Jim Blew was hired by Betsy DeVos for a key role at the U.S Department of Education, having worked at the far-right Walton Family Foundation, which has a strong commitment to privatization, charter schools, Teach for America, and union-busting. He told education writers that the Department of Education was not likely to grant waivers for next spring’s annual federal testing, despite a year of confusion and disruption in schooling.
The American people are likely to tell Betsy DeVos and Jim Blew and the other public-school haters to pack their bags this November and clear out by January 20, 2021. Someone appointed by President Biden will decide whether to inflict the detritus of NCLB on the nation’s students. If the public votes wisely, the whole wrecking crew will be ousted, blown with the wind, so to speak.
An assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education said Friday that his agency’s inclination is not to grant states waivers from federally mandated tests for the upcoming school year like it did in the spring.
Speaking on a video call with reporters at the Education Writers Association’s National Seminar, Jim Blew, the assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy analysis, stressed the importance of testing beyond accountability. And he expressed support for a recent statement from the Council of Chief State School Officers about the importance of assessments for learning; that July 20 statement said that “even during a pandemic” assessments “serve as an important tool in our education system.”
In March, as schools shut down in-person classes around the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos quickly granted waivers to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico from having to administer certain annual exams as required by federal law. But concerns about the pandemic’s impact on the 2020-21 school year have grown, as have sentiments in some quarters that states should get those waivers again, in order to focus on other educational needs…
During a question-and-answer session with reporters, Blew pointed to CCSSO’s statement and said that with respect to testing, “Accountability aside, we need to know where students are so we can address their needs.”
Blew then indicated it would be premature to grant waivers at this time from testing and said, “Our instinct would not be to give those waivers” from the exams, which are mandated under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the main federal K-12 law. “There are so many benefits to testing and it allows for some transparency about how schools are performing and the issues we need to address, that our instinct would be to decline those waivers,” Blew added.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Of course not. The ed reform agenda for public school students is 100% grim and joyless. Nothing positive is ever added. It’s a grim litany of scolding and mandates.
Blew’s approach is completely consistent with the ed reform echo chamber he came out of- consistently negative towards public schools and public school students and outright cheerleading for charter schools and private schools and those students.
As long as we continue to hire people who don’t value public schools we will continue to get lousy policy applied to public schools and although ed reformers continue to insist schools are just “buildings”, the fact is 90% of kids attend the schools they don’t support and don’t value. When they harm public schools they harm public school students. Saying that their anti-public school ideological approach doesn’t harm the students IN those schools is ludicrous. Of course it does. And has. Year after year for decades now.
Since January 20, 2017, when Donald Trump took the oath to serve his handlers in Moscow by sowing discord in the United States and undermining all U.S. federal government functions, we’ve been able to count on him. Sure, we’ve had disastrous presidents in the past, but none, arguably, has delivered like Donald Trump (as he endlessly reminds us). Every day, it’s another outrage. I know that I am joined by millions of Americans who get up each morning thinking, what sickness will he perpetrate today? Who or what will be its targets? Gays? Poor kids? Dreamers? Farmers and small business people? Endangered species? Which ally will he completely alienate next? So exciting!
Think of his recent hits: secret police in American cities, insisting that we reopen schools fully in the middle of a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths, completely gutting federal environmental regulations. Wow. And recently he’s signaled that he plans to use an Executive Order to ensure that we’ll never again have poor immigrants with little education come to these shores to fulfill their dreams, thus undermining a key promise of the American Experiment. Who knows. Maybe the poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty could read “Give us your rich white people yearning to exploit.” The hits just keep coming, which is pretty amazing given that he’s usually on Executive Time, playing golf or in his den eating cheeseburgers, watching Hannity, and tweeting hate in his inimitable Toddler English.
Take a moment and think of how perfectly Vlad’s Agent Orange, Moscow’s Asset Governing America (MAGA) embodies each of the seven deadly sins—pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Gosh, Mr. President. You really are the best! Person, man, woman, camera, TV! Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing!
