Showing posts with label opt out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opt out. Show all posts

Saturday, July 6, 2019

NYState Opt Out Leader Jeanette Deuterman Castigates Mulgrew and UFT - and NYSUT Leaders for "Unforgiveable Betrayal"

Our hope was that Andy Pallotta would in fact come to realize that not supporting a student protection opt out bill would be a PR nightmare and he would instead lead with his moral compass rather than what he was told to do, regardless of the consequences from UFT. We had been conversing with NYSUT’s VP, who assured us on several occasions that NYSUT was is full support of the bill and NYSUT’s “lobbyists have been lobbying in support of this bill”. ... Jeanette Deuterman
NYSUT has made a big showy campaign of “Correct the Tests!”, and collecting testing horror stories. Yet, when the opportunity arose that would eliminate the source of many of those stories and protect children in EVERY corner of NYS, they instead chose to sabotage our kids... Jeanette Deuterman
Watch what they (UFT/NYSUT/AFT) do, not what they say -- an aging but still wise sage
 
I told Jeanette at the Skinny Awards dinner that I found it hard to believe Andy Pallotta would ever go against the Unity Caucus machine. And so it was. Ultimately they side with the enemy - Cuomo, state ed dept, DOE. Fact is high stakes testing has been used against teachers so often and also entire schools. The ATR pool is an outcome.

Jeanette Deuterman on the fate of Robert Jackson’s opt out bill. The UFT's support of high stakes testing and undermining of opt out smacks of their being in bed with the deformers as opt-out has been the major weapon forcing changes.
An Unforgivable Betrayal

6 years. 6 years I, we, have been working alongside teachers and union leaders to try to make a difference for NYS children caught in the middle of politics, greed, and power struggles. Every year, I personally spend the two months leading up to the tests reading through hundreds of horror stories sent to me by desperate parents trying to do what should be a simple action: opt out of state assessments. For some of us, opting out is as simple as receiving notification by our school districts that we have this right, filling out a simple form, turning it in, and protecting our children from multiple hours and weeks of meaningless testing. For many parents, this process begins with schools telling them they in fact do not have this right. They are told if they opt out they will be held back, will fail, won’t get into middle school, high school, or even college. They are threatened with CPS and calls to immigration. During testing their opt out children are harassed, reprimanded and bullied by administrators trying to set an example. They are excluded from pizza parties, candy gifts, and school carnivals. The adults in these situations completely lose their moral compass, and the children become the targets. It is sad and unconscionable. And more importantly, completely preventable.

This year we had a breakthrough that could have ended these grueling months of horror stories and interventions. We had a Senator willing to step up, and we had a bill. This was the bill we had dreamed about. One that would make it illegal to treat kids in this manner. This bill didn’t address the larger challenge of over-testing, the chronic problems with the curriculum, or the eroding data privacy. But IT WOULD HAVE PROTECTED CHILDREN. So simple, yet so profound.

Months ago began the hard work of drafting the bill, finding just the right sponsors, and getting the word out that this was the bill that hundreds of thousands of parents wanted our elected officials to pass. Senator Jackson and his team worked tirelessly to get this right. NYSAPE put out an action alert calling on parents and teachers to send letters to legislators telling them to support the bill and sign on. As momentum was growing, the political games began.

Let me be clear. I’m rank and file all the way. I’m the daughter of a NYSUT unionist and the sister of two more. I have made lifelong friends with local union leaders and members across the state. NYSUT members make up half of my organization and sit on my steering committees. It is because of these teachers that the absolute duplicity of their union makes me speak so loudly against it right now. They deserve a union that represents them and their children. They deserve one that will operate with democratic transparency. We all deserve that.

It’s no secret that I am not a Michael Mulgrew fan. I have witnessed the complete and utter lack of democracy that is the current teacher’s union. The union is run by voting. The majority wins. But what looks democratic on the surface hides the ugly truth. The UFT (city caucus run by Mulgrew) has the votes to control the union. The RA (where voting takes place) is held in places that many members of smaller locals can not afford to get to or are willing to travel to. The UFT delegates ALWAYS show up. There are caucuses within the UFT, such as MORE, desperately trying to make a difference and change the leadership, but even that is a battle that may never be won. I attended an RA once, to witness first hand the block voting, noise signals, and complete domination by the UFT/Mulgrew. It was heartbreaking. My only face to face meeting with Mulgrew ended with him refusing to back down on keeping testing as the major piece of the evaluation system because he believed, taking it out of the hands of administrators, even if it placed it on the backs of kids, was preferable. I had heard very early on with this student protection bill that Mulgrew, who very publicly, and very often, has spoken out against opting out, would not allow this bill to pass. 

Our hope was that Andy Pallotta would in fact come to realize that not supporting a student protection opt out bill would be a PR nightmare and he would instead lead with his moral compass rather than what he was told to do, regardless of the consequences from UFT. We had been conversing with NYSUT’s VP, who assured us on several occasions that NYSUT was is full support of the bill and NYSUT’s “lobbyists have been lobbying in support of this bill”. For what it is worth, I absolutely believe she PERSONALLY was behind us and this bill. But as we know, that makes no difference in the larger picture of roles within the organization. This “support” was contrary to what we were hearing from legislators. In fact, they weren’t hearing ANYTHING from NYSUT about the bill, and most believed NYSUT was NOT supporting the bill. We kept asking, and asking for this support in writing FOR MONTHS. Not once were we told that support was contingent on an amendment. Funny thing is, the bill sponsors, who would be the ones to make changes and amendments, weren’t told that either. This wasn’t the first time either. A few years ago we worked with Todd Kaminsky on reversing some of the most damaging aspects of the Education Transformation Act. Those bills were also killed, mostly in part because NYSUT made it clear to legislators that they would not support. Mulgrew’s insistence on keeping testing in the evaluation matrix was again the reasoning.

