Thursday, March 5, 2015

Susan Ohanian Tweets at Randi re: Opting Out


Today, in a conversation about opting out, I Tweeted:
AFT/NEA refuse to learn from their own members.

Randi Weingarten replied:
@susanoha @MSGunderson @drloisweiner @TeachSolidarity @teachertomo @lapham_katie @NUTonline
-our members opinions differ widely on this

So I Tweeted this:
When Tests Fail: Opt Out wp.me/p556RL-R via @TroyLaRaviere
KUDOS!
@CTULocal1 Response?
@rweingarten response?
@NationalPTA response?

So far: No response from any of them. You can read Roy LaRaviere's declaration in the posts below.



Cartoons:

A Talent for Reading Backwards...
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=999
NY Times Editorial Board
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=998
NO!
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=1076
Incredibly Sexy Standards Developer Dies, Smothered by Dictionaries
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.php?id=833
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
When Tests Fail: Opt Out
Troy LaRaviere
blog
2015-03-05 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=786
A Chicago principal supports--and promotes--opting out of PARCC.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Achieve Is Buying Teacher Lessons to Beef Up Their Common Core Vault
Susan Ohanian
blog
2015-03-03
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=785
This item raises the question: Is there anybody left who won't sell out for the almighty dollar?

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Thousands of students in New Jersey opt out of controversial PAARC tests
Anthony Johnson
WABC
2015-03-02
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=784
According to this report, Middlesex County had a 30% opt out rate. But the state ed commissioner reports a 'good day.'

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Educator's refusal to give PARCC called into question by district
 Eric Gorski with Ohanian comment
Denver Post
2015-03-01
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=783
Shabby article about Peggy Robertson's opt-out provokes HUGE outpouring of support.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Bringing a Daughter Back From the Brink With Poems
Betsy MacWhinney
New York Times
2015-02-26
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=782
It is impossible to read this lovely piece about finding the right words for one's child without reflecting on the insanity of the Common Core pronouncements about what reading matter is 'informative.'

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
As Common Core Testing Is Ushered In, Parents and Students Opt Out
Elizabeth A. Harris with Ohanian Comment
New York Times
2015-03-02
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=780
The article seems to indicate growing opposition to Common Core testing, and the NYT picks of comments reveals something else.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
‘Live with Kelly and Michael’ Top Teacher is quitting: I can’t ‘drill ‘em and kill ‘em’
Valerie Strauss
Wshington Post Answer Sheet
2015-02-23
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=776
Teachers have to decide.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Anti-Anecdotalism
Nicholas G. Carr
This Idea Must Die: ed. John Brockman
2015-02-25
http://susanohanian.org/data.php?id=581
The author speaks to the importance of anecdote.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Calculus
Andrew Lih

2015-02-26
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1206
A professor challenges the position of calculus as a hazing ritual.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Change Comes from Children
Mike Martin

2015-01-20
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1203
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr., and the young people  who kept marching.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Stephen Krashen
Chicago Tribune
2015-03-04
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1750
Krashen letter affirms that parents are doing the right thing in opting out and that no research supports this irresponsible testing.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Stephen Krashen
Los Angeles Times
2015-02-28
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1749
Krashen refutes claims that NCLB test score gains were due to better test-prep. He shows they never happened. And look at who's making the claims.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Nancy Papas
New York Times
2015-02-28
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1748
In response to dreadful New York Times editorial on the need for testing, this letter has a great summing up line:  Students can't thrive at school if they must concentrate on surviving the outside world.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Evelyn Slockbower
New York Times
2015-02-28
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1747
Since the New York Times wouldn't even let me post an online comment about the dreadful editorial, I'm especially happy to see this letter.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Stephen Krashen, USC Professor Emeritus
Substance
2015-02-26
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1746
Krashen correctly labels online testing: A huge and ever-growing boondoggle that bleeds money from schools.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Are These the 8 Worst PowerPoints the Government Has Ever Produced?
AJ Vicens
Mother Jones
2015-02-26
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1931
New Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has ordered military commanders to ditch PowerPoint. Mother Jones shows why.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
iPads in School -- Not Even if Free
Thomas Ultican
blog
2015-03-01
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1930
A physics/math teacher offers experienced argument against i-pad in class.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The impact of one trip to the public library: Making books available may be the best incentive for reading.
Francisco Ramos  and Stephen Krashen
The Reading Teacher
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=568
While our current ed reformers argue about how many kids can dance to the tune of the Business Roundtable, Achieve, Inc., US Department of Education, and their allies, this short paper offers a simple idea for getting kids to read: Give them ready access to books of their choice.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Weingrovel needs to stop with this crap about members disagreeing. We all know she's full of it. What she needs to say is "My corporate masters, the people I really work for, will limit my career advancement if I agree with opting out. Sorry friends but you oughtta know me by now." It would be so much more dignified than the self denigration of lying and the insult she inflicts on teachers. Plus I think she could squeeze it all into a tweet and just retweet it over and over.

Anonymous said...

I read your comments all the time. I couldn't agree more. I just don't know what can be done about it.