Of course, it’s too much to expect that lesser villains serving in his maladministration would be able to equal the Master of Mayhem. There can be only one Don the Con, only one Donald “J for the Joker in the Orange Clown Makeup” the Trump. But Ditzy DeVoid, bless her tiny, walnut heart, is doing her best. She’s made things safe for predatory colleges and for rapists on campus, and here we have her imprimatur on invalid, abusive, pedagogically useless standardized testing! Heckuvajob, Ditzy!
Thanks for your colorful comments.
From a teacher, this is A+ work.
Duh … TAKING TESTS is NOT LEARNING, plus those tests don’t tell us anything of importance, but those tests are sure $$$$$$ makers for the FEW.
Ever since George W Bush the employees of the US Department of Education seem to have been given a new mission- they are professional public school critics. Not charter or voucher critics, only public schools enjoy the benefit of their full time work observing and criticizing schools.
Is this actually what people pay them for? Isn’t there some practical, positive support role they’re supposed to be contributing to? We already have a whole ed reform private sector funded professional public school critics sector- do we need a publicly funded group too?
Seems redundant.
Those testing companies need to get paid!
in many cases the district problem is that the test companies have already been paid huge amounts
So… Perhaps it would be better to say, “We need to get what we paid for…!
😉
This is, of course, the education goal we should all care most about.
Well naturally… If the orange abomination has taught us anything it’s that the GOP believes money is more important than lives.
This snippet says it ll about our ed-harmful, wasteful national testing program:
“sentiments in some quarters [have grown] that states should get those waivers again, in order to focus on other educational needs …”
Step 1: Mandate the tests as usual with the same rigor, the same grit, and the same outcomes you’d expect when attending a conventional school building.
Step 2: Continue to evolve your teaching and learning at a time when teaching and learning have myriad wrenches thrown into their spokes. Remember: This is a federal and soon-to-be state mandate!
Step 3. Don’t do too much about the digital divide. This is a capitalist country, and if you don’t really have the signal or device, that’s your fault. You did something wrong in life. Its God’s will. Ms. DeVos said so. And bringing everyone into the school building without true support for HVAC renovations and student density reductions will solve that gap, anyway.
Step 4. Take those tests and do even worse than when you had conventional school to attend.
Step 5: Take the data and once again “prove” to the public that the public schools are failing your child, and only choice, charter schools, and vouchers will save your child from those scary monster vampire Satan-worshipping public school educators who spend hundreds to a few thousand dollars a year of their own personal money to buy supplies for their classrooms.
Step 6: Swiftly pass legislation to convert at least 33% of all American public schools into charters. C’mon! This is your new Katrina moment! Don’t waste a second!
Step 7: Enjoy an even more up and coming dumbed down population so that you can grab more power and wealth away from the working class. Like stealing a stick of butter from the grip of a sleeping, sugar-drunk Paula Deen.
Get moving Y’AWWWWL!
Clearly, Robert, with an agenda like this, you are just the guy Ditzy DeVoid needs as Undersecretary for Testing Numerology!
I’m unemployed. Maybe you can pitch this as my agent. Your cut 15%. Are you in?
Yes, Robert. But first you need to pass a personality test to ensure that you are sufficiently sociopathic to serve in the Trump maladministration. And, of course, there is the loyalty oath to the Don, Cheeto “Little Fingers” Trumpbalone. It’s clear, however, that you understand that in the Trump RICO, it’s all about the vig.
I’ll try my best to be bought. This is a capitalist country. Everything is for sale, including dignity, life, and limb – which are probably among the most merchandized commodities in the open and free American market.
GOP: Greed over people!
Gutting
Out
People
Well said, Robert. What more can I add…..not much.
