Earlier I posted the full statement of the Network response to the criticism of the opt out movement by a dozen civil rights groups.
The NPE statement was written by Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian, editor of “More than a Score,” and a scholar of the history of standardized testing.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My library has the book More Than A Test Score edited by Jesse Hagopian; Thanks for the Foreword , Diane. An article by Barbara Madeloni is included; she is now MTA President…. also, Mark Naison’s description of how BATs was formed (he gives credit to Priscilla Stanstead and Marla Kilfoyle as well)… Carol Burris is interviewed by Jesse H. in an article “It was the Right Thing to Do” … so I am thoroughly enjoying my reading today
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It’s hard to imagine any bona fide civil rights group buying that bull about testing over teaching unless they were being paid to push it.
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It’s not about the test it’s about what is the alternative.
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LYL (Love Your Logic) … kinda like:
It’s not about the strychnine, it’s about what is the alternative.
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It is if your agenda is adults. Those with the agenda of children will want to ensure their success and their individual movement forward. Which side are you on?
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If you have a nationally normed test, where low scorers get extra help, even if half the people don’t take the test, the low scorers still get the resources. Most of the people that they are complaining about dropping out in “CO and NY” are not in their groups. Thus, logically, they should be saying, other people please opt out, more resources for us.
Shouldn’t the civil rights message simply be, our members need to take the test so they are eligible for extra help?
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I agree with that. Assessment is only as good as the information gathered and it’s application to the education of the child. Having said that, there are still better ways to assess than the test. A viable alternative must support the agenda of children
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Summary statement very important as a readable press release highlighting quickly and near the top all the good reasons to refuse the tests.
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
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TY Jesse and NPE for your powerful statement supporting rejection of the corporate destruction of our public schools as the “right” side of the civil rights issue. Standardized annual testing with its roots in eugenics and segregation, has now widened the achievement gap. But even more important, it has widened the inequity gap and cost our already marginalized families their community school and a collective role in their children’s education as charters cherry pick and drain funds from the neediest schools and students. The Opt Out movement is utilizing the tool of civil disobedience to weaken already invalid test data, and as a rejection of the year long test prep, anxiety and pressure imposed by high stakes tests. Grade span testing, sampling, and high school graduation rates are more than enough measures of achievement. We need to narrow the gap by measuring and funding need based equity of class size, resources including libraries and technology, course offerings in core subjects as well as the arts and sports. We need to address poverty’s impact outside the schools head on through jobs that pay an entry level living wage, health and dental care, housing, transportation access- our schools cannot overcome poverty on their own.
The unmentioned other civil rights issue is that of equity for children with disabilities. Diane, I hope that NPE will take this on as well- “civil rights” lobbying groups that claim to represent the needs of these children also support annual standardized testing for every child. This has resulted in the trumping of IDEA, and removed the decision of what assessment is best for an individual child out of the hands of the parents and education team that actually know the child’s needs intimately. There has been a dismantling of special education services, a removal of the continuum of placements to meet diverse needs, an override of appropriate IEP goals, curricula and accommodations. And charters are filtering out the disabled children with the highest needs, creating a segregated system here too. As with race and poverty- privatization is not a solution to equity.
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As a retired Sp ed teacher my heart is with my kids. My experience with them has driven me to recognize all kids are different. The IEP is the law, but it is subverted on a regular basis.
As all children are different, shouldn’t everyone have an IEP? Shouldn’t every child’s education be driven by their pathway to success. In my book I call it the MAP My Action Plan. Shouldn’t every child be taught in the way she/he learns best? Shouldn’t every child be allowed to demonstrate learning?
If every child is different, then give every child a MAP to their future.
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How in the world does not wanting to participate in something violate the civil rights of someone else? That makes no sense.
Testing is, for reformers, the grand equalizer. . .so if you question it, you are questioning the attempt at equalizing and at offering equity. Is that their thinking?
Twilight Zone.
