Dawn Neeley Randall is a fifth grade teacher in Ohio. She speaks forthrightly on behalf of her students. She asks: Why are we inflicting this barrage of deceptive, confusing, demoralizing testing on our children? Parents need to know that today’s tests are not like the tests we took in school when we were children. They take time away from instruction–lots of it. They are designed to fail most students. They will crush the children’s spirits and their interest in learning.
“Probably the bravest thing I’ve done in my entire 25 year career. Let the chips fall where they may.
“Blubbered on the way home after the first round of English Language Arts testing today. Got pretty choked up in the back of the room during the test itself and I think the principal who was in the computer lab administering the tests probably wondered if she was going to need to deal with a full-fledged teacher meltdown (I worried about that myself). This is just all so, so wrong. This is only Day 3 of testing and we still have months to go. Some districts (not mine, thank GOD) in our own state are bullying parents who are refusing to allow their children to sit through tests. Some superintendents (again, NOT mine!) are getting their messages out loud and clear to teachers that they are not to talk about this testing situation with parents. Some schools are making students “sit and stare” after finishing testing in order to make them work longer during the tests. Some schools are offering incentives to students testing (like gift cards and trips to a water park), but disqualifying students whose parents preferred them not to take take these tests and now they will be left behind from a day with their peers.
“A teacher in another county told about her third grader crying during yesterday’s test and a local principal told about his child awaking in the middle of the night with anxiety about the upcoming tests. Why are we allowing this? I’ve been begging for help from legislators since last March. I’m done with that. As much as I hate to see myself on video (oh, boy, do I)…I’m going to try to do the bravest thing I’ve ever done in my professional career and tell you how a teacher truly feels. I bet there are a whole lot more out there feeling just like me.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What are the duration of these tests? Having 16 year olds take 3 hour tests is one thing. What is appropriate for an 8, 10, or 12 year old?
LikeLike
I hope others on the ground will correct me, I only know what I read.
As I understand it, the primary-school PARCC Math & ELA tests take 9.5-10 hrs annually, which is divided intp (2) 4-5-hr sessions per year. Each bi-annual session is further broken down into 2 (Math & ELA). As I understand it, it would be unusual to try to do both Math & ELA the same day.
The typical scenario would involve at least a week in fall & again in spring; usually this is more like 2+ weeks each time, because your typical elementary school cannot provide laptops at every desk. More likely, your fall & spring sessions extend to 2-3 wks each time (including makeups). During those times, normal teaching schedules are disrupted as you shepherd groups in & out of library or gym or wherever you have a bunch of laptops available.
I have read a number of posts here & elsewhere which note that common learning places such as gym, library, & computer lab are unavailable due to testing for up to 3 wks in fall & again 3 wks in spring.
LikeLike
Hopeit goes viral, and that this lovely, caring woman hasn’t fallen on her sword for no good reason.
LikeLike
The absurdity and the fraud has been going on too long.
LikeLike
PARCC testing in Chicago!! My son is in 6th grade and was part of the 10% of CPS population scheduled to take the test; originally. As we are aware NOW, that CPS has to administer the test to 100% or lose IL funding to the tune of $1.6B, He suffers from an Anxiety Disorder and has been distraught, crying, literally freaking out about taking the test for the past 4 weeks.
He was so distraught 3 weeks ago that I had to take him back to his dr. and therapist ASAP (he has been stable for the past 2 yrs. and seeing his dr. every 3 months and a therapist 1 or 2 times per month as needed). Now he has to go weekly.
Yesterday was the last straw. No child has to take a standardized test and can opt out; however, this is not what my son was hearing from the teachers. I wrote a notice of refusal; sent it out to his teachers, counselors, and CPS testing director. When i picked him up from school yesterday and gave him a copy of the letter I sent out; it was like a wave of happiness and calm came over him.
What are we doing to our kids that there is so much pressure on their performance for funding??