An aside: I bought the film “Idiocracy” many years ago. But I immediately thought, whoa!, this is WAY too raw to show in class. I turned it off. (I’m always looking for worthwhile movies for my government course.)
But the film as I remember it is DEPRESSINGLY similar to some of what we are facing now in America. So many times after listening to Trump I’ve thought,hey, I ought to try to watch “Idiocracy” again. But then I just think, no, I can’t add that insult onto the huge pile of injury I’m already seeing in the news all day long. The film is meant as a comedy…but it’s more a living, breathing real life tragedy.
The summary of the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBvIweCIgwk
Disclaimer: I tried to watch this film years ago. I have no clue how it would be viewed now from the perspective of 2020? (Of course, how will WE be judged 20, 50, 100 years from now?)
Don’t get depressed.
Get everything. Get even.
Etymologically, the word “idiot” means “one’s own”–being unable to see beyond one’s own self interest. So, it’s The Idiot–Greg B’s go-to term for Trump–is perfect. And that film. Aie yie yie. Now playing on the big screen in D.C.
I like your attitude, Robert.
I also like Blew’s attitude. It’s great news that DeVos’ team Blew hard about continuing testing — after threatening to withhold funds for not endangering enough lives. Yes, we need transparency, transparency by Trump and DeVos, so that Biden doesn’t listen to tech billionaires or hedge fund managers pretending to be Democrats For Education Reform and think testing is anything other than a regressive, segregationist, racist swindle.
Big thanks to Jim Blew for letting Biden know what not to think.
TY, Left Coast Teacher. We have nothing to lose and everything
to gain.
When we fight, we win!
Same sentiments, John. I tried to watch it as well, but had to turn it off.
Let’s follow Robert’s advice, below.
My latest letter to the editor which I believe has some relevance to this discussion.
Questions for those choosing not to wear a mask in public places or politicians choosing not to enforce the inconvenience.
When sick do you go to a doctor who has studied medicine, has a track record of ameliorating your disease or to a person who has never studied medicine, has no desire to do so and has never proven capable of successfully combating your illness? Why? Whom do you really trust? If you do not believe in following his/her directives why go?
Too: Do you believe that your importance is so superior to that of your children, family, friends etc that you have no obligation or interest in seeking and following directives proven to be for their benefit?
If you choose not to wear that mask and you get sick with the virus do you promise not to endanger the lives of nurses and doctors who would have to treat you if you were to seek their help because of your unwillingness to follow the things they have prescribed?
Or, do you believe that the virus which has killed thousands of people is a hoax and is unworthy of fighting by the only means possible at this time? Have you noticed or considered what has, is happening in countries which have followed the findings of the science of medicine and compared that with that which is happening here?
If we wish to get our economy back to normal, pre virus epidemic where best to begin if the virus is the cause?
Gordon, remember Trump said that we have so many cases because we do so much testing.
Stop the testing and the virus will disappear.
Just like that!
Stop using scales to weigh people and watch the obesity rate go down.
Screw Betsy De Vos. Once again underscoring her talent for hurting children and damaging public education. Even though she and her fancy clothes will be gone soon, her mandating testing in 2021 is an opportunity to re-energize the OPT OUT movement.
Imagine this scenario: Betsy orders testing under threat of dire conseqeunces for failure to comply. Thump orders federal troops into elementary school to tear gas third graders who refuse to pick up their #2 Pencils. Barr says kids need to learn respect for the law.
Betsy could deploy some of her publicly funded with $7 million a year personal security team of U.S. Marshals to gas the students. She would, too.
Ohh. I like that thought. Tear gas and rubber bullets put out by federal troops should do the trick of respecting the law. A few teachers might die but they are replaceable. Children are young and they will forget the tear gas but will learn to respect everyone who survives.
The nation didn’t care when first graders were mass killed. I’m sure they won’t mind this invasion either.
It would be replayed as fake news on Fox.