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The Leadership Conference is amazingly naïve. It asserts that the data compiled through high-stakes testing has called attention to an “achievement gap” and the results of that attention have been, or might someday be, to take measures that would narrow or eliminate that achievement gap. There is no evidence that that has happened or is likely to. There is lots of evidence that what high-stakes testing has led to is privatization of schools, consequent profits for corporations investing in the school take-over “market,” and huge profits to testing companies like Pearson. And, as well, the closing of local community resources, which schools can and do provide, especially in communities of poverty.
During the Vietnam war 40-50 years ago, tons of data was collected by the American military, the CIA, and other agencies. Most of the data omitted the social and political realities that obtained in the Vietnamese countryside, and all of it was reshaped and used to pursue a set of pre-determined policy goals set by Kennedy’s and Johnson’s (and later Nixon’s) policy elites. Those goals were not reshaped by the data, but rather the other way round. So today regarding schools: the question is not what goals high-stakes testing might promote in some Utopian world, but rather what real and concrete results such data are being used to pursue.
It is worth pointing out, btw, that Kennedy’s and Johnson’s people were no doubt well-intentioned, liberal to the core, full of ideas about what would be good for the Vietnamese. We all know what a disaster they produced.
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Testing abuse IS a civil rights issue. A few days ago, John Oliver spoke the truth. Jesse Hagopian speaks the truth. The Seattle NAACP spoke the truth. Now the rich and powerful are getting nervous. The billionaire funded EdPost is going after John Oliver. Who will be next? Can we stop them with the truth? http://educationpost.org/a-dear-john-oliver-letter-how-he-broke-my-heart-over-standardized-testing/#.VUpGiY5VhHw
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I’m not on Facebook and don’t intend to be, but I’d really like to be able to post this comment on that article:
“Can you answer this question, Valentina: can you name me one school or district, anywhere in the country, at any time, where the politicians and powers that be have looked at low test scores of poor, minority or special needs kids and said, “gee, we need to get more resources to that school to help those kids?”
“No, you can’t, because what low test scores get a school is “turned around”, charterized, staffs fired (including lunch ladies and custodians) or simply closed.
“We have known for decades that poor kids, kids of color and kids with special needs don’t score well on standardized tests. We don’t need more tests to find that out. But as long as we’ve known it, we’ve never had the political will to do anything meaningful about it, except allow the corporate reformers to come in and destroy neighborhood and community schools. That’s what standardized testing – especially standardized testing that has a built-in 70% failure rate – does.”
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yep. Turnaround.
Gonna jump down turn around pick a bale of cotton
Gonna jump down turn around pick a bale of hay
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Testing abuse is a civil rights issue. The lack of accountability is a civil rights issue, the lack of support for teachers and therefore kids is a civil rights issue. http://www.wholechildreform.com
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Of course there is a great argument against the outrageous testing fiasco. But then what? And I dunno is not an answer. Until public educators start supporting a viable alternative to the test, we will be seen as simply ducking accountability and being racist for not assuring that black kids are moving forward on their pathway to success.
Many years ago I stated on my website that without a viable alternative, public school would and should perish. With a viable alternative and a strong accountability plan, public schools will once again flourish.
The problem of course is that public schools are not allowed to flourish due to the testing restrictions. Enter the Collins amendment that allows 5 states to use innovative assessments in lieu of the test. Every public school teacher should get behind this amendment.
Remember, change is a process and often moves in small steps. The Collins amendment is one of those steps that will open the door for the future. After assessment becomes real, then we have to look at how kids move through the process on their pathway to success. Standards as guidelines for success rather than deadlines for failure will be a second step, noting individual progress as success, and on and on.
If the Collins amendment is included, the dominoes will fall rapidly, they will have to. It is time for a civil discussion in the best interest of kids. Bashing time is over.
It is clear that the artificial test is horrible but without a viable alternative, we do all kids an injustice and we stomp on their civil rights.