LikeLike
I am so sorry t hear this, Sheri. I am the Mom of 3 boys, whose eldest passed away at age 23 due to autoimmune diseases which started when he was quite young– but his physical issues were exacerbated by anxiety disorder. Naturally, everything he ever said to me is multiplied sevenfold by his passing. I used to try to persuade him to try a different sort of school than his local public. (I was perfectly willing to spend whatever we’d allotted for college on private to give him peace of mind). He always insisted on staying with his friends in the p.s. system. We were fortunate to live in a high-priced area with an excellent school system whose special ed/ guidance depts. gave him the best he could possibly get, & he made it into college & pursued his dreams as long as his health allowed. But there came a time toward the end of h.s. when he admitted that perhaps he was wrong; he would have done better to try a different sort of school.
I don’t know whether your situation allows you to consider alternatives, but if it does, & your son can see his way, I hope you will consider them. Meanwhile, I am very happy to hear that opting out affords him some measure of peace.
LikeLike
Here is one beautiful tormented teacher of the many who both teacher unions and both political parties have shamefully abandoned to grief and dismay. They are being attacked and cannot fight back one at a time. No one can fight the lion alone, no one. This is what my mentor Paulo Freire from Brazil told me often. Any of us are reduced to powerless frustration and tearful anger if we face the leviathan of schooling by ourselves. It is impossible, inhumane, shameful for any society to come to such a place, just shameful for the teacher unions to wash their hands of their rank and file…this is what teachers’ unions are for, to defend, protect, assist, comfort, consolidate, and empower the thousands of hard-working teachers being bullied and abused in their own classrooms, to organize massive opposition. Teachers are being battered, mostly battered women, sad to say, and unable to fight back one by one when their unions abandon them to the bullying billionaires and their well-paid cronies in govt., media, and the testing industry. Parents, please watch this heart-rending video and know that we have it in our power to rescue such teachers who are devoted to our kids–we can stop this cruelty–refuse the tests, opt-out our kids, let the teachers teach and the kids learn.
LikeLike
I so agree Ira, how sad and frustrated I am after watching this video. Unions be damned– the PEOPLE need to rise up and protest!! Back in my day we didn’t have squat supporting or representing us as we protested our young men being drafted starting in 1965 into a guerilla war which France had already given up after 20yrs. I’ll grant the loss of public schools hasn’t the same life-or-death cachet for parents– it’s easier to imagine it won’t touch us, & harder to envision the consequence of daily damage eked away as govt-mandated tests replace teaching time…
The focus needs to be on the loss of democracy. I am all for throwing in with the libertarians & Tea-Partiers: going along to get along with Common Core & its aligned assessments– PARCC & SBAC– i.e., the ‘accountability’ regime– is tantamount to giving up your vote!
LikeLike
How great to hear such a righteous response, and to hear someone acknowledge that this is also a war on women workers!
On the other hand, I don’t know enough about how unions are handling it to blame them. I think CTU was very lucky to have Karen Lewis as a leader, and that you can’t lump that group in with ineffective unions.
LikeLike
There is an undercurrent of misogyny in this whole issue. Most K-12 teachers are women. Poverty affects women and children more than men. The importance of pre-natal care is an issue directly related to women as Dr. Ravitch has pointed out. Listen to Arne Duncan and his attack on those snobby suburban moms whose children aren’t as smart as they (the moms) think. I think we have to see the misogyny in many of these issues.
LikeLike
I so agree, Mamie! It’s shooting fish in a barrel! Reaganites’ trickle-down theology & consequent legal changes allowed ultra-testosterone Wall-Streeters tp tank the economy? No problem! The blame lies with those fools who believe in ‘public goods’! Hey,3rd-world countries don’t need no public goods, & that’s where we’re headed to compete w/those 3rd world countries!!
LikeLike
&I failed to answer your point: you are 100% on-the-mark as regards women. Where is the freaking NOW when we need them? Take a look at NO;A post-Katrina: they lad off 7000 teachers, who represented middle-class women of color. Moving forward from the :LA miracle”, as adopted in NM, AZ, GA: & FL: lots more lay-off/ firings of head-of-household women of every color.
LikeLike
Hallelujah to hearing this misogynistic war called what it is. I think teachers’ unions need to make this point again and again, pointing to the lack of police, lawyer, firefighter, and doctor bashing, and let the mostly-white-male power establishment stand up there and deny it.