The night before the last day of session this week we had a miracle. The Senate passed the bill, and we heard word that the Governor would sign if it passed the Assembly. The kids in NY were about to have their win! Here’s the way it works at the end of session - if bills make it to the last day and are ready for a floor vote, they can pass. If a person or organization wants to kill a bill, but they don’t want to take the fall for killing it, they propose amendments on the last day. It happens ALL THE TIME. And that’s exactly what happened here. NYSUT realized this thing could pass. This is the only part I will guess at - Mulgrew must have made some calls to the Assembly and NYSUT, throwing his weight around. What we know for a fact: Suddenly Benedetto, who had to be the one to bring it to a floor vote, indicated he would ONLY do so if NYSUT put their verbal support in writing. This is cowardly and a huge red flag of just how little the voices of constituents matter. Benedetto should lose his Assembly seat for that. NYSUT now had a problem. They had been called out as the last remaining factor for months and years of work that culminated in this bill getting passed. I’ll admit, the amendment was a genius idea. The language of the amendment protected schools against a threat that the Regents already eliminated when they removed the Title I funding ties to participation in our NYS ESSA plan. It wasn’t an amendment that made sense, as there is currently no law or regulation at the state or federal level that puts Title I money in jeopardy, nor does NYS have ANY jurisdiction over federal Title I money, but man that sounds plausible!! And it makes them look like they’re the only ones who thought enough about children in poverty!! Win win! Best yet, it can’t be done because it’s too late AND it’s not based in any current law or regulation issue!! And added plus is that everyday parents and teachers don’t know enough about ESSA and Title I to challenge them. I have already seen local members believe the justification of killing this exceptional and desperately needed law, defending the action.

NYSUT has made a big showy campaign of “Correct the Tests!”, and collecting testing horror stories. Yet, when the opportunity arose that would eliminate the source of many of those stories and protect children in EVERY corner of NYS, they instead chose to sabotage our kids. This is unforgivable. I will personally be sending Andy Pallotta, Jolene DiBrango, and Michael Mulgrew each and every heartbreaking story that comes to my inbox, so they can see first hand what they have supported and encouraged by killing this bill. I encourage all of you to do the same. The stories are listed on the Long Island Opt Out and NYSAPE websites. Pick a few out and send them along. Maybe it will have an impact, maybe it won’t.

Rank and file will still be my friends, my colleagues, and my family. Perhaps we can still make important changes in spite of the obstacles that NYSUT leadership places in our way. Onward.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RIRo6XnnhbyX-jNi2-v8cVrZuhK64oApvwKxScpAqmk/mobilebasic

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Opt Out Press Conference: Attacking DOE Propaganda and Lies

...none of the changes the DOE's latest propaganda video brags about would have happened without the action, dedication, and hard work of the Opt Out movement. This video is enraging, our public dollars being used much like the way the charter schools market to us. A big price tag production to push these already expensive tests, while our teachers pay for supplies and parents sell cupcakes for enrichment programs. We are speechless and appalled. (For this, I call BS.) ... Janine Sopp

Janine’s speech is near the end of the livestream. She’s probably too modest to say so, but it was a barn burner.... 
 
Magnificent! I was shaking---over and over--- as I listened to all the great things Janine had to say. Yes Janine's speech was a barn burner---and the rest of you were tremendous too, including the kids! ...
---Comments re: press conf March 27, 2018 at City Hall
Janine Sopp is a lion of the opt out movement. I met her when we premiered our film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman in May, 2011. From then on Janine has been unstoppable. Here are her comments to the change the stakes listserve after the press conference: See her speech near the end of the livestream feed.

Janine Sopp, March 27:
Thanks to all of you who made it to City Hall this afternoon, and to those who showed support in other ways. It was quite an adventure getting all the pieces together, and so many of you had a role in making it happen. This was a big undertaking and you were all so fantastic to work with. I feel the need to share my report and my insights:

We had a wonderful turn out of students, parents and teachers, and a strong message from our City Council Education Committee Chair, Mark Treyger along with statements by CM Lander and Dromm. There was not much press, probably due to our 4 pm timing and/or late alert, but Robert Jackson was kind enough to livestream on Facebook. We certainly called out the DOE, and as promised, they updated their FAQ to include a paragraph about opt out. We are being told by our Council Member's office that a hard copy will be sent home in backpack mail. We certainly know tremendous damage has already been done, and their suppression campaign has been effective. For sure, if it weren't for strong activists in our city, nothing would have been done to counter this damage. We are so proud of the children who stood in front of the camera and spoke. I think we need to give them the mic more often!

This needs to be seen far and wide, so please share where you can. We made the point that none of the changes the DOE's latest propaganda video brags about would have happened without the action, dedication, and hard work of the Opt Out movement. This video is enraging, our public dollars being used much like the way the charter schools market to us. A big price tag production to push these already expensive tests, while our teachers pay for supplies and parents sell cupcakes for enrichment programs. We are speechless and appalled. (For this, I call BS.)

We were so proud of our youth for speaking truth to power, for their ability to tell their stories, and for the amazing speakers who addressed not only the issue of testing and parent rights, but issues around equity and whole child education. IMO, whatever happens this year in terms of numbers, we know we are up against some very strong forces who want to see their agenda come into our reality. We are still a small group of organizers in a city that is impossible to cover without a huge team. It's also getting more and more clear to me that our efforts will need to expand beyond opt out and by building alliances with other groups and across a variety of subjects. We have to find a way to bring all these factors into a huge mobilizing effort.

In my most recent conversations on our opt out hotline, I've spoken or met with many parents who express such appreciation to know they have this right. They learn by different means and are willing to take this step, even if they are the only one in their school. They say this information is power, and they are motivated to advocate for their children. I believe opting out and the advocacy around it can be a gateway to further engagement and parent empowerment in schools. These parents I speak with have expressed so much ​about what they observe is happening in education and to their children. They are not unaware, in fact, they are very aware of what is happening, how testing has taken the place of learning, and the ills it creates. And they want better and they want more, and they feel this step is their way to protest. I only wish we could find ways to bring their voices to the forefront. We are beginning to, they are willing to speak out and speak up. I guess this is the part I value more than anything. That families begin to understand they have a voice.

I hope we can find the strength we need to slay this Golliath. Our ​statewide ​ opt out numbers clearly scared the powers that be, and they needed to squash us much like they did Occupy Wall Street. What our youth are doing now, we must support to grow. I look forward to discovering what our next steps will be, as I remember this is a journey.

I didn't expect to write this much, but after today's press conference, the incredible effort that went into the crafting of these points and working alongside such great minds and talented visionaries, I am humbled and needed to share. Don't forget to read the press release below and watch the livestream.)

​It is an inspiration and a motivation! Wishing everyone a wonderful spring break before the tests, and do all you can to keep spreading the word that parent's have the right to refuse. If you need more postcards, give a holler. Hoping to have the new one by the end of this week.

