Monday, April 13, 2015

NYC Council Ed Chair Danny Dromm JOINS PARENTS WHO "OPT OUT" OF STATE TESTS

UPDATE
Good for Danny - an ex-teacher. Change the Stakes is sending someone to attend. There's lots of opt out stuff on the blogs.

See Peter Zucker at South Bronx School with an excellent: HEY HARRISON AND THE REST OF NEW YORK STATE IT'S TIME TO OPT OUT!!!
According to this memo (Thanks to Lisa again!) Steven E Katz, the Director of Assessment for the SED which was sent to all superintendents  statewide;
 Tests are considered part of a “course of study” under a board’s authority and, as noted above, are included as part of the program requirements for students in Grades 3–8 under Sections 100.3 and 100.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
How are tests a course of study? The "Board" has more authority over my kid than do I? 
Who is telling the truth here? The State or the parents who wish to opt out their children? Will the officers from the Harrison Police Department come to my house Tuesday morning to arrest me and my wife? Will my son be arrested or taken from us? What is a parent to do?
Peter will be on the Bob Marrone Morning Show this Tuesday morning at 6:30AM EDT on WFAS-AM 1230 and will discuss testing and opting out. You can call in at 914-693-5700.

Listen for NYSAPE public service announcement on WCBS-AM 880 and WINS 1010.

So much more stuff out there, but let me also point you to Jose Vilson, Opting Out of Everything, where Jose goes after an essential issue:
The largest question about the opt out movement for folks is color is whether these tests help highlight our educational inequities via numbers. Opting out students stands as a powerful rebuke of the idea that standardized tests should be the primary determinant as to whether a school stays open or not. So if opting out is an option for you, please do.
UPDATED:
WABC-TV Tiempo segment on ELLs and ELA exam aired earlier today; Leonie vs. Assoc Commissioner SED
http://7online.com/uncategorized/tiempo-watch-this-weeks-show/31525/ Part 1 & 2


THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF DANIEL DROMM
37-32 75TH STREET
JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY 11372
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
Contact: Josey Bartlett jbartlett@council.nyc.gov,  Office: (718) 803-6373 x 202

***PRESS ADVISORY***

ED CHAIR JOINS PARENTS WHO "OPT OUT" OF
STATE TESTS
 

Who: NYC Council Education Committee Chairperson Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst) will join parents who chose today to not permit their children to take high stakes English Language Arts (ELA) tests. 

What: The ELA exams are scheduled to take place in NYS schools today through Thursday.  More and more parents have chosen not put their children through the pressure of testing because they disagree with policies that reduce education to a few test scores and they see the detrimental effects these tests have on their children.  Parents have the right to pull their children out of or refuse the tests and have the school use alternative measures of evaluation.  Schools are forbidden from retaliating against parents who choose this option. 

When: April 14 at 10 a.m.

Where: Jackson Heights Post Office, 78-02 37th Avenue

Why: These tests were never intended to be used this way and parents should be aware that they have the right to make the decision to have their child opt out of testing without retaliation from the schools.

***RSVP to Josey Bartlett at jbartlett@council.nyc.gov ***

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