NO HARM. THAT IS REASONABLE.
“Two. Speaking of harm – what harm do you think is going to come to our communities? Our children? Let’s see, they’ve stripped our schools of all funding for small class size, librarians, nurses, counselors, art, music programs, sports programs, REAL teachers, books, building repairs, classroom supplies and more. They’ve stripped our schools of democracy. They’ve stripped our schools of trust, and respect and safety – there is NOTHING safe for children in a high stakes environment. Countless communities have been destroyed and children no longer can go to their neighborhood schools. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE POVERTY AND FEED OUR CHILDREN TESTS INSTEAD.
“So tell me again – hurt our schools? How?? Be careful around these reasonable folks who want you to adhere to mandates in order to avoid “hurting” your schools – they have something personal to gain or they are simply sheeple.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Peg Robertson’s wonderful words remind me of a new way of looking at what is going on. When people talk blithely about the “current sorry state of America’s schools” or “declining educational standards”, they’re not talking about what Peg Robertson and the rest of us want, they are talking about the “current sorry state of America’s schools” and “declining educational standards”, which is: 13 years of No Child Left Behind and 5 years of Race to the Top.
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Exactly right, Ron!
NCLB and Race to Top are the status quo
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Some stand to gain something (politically or career-wise) by telling us to be “reasonable”, and others might not, but the vast majority of both types really are sheeple. Watch for them to quietly distance themselves from CC, PARCC, and the rest of it once the winds change direction; most of them believe in career advancement FAR more than they believe in CC, PARCC, or anything else.
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It has been sad to see how our administrators who seemed to be all about what’s best for the school/kids have been almost systematically removed and replaced with administrators who are really all about career advancement.
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She’s exactly right, it’s a crisis, there’s urgency in her tone, as there should be. Test is a four letter word.
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There is a four letter word that begins with “f” that I won’t use in my classroom and it isn’t “f–k”.
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I, too, often hear from various colleagues that we need to be “reasonable” and cooperative when it comes to the current “edu-reforms”. This would label any educator who speaks out against harmful reforms as being “unreasonable”; acting without reason, without facts. No educator wants to be labeled as such.
This is “doublespeak”; a simple form of propaganda designed to keep people quiet, to control them, calling reasonable caring educators “unreasonable”. Unfortunately, this technique is effective. Colleagues are using it without full awareness of its detrimental effects.
Here’s the truth: it is “unreasonable” to cooperate with obvious harmful “edu-reforms”.
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“Here’s the truth: it is ‘unreasonable” to cooperate with obvious harmful “edu-reforms’”.
Quite correct RE, quite correct! (except I would call them “edudeforms”.)
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I try to make sure I have a scheduled medical appointment and test on the standardized testing days. The district must have certified people to administer these abominations, our rural school miles away from civilization has a most difficult time getting subs. They can not deny my sick days. Being an old teacher can be played to advantage. Resist in any manner possible, there is nothing reasonable about my opposition, I may be civil, but I will be “reasonable” when they are.
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There has been nothing reasonable in the launching, sustaining and financing of the greatest and most insidious public relations campaign against a formally honored profession in American history. There is been nothing reasonable in allowing a monopolist to monopolize a vital and sacred public trust and narcissistically impose his idiotic ideas on an entire nation. And there is nothing reasonable is asking parents to continue to support schemes and scams that make a mock of education and a mock of individuality and dignity.
I will admit to at times to feeling something close to despair in this struggle, given the unprecedented forces and finances arrayed again us but I am always heartened when I encounter a voice that refuses to be coerced and bullied and manipulated into silence. For that, many thanks to you –again – Peggy Roberson. I send a Labor Day salute from NYC.
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You tell ’em, sister Peggy!
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““So tell me again – hurt our schools? How?? Be careful around these reasonable folks who want you to adhere to mandates in order to avoid “hurting” your schools – they have something personal to gain or they are simply sheeple.””
TAGO!!!
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Be reasonable” is a variant of “be rational” and “don’t be (so) emotional”.
It is condescending and has sexist overtones and is meant to to establish the pecking order.and end conversation before it begins.
“I (superior white man that I am) am analytical and data driven with my VAMs and tests while you, you are just emotional and irrational and unreasonable in your concerns for children”
The folks who say “be reasonable” (all white males) never left the world of the 1950’s.
Ironically, they are some of the most unreasonable and irrational people on the planet
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I should have said “mostly white males” because there are some exceptions who act superior like white males.
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