W​hose schools? Our schools!
Best,
Janine 

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

PS/MS 42: Letter to Parents Distorts Reality While Issuing Threat for Next Year - Answer them by opting out

What a crock. You know they didn't listen to the community at the PEP - they rarely do.  Certainly 6 of the 8 mayoral appointees didn't listen -- see my piece about the 6-6-1 vote to keep the school open --- Analysis: The Story Behind the PEP Rockaway Vote - It Came Down to One Guy Abstaining.
                                        
Yes, one guy abstaining and forcing a tie vote while the other 6 mayoral appointee slugs went along with the closing.

So we start off with mistrust -- and a lie -- that they actually listened to the discussion at the PEP. But then they pointed the loaded gun right at their heads -- the outcomes of the testing in May will decide their fate -- and think of this -- the outright distraction since December for everyone in the school. And the enormous pressure over the next two months to get those scores up.

Imagine if all the parents opted out and there were no scores to hammer them with.

But given the pressures and fear and threats, I imagine people won't easily go for an opt out strategy --- it would be a pretty scary thing to do ----- and will hope beyond hope the numbers are improved enough to save them next time. 

But boy wouldn't a massive opt out in a renewal school be something to watch.

Their struggle has made them known around the city and continuing their struggle to battle will continue to gain support. Part of their struggle should be against the test itself and by linking to the opt out movement there will be even wider support.


Friday, March 31, 2017

Fred Smith in WAPO: What N.Y. parents should know about 2017 Common Core standardized tests

Four passages that are well above grade level with 6 multiple choice questions most of which require that a student go back into the text and the answer is still difficult to figure out is ridiculous. Kids were twitching. Two of mine cried. I administered to 7 children with reading disabilities. They didn’t stand a chance. It makes me angry. I spent all year inspiring them to feel excited about learning and confident and in 10 minutes NYS made them feel like idiots…. Anonymous,


Fred Smith, a testing specialist and consultant, explains how the state is attempting to persuade parents not to opt-out, and what students face when they sit down to take the exams. Smith is retired as a senior analyst for the New York City public schools and a member of Change the Stakes, a parent advocacy group.




Seeking to turn back the opt-out movement, authorities are promoting a few scripted points to convey the idea that the testing program has been improved for 2017: The number of questions on the exams has been reduced, more teachers have been involved in developing them, and the tests are untimed.

On the surface these seem attractive. But fewer items make less reliable tests. The teachers who were involved reviewed but didn’t write the questions on the tests, which were created by Questar Assessment (which is being purchased by the Educational Testing Service, or ETS). And the removal of time limits means the tests are no longer being conducted under standard conditions, thereby nullifying attempts to measure growth.

Effectively, the results of the 2017 exams cannot be used to make meaningful comparisons over time, though the Education Department says the tests aren’t being changed enough so that comparisons will be valid.

Another selling point the state makes is that while the tests will continue to be given, no teachers or principals will be affected by the results as in the past, when test scores were factored into their evaluations. The state has declared a moratorium on directly linking student test scores to teacher evaluations. This may lull people concerned about the misuse of the tests into accepting their administration because negative consequences have diminished for teachers and principals, but the results can still affect schools, and the scores can be used as an “advisory” evaluation measure for individual educators.

In announcing the improvements, a department spokesperson said, “It’s up to parents to decide if their children should take the tests and we want them to have all the facts so they can make an informed decision.”

Really? There is no information on opting out — or about the field testing of questions, which allows publishers to develop future exams for free by trying out test questions on children — on the one-page document posted on SED’s Engageny , titled “2017 Grades 3-8 New York State Assessments: What Parents Need to Know.”  Evidently, they must know the tests are untimed, shortened, reflective of teacher involvement and will be given in some districts by computer.

Here are some more facts about  field testing on the 2017 exams that parents aren’t being told:

There are two approaches publishers follow to develop questions and determine which should be kept for subsequent exams.  The preferred way is to embed try-out material (reading passages and associated questions) in the test booklets that students are striving to complete.  In theory, students can’t tell which questions are experimental and do not count in scoring their tests from the operational ones that count.  Thus, they should be motivated to do well on the trial items.

Monday, March 27, 2017

School Scope: Opt Out of Test Movement is Still Alive Despite Attempts to Kill It


The WAVE -- www.rockawave.com - Publish date: March 31, 2017


School Scope: Opt Out of Test Movement is Still Alive Despite Attempts to Kill It
By Norm Scott

NYC schools chancellor Carmen Farina hates the opt out movement because it so threatens the education establishment which uses testing as a bludgeon. Even if your child aces tests, our claim has been that the process itself is harmful to overall development of children educationally, emotionally and intellectually. Many top performing nations have de-emphasized testing, especially for children under high school age.

Farina and the testing establishment have threatened schools, teachers and parents with all sorts of punishment and sanctions, many of them untrue. Principals at schools with high opt-out rates last year have been pressured to intimidate parents who even ask questions about opt out.

I know you will be reading this at the end of the week that ELA tests were given statewide, but there will be a math test the first week of May but even if your child took the tests and you are a believer in the value of tests I urge you to read this blog by Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters: It's not too late to opt out & more reasons to do so-- including to protect your child's privacy and deny them the data! https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2017/03/countless-reasons-to-opt-out-including.html

A lot of people are not aware that their childlrens’ data is being shared and even sold. “Deny them the data” has become somewhat of a rallying cry.

Consider the points made in the letter to parents below by a parent of three children – and check out the link: Top 10 Reasons to Opt Out - https://vimeo.com/208262836

Dear Parents,

The state tests are coming up. Before your child sits for 6 days worth of standardized state exams please take a few minutes to review the reasons for considering to opt out of these tests.

I am both a parent and an education advocate, and will be opting my two children out of the state exams. Like every parent, I care deeply about my children's education and future. Actually, I care about the quality of every child's education and am concerned about these specific exams undermining public schools' ability to teach to the WHOLE child. The Opt Out movement has proven to be the best way to make systemic changes to public education.

Who else believes children should opt out of the state tests? Leading education experts such as Diane Ravitch, Carol Burris and Leonie Haimson, as well as the parents of 240,000 NYS students who opted out last year. This year, the New York State Teacher's Union (NYSUT) has even taken out billboards to inform parents of their right to opt out of the state tests.