LikeLike
From today’s (March 3 2015) Chicago Tribune about the tests in Illinois:
for grades 4-5 the new PARCC tests take a total of 10 hours
for grades 6-8: 10 hours 50 minutes
for grades 9-11: 11 hours 15 minutes
The old ISAT and PSAE tests were 5.5 hours for grades 3-8 and 6 hours 55 minutes for grades 9-11.
LikeLike
I understand how Mrs. Randall feels. I posted on another article that revolutions are never easy. People may lose their jobs, homes, livelihoods, and everything they’ve worked for and gone to school for. I’m sure there will be many teachers who will leave the profession because they feel that this current testing situation (and other aspects of the profession) is harming students. Of course teachers are afraid to speak out for fear of reprisal or fear that they are only protecting their jobs. But common sense should tell us that this testing regime is not healthy for children. I often think that if teachers are ever going to speak up, it must be now. With teacher evaluation tied to testing and those percentages (of student test scores for evaluations) increasing, teachers may not have their jobs for long anyway. Also, if you do get a developing or ineffective rating, how will you find another teaching job? Will your career be ruined? Most likely so.
LikeLike
The truth is, no one is listening to teachers. Parents hold the power.
LikeLike
I feel for this conflicted teacher. I plan to post this on FB. Parents do hold the power, but they do not have the reasons for these excessive tests, which still elude them. They are misinformed by administrators and superintendents of the schools/communities. Parents will trust the school leaders blindly, not knowing that these tests are hurting their children.
LikeLike
Trust us, retired NYC teacher! There are growing numbers of principals & Supers in LI & Lo-Hudson who have been speaking out online for a year or more, reflected in record numbers opting out of PARCC tests! Here in NJ thanks no doubt to forward-thinking Montclair folks, we’ve had thousands opting-out of PARCC testing. Hang in there.
LikeLike
This is definitely wonderful to hear and I truly hope that the numbers grow exponentially. However, here in NYC I just read that principals are threatening teachers not to inform parents to opt out their child from PARCC exams. Sad but true. There are communities that are strong in their opt-out movement, but the fear to inform parents still exist.
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2015/03/nyc-principals-lie-and-threaten-over.html
LikeLike
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/03/389282733/where-have-all-the-teachers-gone
This article will having you nodding in agreement and spitting in anger.
LikeLike
Doesn’t have me nodding in agreement 2o2t. It’s more of edudeformer blather about the teaching profession. For example:
“. . . from Georgetown’s Edunomics Lab argues that boosting class size for great teachers would save money that could then be funneled into bonuses for those educators taking on a larger load. The savings would come largely from a reduction in the overall teaching force, angering teachers unions and their allies.
Riley says his group, Deans for Impact, is all for giving teachers a raise — if it’s tied to better training that leads to higher graduation rates and other improved student outcomes.
“If we could really take control of the profession and increase the rigor such that teachers are effective from Day 1, I think that will prove to the public at large that this is an investment worth making, and one worth increasing.”
Pure edudeformer bullshit disguised as “expert talk”.
LikeLike
Mc Diarmid had me nodding in agreement. I was spitting when I read the part of the article from which you chose your citations. I think we are probably in agreement.
LikeLike
That is a lot of losses for Mrs. Randall: her husband, mother, and the experience of her profession and life work’s being corrupted beyond recognition.
This video really gives the viewer a feeling for the testing, how everything stops in its tracks for the ritual sacrifice. I loved the part when she talks about the children who get to opt out being “free.” You can feel this woman’s deep spirituality. I wish her all the best.
LikeLike
The issue of PARCC testing aside, I can’t get past the fact that this teacher is DRIVING while recording an emotional video of herself. If she needs the privacy and quiet to make the video, her car seems like a good place BUT NOT WHILE SHE’S DRIVING. She’s nervous about making the video, she’s anxious over the subject matter, she’s crying while driving. She seems like a caring teacher but perhaps lacking a bit in the common sense department. After watching this, I have to question whether these children are really nervous and anxious about testing or nervous and anxious about what the teachers are feeding to them about testing.
LikeLike