Dawn Neely Randall, a teacher in Ohio, is a passionate crusader for the rights of children. She posted this comment on the blog.
“Let me just tell you what stands out the most to me from a meeting I attended with legislators and educators about high stakes testing after school tonight. It wasn’t what the Senator said. It wasn’t what the State Rep. said. It wasn’t that the president of the college attended. It wasn’t that there were superintendents there (and I finally had the opportunity to mention how many were bullying parents for opting their children out of tests).
“What was it that stood out? It was the comment made by a teacher of special needs students who said that she had one student who pulled out every single eyelash the child had during all the hours of PARCC testing. Every. Single. Eyelash. Let that one settle on you for awhile.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I saw this posted on BATS and knew it was a closed group. I’m so pleased that it is now made “public”… I worked in the stories of 4 kids with similar issues and got it into a comment section of the local newspaper — one parent responded with a comment. I never get quoted on the editorial page (only one time when I said I didn’t like the mustache they painted on Obama’s face because I remember what Hitler did).
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Believe me it sank in. It sunk in to many of us years ago. For me it was when I attended an all day seminar at Notre Dame when one of the speakers (along with Milgram, Robins, Stotsky, Wurman, Joy Pulmann and many others) Dr. Megan Koschnik (spelling ?) spoke on how developmentally inappropriate the standards were. Until then I had never understood this aspect but have been an advocate ever since. This post today just made me CRY!!! And it will be going to all of my legislators. Two more years of Common Core in Tennessee and then it will be replaced with CC aligned with a new name.
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Ed Secretary Peyser says teachers are not helpful; he is tired of hearing their same old refrain.
Peyser says teachers are not being helpful with Chester’s testing goals for the PARCC.
Come and see the child with symptoms: Trichotillomania…. test anxiety induces his symptom as reported by teacher — if you don’t know what that means , the child pulls out eyebrows one by one; I think of Miranda who has been in therapy for 6 years for cutting herself now faced with anxiety of MCAS tests to get into community college; and Joey whose twin died at birth and parents will keep him in kindergarten an extra year to avoid the DIBELS tests where passing scores have been raised to impossible levels for preschool/K; maybe in a year there will be more sensible policies? and, Jason seen at the clinic at U. Mass Medical in Worcester for hyperactivity and it boils down to anxiety specific to math tests– no medical condition or ADHD. If you have time look into “The Teacher Wars” by Goldstein; she describes the “moral panic” of adults who are pushing these nonsensical policies because of austerity? or fear that China will overtake them? or something? They are not exercising leadership; it would would be helpful if they would stop attacking the teachers (cf Bob Braun’s letter). I know an administrator who tells me “children are resilient” but if they don’t learn resilience at the breakfast table and absorb it with their orange juice how is it going to come about? I get so angry at the bureaucrats and the mandarins who just have no knowledge or experience with developing children and these concerns…
jean e sanders
978 914 7066
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cx it should read eyelashes; but alopecia is a similar one and it can be the hair on the forehead (some kids wear baseball caps to school because of this one)
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Our principal said to me “you should see the nurse’s office fill up on MCAS long comp day for the 4th graders.” This is so very wrong.
The 4th and 5th graders on student council came to talk to incoming kindergarteners and their parents, within minutes they started ranting about how horrible MCAS testing is when they had the opportunity to tell us anything they wanted to about their school experience. They also told us how they used to “just play” all day in kindergarten, and there were no white boards or iPads–they were in kindergarten just 4-5 years ago.
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So sorry Ed. But guess what? We’re tired of your very old and malevolent refrain.
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Long duration computer testing, at least it’s better than a root canal, but maybe it isn’t.
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They give you Novocaine for a root canal.
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I don’t care what anybody thinks, but in this situation the teacher has a duty to take the kid out of the test and file a report.
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TRAGICALLY this kind of thing happens way too often.
AND that is not just with the students.
Teachers too are suffering more than the politicians can imagine
AND
that too has a profound effect on children.
How many of our best teachers, educators have quit because of the nonsense of “Reform”.
I was in education starting well over a half century ago and NEVER was there a time when teachers did not search for new, better ways, more effective, more inclusive ways of teaching.
What they have received in return since a “Nation at Risk” raised its ugly head is bashing, perceptions of failure ad nauseum.
If ONLY the politicians would get out of the way they would gain FAR more than the killing of quality education by know nots who know not that they know not.
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A mother reported to me that her 4th grade child pulled out his eyelashes AND his eyebrows this spring! And, he is a high achiever–with no issues about passing the Indiana ISTEP. Ridiculous! I hope she gets a note of excuse from the counselor her son is now seeing! Save our children!
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I tried to notify my parents and they told me they just wanted their child to try their best. The child got three correct answers each day out of about 25 question. The parent said the child never complained to them but I saw the pain and confusion in their eyes.
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I had to give the test to a young man who was deaf/blind and severely developmentally delayed. His response to every question was to comfort himself in the best way young men do. It was completely a stress response. I actually wrote down what his responses were. The people “grading” the tests did not appreciate his responses or my informing them of his stress. The next year the directions for the tests stated that answers must be appropriate for all audiences.
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I feel your pain. I had to test a student who basically only has reflex responses and is deaf and blind and nonverbal. The student cannot do anything on his own – he cannot intentionally move or make intentional sounds and has no cognitive ability.
i put “no response’ on all answers as the student is incapable of making any response.
It is a sad farce to have to test this student.
And it counts towards my value as a teacher.