Our children are not standard. They have talents and qualities that these tests will never measure and are not designed to encourage. They measure cramming, access to expensive tutors, and rote learning. None of these qualities are skills that will prepare our children for college and even less so for the real world.

Ultimately, the decision to opt out is yours. But before the kids go to school on Tuesday, take the opportunity to be informed about the movement. Again, please take the time to read through the links below. But just in case you DON'T open the links below, I'll sum it up with this: State exams are driven by politics and corporate greed while your child's learning and potential is a distant priority. A multiple choice test won't teach our kids what it takes to cure cancer or solve world hunger.

Respectfully,

Johanna Garcia
Mom to Aries (3rd gr), Alexa (5th gr.) & Hailey (10th gr.)


“Awesome” said Jamaal A. Bowman Founding Principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action MS, who shared his own video on testing and opting out. https://youtu.be/J6kNcUDwjE8

Norm never opts out of blogging at ednotesonline.com


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Parent Opt-Out Group Slams Mulgrew Over Unity Caucus Leaflet

In addition to  providing your members with false information, you have demonized the  brave and outspoken NYC educators who have encouraged opt out. You have  inexplicably labeled these educators as “reckless and feckless”. This  begs the question, why would an experienced educator and union leader  dismiss and insult a historic act of civil disobedience? Surely, you are  aware that the opt out movement has yielded the only successful means  of resisting harmful “test and punish” policies that hurt not only your  members, but all educators and students around the state.... NYSAPE
I said right up front that the Unity Caucus attack on MORE and opt-out would come back to bite them. The UFT machine has often intimidated parent groups who wanted their support and didn't want to alienate them. When an influential statewide group like NYSAPE takes this unprecedented action it is big.
Some of my posts on this issue:
June 28, 2016


Mr. Michael Mulgrew, President
United Federation of Teachers
52 Broadway
New York, New York 10004

Dear Mr. Mulgrew,

Over  the past few years, members of the opt out movement have become adept  at distinguishing our allies from those who work against us, often  behind the scenes. In light of your recent newsletter (see below) for  the UFT’s Unity Caucus, it has become apparent which of these two camps  you are truly affiliated with.

It is no secret, Mr. Mulgrew, that  as president of the NYC teacher’s union, the UFT (the largest local  teacher’s union in the state), you wield a tremendous amount of power  within NYSUT. With approximately 800 voting delegates and the resources  needed to send all of its delegates to statewide elections, the UFT  often holds the voting majority in NYSUT. Therefore, you have the power  to sway NYSUT’s powerful lobbying dollars and efforts towards policy and  law that will either benefit or harm our children. For that reason, the  opt out movement has shifted its attention to you.

In the  outrageous document referenced above, you claim that districts have  "lost" grant money due to opt out, when in fact that money was not  theirs to begin with. You cannot "lose" something you do not already  have and are not guaranteed to be awarded. While failing to test 95% of  all students may exclude a district from APPLYING for a small monetary  grant (25,000-75,000 dollars), no money is TAKEN from a district. To  date, no school in NYS has lost money as a result of opt out numbers. On  the other hand, high stakes testing has cost school districts MILLIONS  of dollars over the past four years while the State continues to shirk  its obligation to fully fund our schools. In addition, under the new  ESSA guidelines, this reward status and grant application process comes  to an end and will no longer be a factor.

In addition to  providing your members with false information, you have demonized the  brave and outspoken NYC educators who have encouraged opt out. You have  inexplicably labeled these educators as “reckless and feckless”. This  begs the question, why would an experienced educator and union leader  dismiss and insult a historic act of civil disobedience? Surely, you are  aware that the opt out movement has yielded the only successful means  of resisting harmful “test and punish” policies that hurt not only your  members, but all educators and students around the state.

It is  no secret that you have failed to support efforts to reject the  increased focus on test scores in the new teacher evaluation plan  (3012-d), or that you have publicly vowed to defend the common core  standards (standards that even the Governor’s skewed CC task force found  to be flawed) with violence, if necessary. In addition to your  disparaging comments aimed at those who support the opt out movement,  your actions as president of the UFT would appear to reveal whose side  you are really on.

When teachers, students, and unions were being  abused, demonized, and demoralized, a call to action rang out from  grassroots parent and educator organizations. Many teachers and local  unions heeded the call. Progressive caucuses within the UFT such as MORE  and the statewide caucus Stronger Together immediately stepped up and  worked alongside parents to fight for the best interests of our  children. Where were you?

Sadly, it seems apparent, Mr. Mulgrew,  that you have been standing and working against us at every turn. Deals  have been made, hands have been shaken, and forces have aligned to quell  the increasing discontent of this growing tide of parents and educators  fighting for the very survival of our schools and the well-being of our  children. Opposition to our cause within NYSED, NYCDOE, USDOE as well  as those who support illogical and damaging education policies have  found an unlikely partner in you.

While your actions speak  volumes, we urge you to prove us wrong and demonstrate that you are in  fact, an ally of the opt out movement. Take a stand against a corrupt  and harmful test-based accountability system, advocate for research and  evidence-based education policies, and respect teachers, parents, and  students who advocate the use of test refusal as a means of impacting  policy and regulatory change.

We think it only fair to inform you  that should the educators of New York City and New York State seek new  leadership in their elected union officials, the parents of New York  will stand in solidarity with those who seek to safeguard public  education from harmful policies, regulations, and corrupt leadership.

Sincerely,


New York State Allies for Public Education


Monday, December 14, 2015

NYCDOE Gag Order - Political Repression at the DOE - District Supt. Claims Teachers Who Discuss Opt Out Violate Law: Must See Michael Elliot Video


Is MORE UFT Presidential candidate Jia Lee violating state, city and DOE laws by talking opt out? Come and get her.
Michael Elliot made this brilliant 3 minute extract of the District 15 Town Hall Testing event we attended on December 9 with panelists Carol Burris, Kathy Cashin, Jennifer Jennings, Dist. 15 Supt Anita Skopp and a principal and Assistant principal - see my pre-report here.

