Parents and educators often ask, “What can we do to stop high-stakes testing and other fraudulent “reforms?” There is a clear answer: Organize. Resist. Band with others to let your school board and elected officials know that you will not collaborate with policies that are harmful to children and to public schools. Tell them you will not feed your child to the Machine that tests, ranks, and grades children for no purpose other than grading the teacher and generating data.
As a reader wrote yesterday, Néw Jersey is doing just that.
She writes:
“New Jersey is waking up and organizing against high stakes testing and other harmful policies of so-called ed reform.
“As reported by Save Our Schools NJ on its facebook page, at least 40 towns’ School Boards have recently passed humane opt-out/refusal policies, including:
“Bloomfield, Delran, Millburn, Montville, North Brunswick, Princeton, Robbinsville, Bernards Township, Black Horse Pike Regional, Bordentown Regional, Bueana Regional, Byram Township, Clinton Township, Delsea Regional High School District, East Hanover Township, East Windsor Regional, Elmwood Park, Evesham Township, Gloucester Township, Gloucester County Institute of Technology, Gloucester Coutny Special Services Schools, Little Egg Harbor, Livingston, Mahwah Township, Montville, Morris, Morris Hills Regional, Neptune Township, Pemeberton Township, Randolph, Somerset Hills, Southern Regional, Stafford Township, Sewdesboro, Township of Ocean, Union Township, Wall Townshhip, Washington Borough, Washington Township (Bergen), Woodbridge Township.
“Montclair NJ’s BOE is slated to vote on a humane opt policy Monday night, 1/26/15.
“(Parents should ask their districts about these directly, since districts may keep policies quiet so as not to inform parents as is reported here http://www.nj.com/education/2015/01/what_happens_if_nj_students_dont_take_the_parcc.html )
“Since Montclair Cares About Schools organized, a total of 14 towns have spontaneously organized their own “Cares About Schools” groups, including Highland Park, South Brunswick, RIdgewood, North Arlington, Florham Park, Nutley, East WIndsor, Verona, Manalapan-Englishtown, Dunellen, Howell, Millburn, Montville. Many of these groups are on facebook.
“Showings of ‘Standardized,’ the movie, and Take the PARCC events where community members can take sample PARCC tests and judge the tests for themselves, are popping up all over NJ. Some are sponsored by Cares About Groups, some by numerous other groups with their own names and styles, like Township of Union Park Advocacy Group.
“Statewide groups like Save Our Schools NJ and United Opt Out NJ have seen tremendous growth.
“Additional statewide sources like Speak up NJ http://www.speakupnj.org post addresses and contacts to write legislators and important links.
“Groups like PULSE and the Newark Students Union have been organizing in Newark, NJ to protest the mismanagement and lack of accountability of the state appointed superintendent Cami Anderson, and their concerns are being echoed by Mayor Ras Baraka and legislators who oversee public schools.
“And organizations in Patterson and Camden are raising their voices.
“I am sure there are countless groups organizing in NJ, not mentioned here.
“Name them. Share information.
“Find a group. Join it. Or Start one of your own.
“Speak out, be brave, refuse the tests, refuse to vote for anyone who advocates for policies harmful to public education and children. Organize.
“Organize. Organize.
“Keep going. And never, never give up.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yes, parental Opt-Out grows monthly in size and militance, very good news. Best chance now to stop the billionaire boys club with their corporate vendors and bought politicians, looting schools and abusing our kids with this private war on public education. We parents can stop this by putting our foot down and refusing to let our kids be tested to oblivion. Tell the higher-ups pushing testing and one-size-fits-all teacher-proof-fill-in-the-bubbles classrooms–Do it to your own kids first, fill your own children’s classrooms with TFA newbies, Pearson worksheets, and hours of mind-numbing tests, and then let the rest of us know how it works out for your own little darlings before you lay a finger on our children.
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ira shor: quite so!
Let them put some skin in the game—literally, not figuratively.
They loves them some “creative disruption” when it’s applied to OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN. When it comes to THEIR OWN CHILDREN—
Link: http://www.lakesideschool.org
Just peruse the mission statements, descriptions of the school and offerings and contrast that with what Bill Gates & Co. are trying to mandate for everyone else.