ALL hail the mighty Trump who wants legislation to ensure that schools have the funding and incentives they need to safely reopen this fall. PRAY!! What an amazing God. [Breaking Christian News wins again.] BS I found a link to this bunch of _____________.
…………………………
I thought you would like this story from breakingchristiannews.com
President Trump Calls for Funding to Follow Students to Private and Home Schools
Parents should be given the flexibility to choose what option is best for the wellbeing of their child and family.
[IFAPray.org] Father, we pray for families who are trying to manage their children’s school plans. Do a miracle for the faith community, God!
As parents and students face the reality of their local schools not opening this fall, the White House has responded with a statement many parents will be excited to hear. As you read through the President’s statement on opening safe schools, note the important section highlighted below. This is a praise for many parents who have been praying for school choice options. While not enacted yet, the President is moving forward to seek legislation and perhaps issue an Executive Order on this issue. PRAY! This will not be popular with those who want to maintain government control of our children. Pray that this plan is able to move forward. What an amazing way God may be moving to pluck kids out of the public schools and help faith families make other choices.
From the President:
ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS TO REOPEN SAFELY: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to ensure schools safely reopen in the fall and empower parents to make decisions about their children’s education.
President Trump is calling for legislation to ensure that schools have the funding and incentives they need to safely reopen this fall and to empower families with school choice.
To encourage schools to make in-person classes available this fall, the President is requesting $105 billion in education funding as part of the next coronavirus relief bill—$70 billion of which will directly support K-12 education.
Approximately $35 billion of the $70 billion will be reserved for schools that reopen.
Under the President’s vision, students and parents will also be offered support to allow them to choose the school options that are best for them…
https://?ID=30818
“The American people are likely to tell Betsy DeVos and Jim Blew and the other public-school haters to pack their bags this November and clear out by January 20, 2021.”
I hope the American people somewhere else help me do this. I do not see any less support among my fellow citizens for the trump administration. The frustrating part about the matter is that the effect of the electoral college is to make my presidential vote worthless. My vote has never gone to a winner in a presidential contest. This is a very disheartening aspect of our government. Sometimes my guy has won nationally, but never from my state.
The problem is that my minority voice (defining minority as voting against the majority) has never been influential in my voting lifetime. This is a really incredible thing. I have made many arguments in favor of the electoral college, mainly stemming from my mother’s propensity for argument. I really have no defense. The electoral college is now making the voice of many in the conservative states who do not share the radical conservativism to fall silent.
What a bunch of dopes.
“Dopes” is a great word.
A gun shop owner down in town (no liberal by any stretch) called Trump a “Yo-yo.” That’s a good beginning….when the real conservatives start to call him out for what he is.
I wonder how Indianapolis public schools can get $12 million for devices to do remote learning. I am not against that but other districts don’t have that type of funding.
……………………………………
IPS to begin school year fully online as coronavirus cases rise in Indiana
By Dylan Peers McCoy Jul 29, 2020, 11:58am EDT
The school board is expected to vote on the recommendation at a meeting Thursday. Alan Petersime/Chalkbeat
Indianapolis Public Schools will start the year entirely virtually, under a plan announced Wednesday by Superintendent Aleesia Johnson.
The school board is expected to vote on the recommendation at a meeting Thursday. The district will begin the year Aug. 17, after delaying the start of school because of concerns over rising COVID-19 cases in Indiana and Marion County.
If the proposal is approved, the district will delay in-person instruction at least until October.
“From the beginning, IPS administration has said we would remain flexible and respond to the changing data with an emphasis on the health and safety of our students as our top priority,” said Johnson in a statement. “The decision to delay the return to in-person learning will allow more time for the number of COVID-19 cases in Marion County to stabilize and decrease to a less dangerous level.”
The district has already invested about $12 million on devices for all students in anticipation that it might be forced to go all remote at some point this fall. But it was initially planning on allowing students to return to full-time in-person instruction while also offering a full-time virtual option.
This story will be updated.