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I don’t buy that we need an alternative to the test. If someone is hitting you over the head with a mallet and you’re having trouble concentrating, you don’t need supports to help you concentration or a test of your ability to concentrate. And you don’t need to come up with an “alternative” to such supports or tests. You need that person to stop hitting you over the head with a mallet.
The fact is that the objections to the tests which have been repeated over and over contain within them the “alternatives” needed. Testing narrows the curriculum because only what gets tested gets taught. Within that criticism is the correction: a broad curriculum. Also, testing creates “winners” and “losers” based on stack ranking of test scores. Again, within that criticism is the solution: stop ranking kids against each other. I could go on, but you get the idea. There are dozens of objections to testing all of which boil down to the alternative of “stop testing”.
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Well and this comes back to accountability as king.
How about we have a duty as responsible citizens in strong communities to have good schools for all children. Holding them accountable cannot be measured in a number or set of numbers. Period.
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For the civil rights of the students accountability is essential. Essential to assure parents that their school is serving children well. The test is not an indicator of academic achievement at the highest level. It is second class achievement at the most. However, whole child assessment is 1st class achievement.
If the test is not an indicator of accountability, then what is? Or are we saying screw the kids, educators should not be accountable at all. If that is the case, we are trouncing on the civil rights of every child, especially black and Latino kids who are the first to be pushed into the street.
Good teachers are not afraid of fair accountability on an even playing field. It is not about who is bashing whom. It is about the agenda of children!
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Numbers by themselves of course are not the solution which is my point on a viable alternative to testing. Demonstrations of learning like science fairs can be assessed and individual progress can be viewed.
we just have to back step to segregated schools and the appropriate treatment of all students to understand the need for oversight, In the past education was thrown out for students to catch in a bushel basket, those who learned moved on, those who didn’t were pushed into the streets. This was not every case but judging from the number of students in urban schools still being pushed into the streets, over sight becomes necessary.
In my book I talk about the first step toward teacher assessment is a strong support system. The goal is not to beat down but to build up. That is a strong part of the viable alternative I present.
We must erase from our minds how schools are, and envision who they could be. For more website http://www.wholechildreform.com
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The bottom line is that if it is about adults the battle will be lost, if it’s about children, and the assurance of their success, we will succeed. Which side are you on?
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From Rosa Luxemburg’s quote:
“The more that social DEMOCRACY develops, grows, and becomes stronger,
the more the enlightened masses of workers will take their own destinies,
the leadership of their movement, and the determination of its direction into their own hands.”
What does it really mean to people about DEMOCRACY? Isn’t it about FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION for all children in K-12 with certified Teachers who are well trained with licence and experience?
This is 21st century. This is era of INFORMATION technology. If the power of money can blind the conscience and judgment from COWARD and CORRUPTED LEADERS, then what is the least expectation of transparency in legal system in terms of NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW?
CLOSE DOWN SCHOOL, DISMISS CHILDREN’S UNIQUE TALENT, and PUT DOWN CHILDREN’S SELF-ESTEEM through intentionally INVALID and STRENUOUS tests, WHAT IS EXACTLY THE RESULT THAT all business corporations aim to achieve?
Please reconsider and deeply think over the wisdom from Christine Langhoff (in thread: The Little-Known Story of Chelsea, Massachusetts)
By dianeravitch May 1, 2015
“Perhaps most importantly, there is a growing awareness that the school district doesn’t own the problem; that it is a COMMUNITY PROBLEM, and it will take the entire COMMUNITY RESOURCES and WILLPOWER to address the needs of its youth in a PROACTIVE and EFFECTIVE WAY. The growing community collaborations with outside agencies and non-profit organizations have already begun to show promise as a major reform strategy.”
