Marie Corfield: The Worst PARCC Story She Ever Heard

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1. Arthur Camins says:

   March 22, 2015 at 3:49 pm

   The Story reminded me of the anti-war version of laying burdens down:

   I’m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside
   Down by the riverside down by the riverside
   Oh I’m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside
   Ain’t gonna study war no more
   Well I ain’t gonna study war no more ain’t gonna study war no more
   Ain’t gonna study war no more
   I ain’t gonna study war…

   We need new anthems that capture the spirit of collective action for our time– a movement for economic and social justice of which the struggle for democratic equitable education is an integral part.

   http://www.arthurcamins.com

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   • Ms. Cartwheel Librarian says:

     March 23, 2015 at 12:09 am

     Right on!

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2. ira shor says:

   March 22, 2015 at 4:32 pm

   Marie’s wonderful and touching story is a blessing to all of us who opt out our kids from PARCC.

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3. hopeforourstudents says:

   March 22, 2015 at 5:49 pm

   Reblogged this on Who's Minding the Children? and commented:
   This is incredible!

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   • Marie Corfield says:

     March 22, 2015 at 6:42 pm

     Thank you for sharing!

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4. John Wund says:

   March 22, 2015 at 5:55 pm

   A beautiful story. I would have responded to Marie directly, however that would have meant registering with yet another of our ‘Big Brothers’. (The original internet, designed with public money, has been thoroughly co-opted and, therefore, corrupted).

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   • Marie Corfield says:

     March 22, 2015 at 6:43 pm

     Thank you, John. Yes, it seems that Sting was right, “Every move you make… I’ll be watching you.”

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5. Susan Lee Schwartz says:

   March 22, 2015 at 6:18 pm

   I have said this before, and I am saying git again, this is a visual world… someone needs to make a documentary and SHOW the stories, not jus t of th kids, but of the trauma to teachers who never expected the contempt that has been heaped on them.

   My story is just one of many which would bring people to tears. David Paker, Walter Porr, Pi Lian Tu, Lorna Stremcha… all stories of teachers that were in that first assault, the one that took out the teachers so the schools would fail.

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6. Marie Corfield says:

   March 22, 2015 at 6:46 pm

   NJ has had its share of standardized tests before PARCC: NJASK was attached to NCLB; HSPA (high school proficiency assessment) was required for all 11th graders. Neither produced the level of fear and anxiety we are now seeing with PARCC. When children pray to God to deliver them from a test, something is very wrong.

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   • Ms. Cartwheel Librarian says:

     March 22, 2015 at 11:40 pm

     Yes, I took “achievement tests” way back in the late 50’s to early 60’s in elementary school. There was no fear attached to them that I remember. They were just something we did every other year or so. The fear is conveyed to these student from adults: teachers,administrators, and parents – in other words, stakeholders. They all have or feel they have some stake in the results of tests that children take. There is something very wrong here.

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   • NYC Mother says:

     March 23, 2015 at 12:17 am

     That brings tears to my eyes. My third grade child is a wreck over the NYS tests. I’m sure she would have written that too if given the opportunity.

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7. Concerned Citizen says:

   March 22, 2015 at 8:38 pm

   Finally an issue that the religious right and secular liberals can agree on–end common core, end high-stakes testing!

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8. retiredbutmissthekids says:

   March 23, 2015 at 5:13 pm

   Unfortunately, this definitely will NOT be “the worst PARCC story…ever heard.” In fact, there’s a pretty sad post from a Chicago mom since this one. Wait for it–we’ll, once again, probably be hearing stories about hospitalized (physically, even terminally ill & mentally ill) children having to take the tests. I think I’d made a comment on a recent post about an autistic student who needed to tell the teacher/test administrator that he refused to take CCRAP (because parent opt out letters weren’t being accepted), but that he was unable to verbalize this decision &, so, was made to take the test.
   Pretty sad story.

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