Skop claimed it was against the law for teachers to share political views with parents or students, equating opt out with political views  - with former NY State principal of the year Carol Burris who has been talking opt out for years, sitting a few seats away.
One of our ace opt-out parents Janine Sopp pointed this out from the audience - how come Carol does it? Another parent called out  to say how can Skop equate a discussion with parents on the quality and impact of tests and pointing out they did have the option to opt out with endorsing political candidates, pointing out that was as much an educational issue as talking about homework. See Skop's lame response in Michael's video. (I have video of the entire event and will get off my ass and post unedited versions of each panel member -- Carol Burris is just dynamite and Cashin was pretty good too -- and made sure to give Change the Stakes' Fred Smith some recognition.)

Cashin did point out that Skop was part of a chain of command linked to Farina and de Blasio - so though the buck stops there, let's not let Skop off the hook with the "I was only following orders excuse" excuse which so many people under Joel Klein claim now.

And what will the UFT tell you about these outrageous claims to muzzle teachers?

Arthur Goldstein has a few words for them at NYC Educator:

You Can Fool Some of the People Some of the Time, but You Can't Fool Opt-Out NY

Even as UFT leadership breaks out the champagne over NY State's largely meaningless Common Core recommendations, Governor Cuomo ought to keep worrying. Because the fact is UFT leadership has played virtually no part in opt-out. They've delayed and prevented meaningful resolutions, and backed up reformy claims that aid would be withheld if not enough kids took tests that Cuomo himself called meaningless, except for rating teachers.
Arthur closes with the reason MORE chose the leading teacher voice for opt-out, Jia Lee, for its presidential candidate to run against Mulgrew.
We need to take a stand with the opt-out movement, a true grassroots movement fueled by truth, passion and a desire to do what's right for our children. If Michael Mulgrew and his loyalty-oath signing sycophants are unwilling or unable to do the right thing, they should move over and endorse opt-out activist Jia Lee for UFT President
If you are a teacher without a union to protect you, get on your knees and thank an opt out parent for defending you.

https://vimeo.com/148527338




Also see Alan Singer:
The parent and teacher campaign to have children opt-out of high-stakes Common Core aligned testing is remarkably successful.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Wonderful Video - Seen Them Opting Out on Broadway - Alan Schwartz - The Bald Piano Man

-- Or how teachers' asses are being saved by the parent opt out movement.
"The unions didn't accomplish this. Parental anger at an arrogant state executive forced the change. To the power of parents everywhere."



Brilliant lyrics and performance by Alan C. Schwartz, The Bald Piano Man, December 11, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/alan.c.schwartz.3/videos/10153748881142889/
A Billy Joel parody reboot to celebrate Andrew's Cuomo's humbling about face on high-stakes testing. The unions didn't...
Posted by Alan C. Schwartz on Friday, December 11, 2015



Some of my high school friends tell me that teachers in their schools couldn't care less about the opt out movement because most high school students don't opt out of regents and other tests. But high school teachers have been swept up in the outcomes of the existential threat opt out presents to the ed deformers. Witness Cuomo's (temporary) retreat in an effort to cut the legs out of opt-out. Don't be fooled. Every teacher should do what they can (without getting into trouble with their admins) to spread news of opt out. Ie. contact Change the Stakes to have someone stand outside your school with leaflets at dismissal.


Thursday, November 12, 2015

Is the Opt-Out Movement Bread and Butter Unionism or Social Justice - or Both?

...parents in Change the Stakes (CTS) will be out there agitating and also working with MORE teachers to push opt-out -- which MORE will also do in its UFT election campaign -- as a way to not only protect children from test abuse but teachers too.  

There has often been a false dichotomy within and outside MORE over what is termed "trade union bread and butter" and social justice unionism. Many of us have come to see them both under the same umbrella. The Opt-out movement is a perfect example of this fusion.

MORE chose Jia Lee, one of the leading teacher opt-out voices and a teacher once facing off with an abusive principal as its UFT presidential candidate and she is a symbol of the unity between what is so often mistakenly seen as 2 strands.

MORE people look at the entire range of issues facing teachers - salary, preps, class size, general working conditions, testing, race, teacher hiring practices, student welfare, parent interests, principal abuse, teacher workloads, common core, rating teachers based on test scores, ATRs as a creation of ed deform, etc. as interconnected.

Two leading bloggers, both ATRs and strong advocates of teacher rights - also strong advocates of the trade union side of things, recently posted opt-out pieces.
Chaz makes this important point:  75% of the parents "opted out" their child because of the teacher tie-in.

There is social justice meeting trade union head on.

James ties the relative weakness of the opt-out issue here in NYC to the lack of UFT support:
Opt-out supporters will not have an easy time meeting a goal I saw online of doubling this past spring's total of 220,000 students who refused to take exams. UFT support would certainly be welcomed. Opt-out is weaker in so called progressive NYC compared to much of the rest of the state.
New York City has now become in many ways the standard bearer for almost a kind of Status-quo unionism. The UFT leadership is enabling the people who are trying to destroy us by still trying to play the appeasement game. Our leadership continues to call only for modifications of the test and punish policies that are killing public education.
Being on the Change the Stakes steering committee I get a lot of info as to currents related to opt out in NYC schools and there is some movement, though the figures will not hit a crescendo for a while. But parents in CTS will be out there agitating and also working with MORE teachers to push opt-out -- which MORE will also do in its UFT election campaign -- as a way to not only protect children from test abuse but teachers too.

There was some chatter this morning about starting borough opt-out groups where we have resources.

I left this comment on the ICE blog:
Opt out is beginning to take root here in NYC. Don't even consider the UFT as a factor - this must be parent driven. MORE people have been involved from the beginning with Change the Stakes - which is where Jia Lee came from to MORE. Running the most prominent teacher leading opt out for UFT president will get the movement noticed beyond the union. We have principals now working with us - some behind the scenes. We started with 4 optouts just 3 years ago in the city -- look at the rate of growth. The DOE will do anything to can to kill the movement but it is something they can't stop because as long as there are these tests opt out will exist. When you look at the total assault on teachers, their unions and public education and the helplessness so many feel, the only thing that has the potential to protect people is the opt out movement.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

MORE's Katie Lapham Takes Her Opt Out Cart to Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Katie,
Beautiful.  Absolutely inspired!  The medium is the message... Fred Smith, Change the Stakes
I love the individual and small group actions people in MORE are taking to build local communities of resistance. Former MORE steering committee member Katie Lapham is on the case. She and her daughter Nora attended the MORE summer series Chapter Leader training workshop. Nora may run for chapter leader - in 2035.
Follow the adventures of @OptOutCart on Twitter. I visit different NYC neighborhoods to share #OptOutNYC info with parents. I want kids to have the freedom to choose their own adventures so I also offer free books to NYC students. On Saturday, I went to a back-to-school event in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Let me know if you hear of other similar events that might interest me. I also welcome book donations... Katie Lapham






Thursday, July 23, 2015

Today - MORE Summer Series: How To Build an Opt‐Out Movement in Your School

While the UFT fights the opt-out movement, MORE works to help build it in partnership with parents.