Thank you Jesse Hagopian and NPE staff to courageously and wisely speak up and support for all students and parents in their OPTING OUT MOVEMENT. Back2basic
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I too have and will support the opt out movement, as loud as I can get. I also feel the need for a viable alternative. The test is abusive as is no accountability. Just develop a system of education, locally, that serves all kids and assesses on a fair even playing field, to support kids,
I’ll say it again, I support every parent opting out.. Should I say it again? Without a viable alternative to the testing fiasco, we will and are now being perceived as racist. And all the arguments against the test, which I applaud still say nothing about what’s next?
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What I want to know is why does everyone assume that without annual testing, we would be left in the dark about the achievement gap? We knew about the achievement gap long before NCLB. As indicated by the NPE statement, there are plenty of metrics that expose the achievement gap much more reliably than a standardized test score obtained on one day of testing.
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With the artificial test we don’t know about the achievement gap because it only tests 2nd class achievement. That’s why we need to change the way we look at education. With whole child or 1st class assessment the last might well become first.
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That “1st” class assessment you talk about is what classroom teachers do. Teachers do it quite well. Hold teachers accountable for what can reasonably be expected. We know what that is. Ask any teacher. However, at some point, you have to look at a child’s environment beyond the school. Successes within the classroom with our most challenged and challenging students can rarely be attributed to school alone.
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Can’t explain it all here but you are right. In the process I talk about in my book we watch individual growth, use the assessments teachers do like you suggest, and when we see a child isn’t learning, we seek out the reason why before there is a judgement.
i.e. home visit, where does the problem lie. We still expect gains but knowing those circumstances adjustments can be made to assure kids make gains. If a child has learned nothing in the 1st 5 years and gains 1/2 grade level, that is an improvement. Just a start but the light bulb is ready to go off.
http://www.wholechildreform.com
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I was an advocate for ELL children at my child’s previous public school. In no way, shape or form did the new Common Core lessons improve the quality of education for these children. It made learning more complicated because one needs to have a strong command of the English language to comprehend the increased number of written steps for math and language arts problems. Now you might imagine what kind of a challenge the homework posed for their parents who speak even less English. When Arne Duncan tells the public that this is Civil Rights issue I can’t help but wonder what he is smoking. I bet he himself has not taken a close look at these tests. The tests and the homework given in preparation for the is test is overly complex, time consuming, laborious and a waste of everyone’s time because they are merely an experiment. My child and I used to sweat bullets trying to meet these unrealistic and developmentally inappropriate benchmarks until I learned that the agenda was not created by teachers. When I learned that it was driven by politics and corporations we stopped the insanity and now we pick and choose what we participate in totally unconcerned with the consequences. We are taking a stand.
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You would think that if nothing else these tests would tell them that they need to rethink the lack of support for ELL. That would be logical, though. My bad.
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To Roxanne:
That is the only way – yes, PARENTS , Grand parents, STUDENTS, and EDUCATOR RETIREES must take a stand, as per Christine Langhoff’s wisdom:
“”Perhaps most importantly, there is a growing awareness that the school district doesn’t own the problem; that it is a COMMUNITY PROBLEM, and it will take the entire COMMUNITY RESOURCES and WILLPOWER to address the needs of its youth in a PROACTIVE and EFFECTIVE WAY. The growing community collaborations with outside agencies and non-profit organizations have already begun to show promise as a major reform strategy.”
Most of all, as per American Hero, Nathan Hale (we need to substitute the word “country” in his final farewell saying for the words “our LOCAL SCHOOL”
“” ‘I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country.'”[18]
(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale)
Or from Joseph Addison’s play Cato
How beautiful is DEMOCRACY, when earn’d by virtue!
Who would not be that CONSCIENCE? What pity is it
That we FEAR TO UNITE AND FIGHT to serve our COMMUNITY.
(original verse:
How beautiful is death, when earn’d by virtue!
Who would not be that youth? What pity is it
That we can die but once to serve our country.)
Thank you Roxanne for joining in the OPTING OUT MOVEMENT. Back2basic
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