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My daughter is a high school sophomore special ed student. Her middle school years were incredibly difficult, especially during testing. The weeks leading up NJASK, and especially during the testing week, she would stop eating. I was told it was a parenting issue. Finally, 7th grade was so bad she asked to be homeschooled. The emotional damage was ridiculous in exchange for information was virtually unusable. What good is “not proficient at grade level?” It’s a joke. It also led to our opting out the next year (thanks to a teacher friend). It’s horrifying enough that my daughter stopped eating and felt utterly unworthy of being in her school – but that child who self-mutilated should never have been put in front of that test. Parents and teachers have got to stand up for these students. And we have to educate our legislators or this is never going to stop. Especially parents – please find your voice!
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I didn’t mean to imply that the parent or teacher did anything wrong in this instance… My wording was more “I am thinking about the students” who have these high anxiety disorders and “what will M. do when she is faced with these tests” or other situations of high intensity and high consequences…. it may be something other than a test; and, also it may not happen in the classroom but be something that she does a few days later because the anxiety has built to such a point with the test being a part of the circumstances. This was not an “incident” but it was my thinking about 4 or 5 students during the school year and how they respond to situations. The other case of the boy seen at U. Mass by medical clinic — it was determined after he had taken many tests that his anxiety was not ADHD activity of hyperactive momentum but it was the anxiety created around math when he had to take a test. Certainly, you are correct , if a teacher observes extreme circumstances during a test then you remove the chid from the testing situation. My comment was general in terms of thinking about these individual students with high anxiety anyway and then not wantin to place the kindergarten child into first grade where he would be faced with “failure” on a test such as DIBELS…. hope that helps.
It is fortunate you listened to your child and made accommodations as a parent and she was able to tell you what she needed.
It’s horrifying enough that my daughter stopped eating and felt utterly unworthy of being in her school – but that child who self-mutilated should never have been put in front of that test. Parents and teachers have got to stand up for these students. And we have to educate our legislators or this is never going to stop. Especially parents – please find your voice!
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
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Teachers, please. If you have a student falling apart during the test, take them out for their own personal safety. Do not allow a child to self injure or self mutilate. Sit them down, log in, then, just indicate they could not do the test. If a child started vomiting during the test, would you make him or her continue?
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Reblogged this on Mansfeld225 and commented:
Geez! Just look at the last paragraph…
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Lisa, Thank you. Teachers, question authority. You do not need to injure someone to keep your job. Remember the research on this? Do you intend to harm those who can not defend themselves. Just say no.
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It seems many of you need to do your research on trichotillomania. I am teacher and I have pulled my eyelashs since about 4th grade. It is a complex psychological disorder. The behavior observes during the test may or may not be stress related. It could be from boredom, unrelated anxiety or just the obsession that comes with trich. Actually, nutritional supplements can completely cure many sufferers (works wells for me) suggesting mineral imbalances as the cause.
Don’t get me wrong, testing is still genuinely abusive for many students, but this case may not be a valid example. Teachers need to educate themselves about trich as it impacts a larger percentage of students than you probably realize.
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I read this and it made me cry. I mean cry hard. There is nothing else to say.
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DEB I know a lot of us feel helpless at times; but , as you know from reading here, there are many good people who are working on these issues. I went to a college reunion on Sat and I was grateful to see so many who work for the kids; one man was a guardian ad litem in FL , another had sponsored a wilderness camp for kids in the Adirondacks.. there are many good people helping out… You are not zone… hope you can gain some comfort from the many who do understand and the tide will turn because so many speak up for the kids.
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I cried because from the onset of this kind of testing students have had various reactions to bring put through the paces. I have had a heavy heart for so many students for years. The fact that the regulations prevent teachers from intervening when a child needs comfort or encouragement during these times simply makes me sick.
I simply do not feel that it is “cheating” to assist a child with a sudden “break” with coping skills or a moment of stress. I don’t think we are doing anything good or fair to students who are unable to deal with taking these tests. Under threat of being fired or humiliated, teachers have to follow rules that have no compassion or common sense. I don’t know why we force all kids to participate.
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Professional autonomy has been taken away by policies (and lack of understanding from immediate supervisors/administrators). Teachers have been pushed into situations of malpractice because of the flawed policies. I keep hoping we will get mor support from professional psychologists, MD, psychiatrist etc…. that happens one child at a time as they defend a patient. The professional associations have been co-opted with Gates money… it is up to us (the rank and file) to keep speaking up.
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In a country that’s ok with Columbine and Sandy Hook, what’s a few eyelashes?
Sent from my iPhone
>
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A special ed representative shared this at a local school board meeting:
During testing a student of very low intellectual and physical abilities was unable to “turn the page” or click on correct answers. So the teacher devised a way to guess the student’s choices. My God, what an exercise in futility, frustration and humiliation.
On one of my recent trips, a young elementary teacher in a rural area told me this:
1/3 of her own elementary students are migrants with extremely low English abilities and another third are simply dirt poor, even living in camp trailers. For them every day is a struggle for basics like food. For them school is a place of refuge and of small triumphs, like learning to read. Period. Common Core tests are so out of their range that they looked at her in tears and asked, “Why are you doing this to us?” To which she could only reply, “We just have to get through it.” Dejected and mystified, one child concluded, “Even though I thought I learned a lot this year, this test shows I’m really stupid.”
Way to motivate and show respect for human dignity, reformers.
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A friend’s disabled student took 15 hours to finish his Smarter Balanced test – that he wasn’t capable of passing anyway. This is state sponsored abuse.
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