For those of you not paying attention -- opt out is a defense of teachers under the gun of the testing movement which is designed to undermine our public schools and profession. See the reports of teachers being forced to reapply for their jobs at renewal schools and face deployment into the ATR pool.

Did you know that over 175,000 New York State families opted their students out of high stakes tests this spring?

Come to our discussion about how to build this movement in your school, this Thursday

THURSDAY, July 23rd How To Build an OptOut Movement in Your School
4pm‐7pm
The Dark Horse, 17 Murray St. NYC, Near City Hall, Chambers St, WTC
Drink specials: $4 drafts, $6 well drinks & $7 wine

High Stakes Testing and the Teacher Evaluation System are suffocating public education. As Diane Ravitch states ‐ the only way to save our schools is to starve the data beast. That is the mission of the opt out movement. Find out how teachers around the state are working together with parents to organize against high stakes testing and fight for the schools our students deserve!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Skinny Awards, June 9: Support Leonie's Work and the Leaders of Opt Out - and go to a great party too

If there is one event you should support, this is it. I've been to every single
Skinny (Not Broad) award dinner. I intend to be there to celebrate with my colleagues in Change the Stakes and NYC Opt Out and our allies in NYSAPE. And a freak'n 4 course dinner too.

Class Size Matters 7th Annual “Skinny” Award Dinner

Leonie Haimson and Diane Ravitch,

Patrick Sullivan and Monica Major

Emily Horowitz, and Cynthia Wachtell

invite you to

Class Size Matters 7th Annual “Skinny” Awards Dinner

When: Tuesday, June 9 at 6:30 PM
Where: Il Bastardo/Bocca Di Bacco
191 7th Ave (21st St)
New York, NY 10011

A fundraiser for Class Size Matters

This year we are honoring the NY leaders of the Opt-Out movement:

Change the Stakes

NYC Opt Out

New York State Allies for Public Education

Please join us for an opportunity to enjoy a four course dinner to celebrate three organizations that led a historic movement resulting in 200,000 students refusing to take the NY state tests this year.

Ticket Information:

$250 – Defender of Public Education

$150 – Patron

$75 – Supporter

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you there!

If you can’t attend, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Class Size Matters, to help support our work

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Norm in The Wave: Opt Out and Politicians as Cuomo Declares “scores are ‘meaningless’ in terms of students' grades”


Published Friday, May 1, 2015 at www.rockawave.com


Opt Out and Politicians as Cuomo Declares “scores are ‘meaningless’ in terms of students' grades”

By Norm Scott

Times Union columnist Fred LeBrun wrote: “Thanks to Cuomo's thuggish war on teachers and his scant regard for the considerable collateral damage it's causing public education in this state, New York has become a national leader in the opt-out movement. Parents across the state have held their children out of third- through eighth-grade standardized state tests that are ostensibly designed to show student progress but in reality show not much of anything with reliability amid much anguish and anxiety. Except that they can be used to rank, rate and fire teachers, which is what the governor is really after.” http://bit.ly/1DOB7HY

I read all the local Rockaway papers and websites and notice our local politicians often write regular articles. I also notice that they barely, if ever, mention issues related to education – one of the hottest items on the national and local agenda. What are they afraid of? Being held accountable for the positions they take and the votes they cast, unlike the accountability they all seem to want teachers to be held to? Next time you run into a local pol, ask them where they stand on opt out and whether they will support bills in Albany backing parent choice to opt out? (One local pol told me he was in favor of “choice” when it came to charter schools. Does he support “choice” on all the other issues?)

The opt out of the tests movement has been receiving national attention as parents on the left and right are in revolt. Common core has been dragged down with the tests. The right doesn’t like federal interference in local control of education – especially in some states that want to keep teaching that the earth is flat. Until recently, the left, worried about education in Mississippi, was for federal intervention, which used to be benign. But seeing the malignant impact on schools of policies that go back to the Clinton/Bush/Obama administrations, the left has turned. My attitude is “screw Mississippi, I have to deal with New York.”

The other day I was at a party and some guy, who used to teach physics, asked me what was wrong with the common core and standards since they seemed reasonable to him. Oh, let me count the ways – from inappropriate content for younger children, and especially children who are learning disabled, to an enormous overload in testing and test prep time, to the use to rate teachers based on faulty mathematical algorisms. Since he was a long-time teacher, I asked him if he taught any differently before common core? Were the pre-common core NY State standards, which were amongst the strongest in the nation, somehow deficient that we needed Bill Gates to come in and fix them? He ended up agreeing with me. I post loads of great – and often funny – opt out videos, including this Bald Piano Man parody: https://youtu.be/D066lb9fbQA.

The response from the ed deform community at all levels – government, DOE, press, astroturf orgs, and even the UFT – has been a vicious assault on the 200,000 (and growing) opt outers, including threats of withholding funding from schools with high opt out numbers. (By the way, even with 4000 opt outers here in the city, there are few reports of parents opting out in Rockaway or in District 27 – wait till next year.) Deformers have been trying to kill the movement through divide and conquer. Offers to exempt the “good” schools, delay teacher evaluation (causing a split between Regent Head Meryl Tisch and Cuomo, whose major goal has been to slam the teachers. The enormous donations to him have come from the anti-teacher coalitions who don’t give a fig about the kids.

Cuomo, in this Capital Education report, exposed his true aims:
“Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday said parents who have chosen to have their children ‘opt out’ of taking this month’s state exams don’t understand that the scores are ‘meaningless’ in terms of students' grades. ‘That’s their option,’ Cuomo, referring to parents who have participated in the unprecedented boycott of state exams, told reporters after an Association for a Better New York breakfast in Manhattan. ‘What I don’t think has been adequately communicated is, we passed a law that stops the use of the grades on the test for the student. So the grades are meaningless to the student.’” http://capi.tl/1JChI1q

There you go, ed deform in a nutshell: It’s not really about the kids. Let’s put them through months of misery so we can fire teachers more easily. Really, folks, wouldn’t it be cheaper to just offer tenured teachers a buyout and stop all this nonsense?