😎
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To all supporters and creators of Ed Reform:
Thank you to your wisdom ira shore.
Please listen and listen WELL to our challenge to your own conscience that:
“Tell the higher-ups pushing testing and one-size-fits-all teacher-proof-fill-in-the-bubbles classrooms
–DO IT TO YOUR OWN KIDS FIRST,
– fill your own children’s classrooms with TFA newbies, Pearson worksheets, and hours of mind-numbing tests,
– and then let the rest of us know how it works out for your own little darlings before you lay a finger on our children.
Sincerely yours,
Concerned tax payers
Back2basic
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Too bad you can’t call CPS on all the perpetrators of “creative disruption.”
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What is CPS?
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Haven’t you heard, “SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP”.
Governor Christie and his minions in the NJDOE are common in the core support PARCC.
How dare you mere citizens question the Govetnor’s policy.
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The Opt-Out movement is alive and well in NJ! Today, the NJEA released results of a poll they dropped last month. An overwhelming number of NJ parents resoundingly reject the PARCC—we’re talking poll numbers in the 75-85% range. Jersey Jazzman, TeacherBiz and I are writing posts on this.
Here’s mine: http://mcorfield.blogspot.com/2015/01/nj-parents-say-parcc-stinks-like-ccrap.html
Here’s TeacherBiz’s: https://teacherbiz.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/new-jersey-voters-on-standardized-testing-enough/
Will post Jersey Jazzman’s piece as soon as he has it up.
Thanks for spreading the word, Diane! This is a great day in NJ—despite the weather.
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These are some of the documents pertaining to Ohio preparing for the new state tests:
“Key steps, for district and school personnel, to prepare for the spring 2015 Ohio English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies test administration. This session will provide District Test Coordinators and Building Test Coordinators with a checklist of important dates and activities, as well as a suggested timeline for preparations.”
So English and math are the Common Core tests and then the rest are the new Ohio state tests in other subjects which are sold by a different contractor.
Anyway, it gives one a realistic idea of how much time and effort it takes a school to prepare for and administer these tests which is (obviously) much, much more time than “10 hours”.
I don’t know what the adult work hours would total or what it costs because taking someone off one task (say, “teaching students”) to another (testing or preparing for testing) isn’t “free” of course because people can’t do two things at once.
This manual is 90 pages and then there’s another for tech coordination that is 74 pages.
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MTAyODM1NjY=
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“There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part. You can’t even passively take part! And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop!” So said the late Mario Savio.
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I write this for my son and as a caring parent. I have posted it in various places and have sent it to various officials. I feel as a parent, I will be listened to a bit more . . .
I informed my local board of education during public comment that my son (6) will not be sitting for the PARCC testing (if it is still around) when he reaches third grade. I am quite serious as I feel PARCC and everything behind it is not in the best interest of any student – any teacher – any grade. Basically Common Core attempts to centralize everything – and this robs the spirit from the classroom. I feel this process it is hurtful to students for several reasons not limited to these:
1. PARCC will be administered on computer rather than paper which places pressure on our youngest of students to learn keyboarding (my son is already learning in first grade) and be exposed to computers even before they have had the experience and develop the proper motor skill to form letters correctly. The computer forms letters perfectly at the push of a button. In the perfect world I would prefer students be on computer much later. Students would benefit by working with real materials rather than inundating classrooms with I-pads, laptops, “smart-boards” and all the other hardware “sugaring” up classrooms our youngest occupy. Tight school budgets are spending yet more on hardware just to accommodate computerized PARCC. It would make much more sense to give just one test on paper. Tests of this kind are documents that require paper and are more practical on paper.
2. The type of questions I found on PARCC in taking a practice test caused me a huge headache as they were twisted and confusing. I would not subject a young mind to such an assessment. In addition, activities in the classroom should not be centered on what is on this test. This robs the classroom of spontaneity – teaching moments – and valuable digression into areas of interest. A one size fits all top down totalitarian style mandated test is counter to our land’s free and open spirit.
3. Data collection – I will not have 400 points of data collected on my son and held in a database of a private company (already under investigation) for unknown future use. Centralizing this is an invasion of my son’s privacy and disrespectful. I will not have a third party testing company hold his data. Every parent needs to be concerned about this – it is Un-American! More than enough data to inform instruction can be obtained in various ways within the school itself.