See Norm blog about how he solved a common core 8th grade math example: Where I Check the Condition of My Cognition by Doing some Algebra. http://tinyurl.com/of7v6j8. And he even shows his work.



Sunday, April 26, 2015

Blood and Guts Basic Organizing Grows Opt Out Movement - in Chicago

On Friday Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice had a 4-person team go  out to  the Murphy Elementary School at dismissal time. ... Report from secondcityteachers        
There is an interesting concept in this report from Jim Vail in Chicago on the opt out movement. Plant people in front of schools and hand out leaflets with opt out info to parents picking up kids and to the older kids to take home. If groups like AQE and other community groups were free to do that -- and I mean free from being under the influence of people - like the UFT - funding them, we might see true organizing efforts at the school - grassroots - level. But it is more "showy" to hold a rally somewhere or issue proclamations of semi-support for opt out.

Where are the equivalents of Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice here in NYC? The only group I know is Change the Stakes which is on such overload with such few resources - literally no money to even produce leaflets - or personnel to be out in front of schools. I believe the people in MORE could be doing more too - like try to get over to a nearby school to make contact, something that just hasn't been happening.

Note the reactions of school administrators to people leafleting outside their schools and the reaction to not having people listen to them when told to stop.

Opt Out Still an Option!http://secondcityteachers.blogspot.com/2015/04/opt-out.html

OPT OUT STILL AN OPTION!
By Neal Resnikoff
Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice

Another very good experience taking the opt-out message to another school.
 
On Friday Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice had a 4-person team go  out to  the Murphy Elementary School at dismissal time.        
Many parents were very interested in learning about the issue.
Others already knew about the issue and had opted their children out of the Common Core PARCC tests in March, one estimating that about 10 students had opted out. One parent reported that there had been lively discussion in the Local School Council on the issue of the PARCC tests.
We also talked to a few teachers, most of whom opposed the tests and thanked us for distributing leaflets. One teacher tried to convince us that the tests are good for students. But she was willing to have a good exchange with one of the team members.
Students were very excited to learn they could opt of the PARCC tests.We told them that they had the right to refuse to take a harmful test, and that no one had the right to punish them for it. 

Many came over to get our leaflets after they saw their friends had them. They then gathered in groups of 10 or more to have discussion about the issues. They got especially enthused when we told them about the thousands of students across the country who are refusing to take the PARCC and other Common Core tests.  Students told us that they thought the PARCC tests that they took in March were a waste of time, and that they did not think they were fair or even clear.                 
This principal--like other authorities  we have been meeting was very upset. She said we were preventing students from heading home--about 50 were still hanging around when she came out. She and the assistant principal said we should not be handing out leaflets to students, only to parents. Though they were frantic and the principal even took a flyer out of a student's hands, they did not threaten to call the police the way the administration of North River Elementary did on Thursday
        
All of these administrators seem amazed that we would go right ahead--- after they told us--in effect-- to stop exercising the right of free speech, assembly and the press.                 
 
We are enjoying these opt-out experiences--feeling that whether or not we get more students to refuse to take the PARCC tests, we are getting some students and parents to think about the idea that they have rights and can exercise them despite what "authorities" tell them.

We are planning to distribute at two other schools at dismissal time and. If you would like to join with us, please let us know. It is very useful work. --Neal  
----

Hi,

 A 4-person team from Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice had a good time distributing leaflets in English and Spanish against the Common Core PARCC tests  today at the small North River Elementary school.
 
Students were exceptionally receptive to hearing about how they can opt of the new upcoming round of the PARCC tests. Some did not know that more PARCC tests are coming. But many stopped to share their view that the tests they did take in March were unfair and too hard, and that they didn't see any point in taking them and didn't like it. And many came over to get copies of our leaflets and to discuss opting out with us and groups of classmates. Some who had already passed by without getting our flyer came back to ask for one when they heard about it from their friends.
 
Parents were also interested in getting the leaflets, and one said she opted her special needs child out of the testing.
 
One teacher said that about half of the students in grades 6,7,8 had opted out, about 30 in this small school.
 
Administrators were very upset with what we were doing. A vice principal and another administrator and a security guard sent by the principal separately told us  that we could distribute to parents, but that we could not ”solicit to minors” (their words), that this was against Board policy. They were a little late in threatening that if we continued to do this  they would call the police—because almost all the parents and students were gone by then. We pointed out that the school administrators solicit children every day, such as by telling them to take the PARCC tests, and we have every right, including the legal right, to urge the students not to take the tests. --Neal

Friday, April 24, 2015

Principal to Arne Duncan: It's not the teachers unions - ITS YOUR POLICIES - THAT'S WHY WE OPT OUT!!! - and besides - you're a fraud and DFER tool

Dorie Nolt kisses off opt out parents as union influenced
We heard from Rahm Emmanuel all about how bad Chicago schools are - well who was in charge for all those years?? ARNE DUNCAN!  
This came in over the transom to ed notes HQ from a school leader:
I  called Dorie Nolt (dorie.nolt@ed.gov)  the spokeswoman for US Sec. of MIS-Education in DC who was quoted in a Gotham (Chalkbeat) Schools piece  as saying something like "THE PARENTS WHO OPTED OUT IN NY WERE put up to it by the teachers unions"....

I told her that Arne Duncan, her boss, is a fraud and has no record of demonstrated classroom experience.

He is a corporate/DFER tool. 

As she did not like or agree with my assessment of her boss as "a shill with no license nor qualifications " and tried to cut me off repeatedly after I read her her own comments , she just kept thanking me for my service as an educator and a parent... email to ed notes
I told her that 61% of my home district opted out and I doubt she interviewed each and every one of the parents there...we are not all teachers nor beholden to their unions.

I encourage EVERY PARENT WHO SHARES MY OUTRAGE to CALL Dorie Nolt at 202 453-6544... DEMAND AN APOLOGY!!!

Tell her WE KNOW OUR CHILDREN not her and Obama and Duncan his new deputy John King, Cuomo and Tisch.. LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE!!!

Its not the teachers unions- ITS YOUR POLICIES- THAT'S WHY WE OPT OUT!!!