4. Two tests per year are given. Massive amounts of instructional time is lost. Two tests because they will be used to evaluate teacher performance. This is flawed logic. There are way too many variables in the lives of students that can have dramatic effects on how they do in school. In addition, over evaluate a staff and you will have no time to inspire – no energy to motivate. Yet more tests, in most cases, are also administered for the so called “Student Growth Objectives“ – one more bad idea gone wild. Administrators have more than enough information within the building to inform instruction. In addition, local school districts are surrendering to a micromanaging overreach by the federal and state governments – as are teachers. What will be next? Teacher lesson plans from headquarters? We are going down a dangerous undemocratic road.
An educational leader, in my opinion, must be a catalyst – must be the cause of positive excitement about the world – like of the world, real curiosity, knowing of the world! The American poet and philosopher Eli Siegel stated “The purpose of education is to like the world through knowing it“ and I wholeheartedly agree. I hope Mr. Hespe and other leaders will find out more about his philosophy and teaching method.
I believe that we are presently in a situation where teachers and students are not lifted up – but instead, insulted through SGOs, endless data collection, performance rubrics, and more. A once more collegial relationship is being replaced by a corporate style data collecting and crunching top down management – (a la McDonald’s) filling out endless computerized evaluations of teachers digitally warehoused by a centralized and privatized third party company. If more weight were given to supporting and lifting our teachers – more resources given to motivating, exciting, and further educating them – it would, in my opinion, be very wise – as our students, our children, my child, would benefit. We are missing that boat all should be on – parents, teachers, administrators, elected, BOE members, and our children.
I intend to be a vocal critic / advocate for my son and all his classmates at PTA meetings, BOE meetings and even council meetings in my own town. I hope more and more parents will object to mandating of Common Core / PARCC / teacher over- evaluation, and hope that the state reconsiders how it sees its schools, its teachers, and all its young residents across a most uneven (and unfair) financial spectrum. What is desperately needed is people centered decisions and laws – not profit centered.
I believe Dr. Maria Montessori saw children as individuals and respected the differences – and different rates of development found in each young mind – this is needed – not a one size fits all (profit centered) approach.
Most importantly, in order to have schools be more successful everywhere, the state must work hard to close the huge financial gap within and between communities and lift communities rather than attempting to privatize schools in the most needy areas. That is no solution and an ugly cop out by our government that increasingly seems to be on the side of the profiteers – not the people.
David Di Gregorio, Parent
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Reasoned and well written. Thank you!
I hope that you will follow through on your promise to…
“…be a vocal critic / advocate for my son and all his classmates at PTA meetings, BOE meetings and even council meetings in my own town.”
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To all concerned tax payers in USA:
Please consciously remember four guiding principles when we DEAL WITH MANIPULATIVE people/ MONEY MINDED without conscience corporate backers.
DO NOT quickly believe in the saying from:
1. People with authority, scientific knowledge, and wealth (due to their own gain)
2. People with old age, claimed to be a Wise-man (due to his lust for control and power)
3. Any written old testaments (due to it is possibly fake)
4. Any mystery, unfounded truth, and lack of proof of science (due to rumour or legendary).
Most of all, any short cut or promise LACK OF democratic and transparent process
which bribes all authorities to guarantee general public to attain a quick success is
simply intentional BAD trap.
Please take action like CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, IF NEEDED, in order to bring back
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE of PUBLIC SCHOOLS in this nation. back2basic
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Thank you for sharing this, Diane. It really has been amazing to watch New Jersey moving from apathy to action. I’m seeing and hearing of new initiatives every day, and we seem to be adding at least a hundred people a day to the New Jersey’s opt out Facebook group. I think the numbers will start to explode again tomorrow when the first public testimony session for the governor’s commission regarding standardized testing will be held, and the flurry of related testimony will start mushrooming on Facebook.
The key is realizing that we do have a choice, and we can do better by our kids. However, my hope is that readers across the country aren’t losing sight of the federal issues with the NCLB/ESEA reauthorization on the table. We all need to be mobilizing right now to ensure that Congress sends the best possible ESEA bill to the President for him to sign or veto.
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