Stick it up your ___ not mine! 
I also called multiple State Senators today to support Sen. Terrance Murphy's "Common Core Parental Refusal Act", which would protect students, teachers, principals, schools and districts from any retaliation or negative consequences from parents exercising their right to opt out.
I called State Sen. John Flanagan about this. I told him that despite proof that annual screening can help us avoid prostate cancer, it was his choice to go and get an annual digital rectal exam. Should other men decide not to - that was their legitimate choice and despite any possible negative consequences down the road - he can stick it up his _____ but has no right sticking it up anyone else's.

Like Charelton Heston yelled in planet of the Apes... This is a   MADHOUSE!!!!!   A MAAAAAAAADHHHOOOUUUSSSEEE!!!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Attributing the Opt Out Movement to Union Influence is Just Plain Bad Reporting -- ahem, NY Times

They're (NYT) a disgrace to journalism. Assuming most of the 200,000+ kids opting out have two adults in their household, we are talking about perhaps half a million public school parents, who by definition are not sitting around with time on their hands randomly wondering what trendy cause to get involved in, who are rising up in civil disobedience against the state's education policies -- and the Times yawns... Jeff Nichols, parent activist, Change the Stakes

Ho hum ….NY Times story http://nyti.ms/1JnXatn  buries the lead and finally gets to NYS opt out numbers in paragraph 19. Doesn’t interview a single parent. And doesn’t even really explore the rift between NYSUT and the UFT which is perhaps the only interesting angle to the story. ... Leonie Haimson

I was surprised–and disappointed–by the front page story in The New York Times on Tuesday, April 21, which reports that opting out is union-led and union-driven.  That was not the case in New Jersey, where the union got involved only late in the game.  The national effort led by Peggy Robertson says it has received no support from either teacher union. The Times’ story cites analysts but no parents.... John Merrow


This article completely misrepresents the reality. The "opt-out movement" in Nee York State has been parent-led, with ever-increasing involvement by teachers and only very recently some union participation. It is not now and never had been about unions "encouraging parents to opt out." This article could only have been written by someone who has been paying no attention at all or who has done kind of pro-"reform" agenda. It leaves the uninformed reader with the impression that self-promoting unions don't care about "accountability" measures designed to protect the poor. Hundreds of thousands of parents in revolt, leading this movement, and this is what the Times has to say? Unbelievable.... Jeff Nichols

The New York Times Misses the Story: Opt Out Came from Parents, Not Unions....  Diane Ravitch

I emailed with one of the reporters before the story was written and gave her the names of some of the parent leaders of the Opt Out movement, some of whom have spent three years organizing parents in their communities. Jeanette Deutermann, for example, is a parent who created Long Island Opt Out. I gave her the names of the parent leaders in Westchester County, Ulster County, and Dutchess County. I don’t know if any of them got a phone call, but the story is clearly about the union leading the Opt Out movement, with nary a mention of parents. The parents who created and led the movement were overlooked. They were invisible. In fact, this story is the only time that the Times deigned to mention the mass and historic test refusal that cut across the state. So according to the newspaper of record, this was a labor dispute, nothing more. Not surprising that this is the view of Merryl Tisch, Chancellor of the Board of Regents, and of everyone else who opposes opting out.
Let's call them out. The bad reporting was done by Kate Taylor and Motoko Rich -- why talk about quality teaching when we can't get quality reporting? Or is it bad NY Times pro ed deform ideology operating here?
There's a segment of the mainstream media that is framing the opt out movement as something spurred by the teacher's union, and as such, claiming that it is due to the fact that we want nothing of a fair evaluation. We need to work on our counter frame, since our leadership will not do it... Newsday will go down in history as being on the wrong side of history. It's no coincidence that articles are incorrectly framing the opt out movement within the teacher's union. The tests are NOT valid. I think he needs a few responses.
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/lane-filler/where-the-opt-out-argument-goes-wrong-1.10310189

Jia Lee, MORE
The bad reporting here is by Lane Filler. His Newsday piece has this little stupid nugget:
NYSUT has 600,000 members. How many of the kids who opted out are the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of those members? How many more are related to the 300,000 Civil Service Employees Association members in New York, or the other public union members (cops, firefighters, postal workers, etc.) who might support NYSUT out of solidarity? So how many of the families whose kids opted out actually had no dog in this fight?
 Jeez. I emailed Lane - feel free to do so too: lane.filler@newsday.com
The largest component of NYSUT is the UFT with 1/3 of the members and the UFT has stood firm in support of common core, testing, rating teachers based on testing and opposing opt out. Just ask Mulgrew.
I have been part of genuine grassroots opt out parent and teacher movements for over 3 years. We are opponents of the people running our union. To claim the opt out movement is union inspired is just plain bad reporting. Karen Magee came so late to the game. The Long Island opt out movement was going strong before Magee uttered a word and her words only seem to resonate with the anti-union press. Parents do not listen to NYSUT. In fact the strongest small local component of NYSUT that favors opt out is the wing that opposed Magee's election as NYSUT president last year. It is pointless to talk about the union at the state of local level when you really know so little about what is going on.

Better coverage is here, on NY1 by the always reliable Lindsay Christ, a former teacher by the way.http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2015/04/21/leaders-of--opt-out--movement-celebrate-as-sentiment-against-high-stakes-testing-grows.html

If you watched the NY1 video, note parent Charmaine Dixon, a PTA president who invited Change the Stakes to address a meeting and I was one of the reps who spoke - and really enjoyed doing it. I owe Charmaine a NYC Opt Out tee shirt.

UPDATE: Also see WPIX TV report: http://pix11.com/2015/04/22/next-up-math-new-york-students-face-2nd-round-of-common-core-testing/

John Merrow chipped in today on the opt out story - he has come a long way since his NY Times op ed years ago attacking the shit out of teachers and their unions.
As we reported on the NewsHour last month, it’s a ‘perfect storm’ that has brought together the left and the right, generally with very different motives but with a common purpose: slow down or stop the testing machine. Sweeping generalization: Most on the right want to get rid of the Common Core State Standards and anything that smacks of federal control; most on the left believe schools test too much, and this is their moment to draw a line in the sand. As one CCSS testing opponent said, “We are not anti-testing; we are against these tests.”
John has a good blog post today:
Dear Friends and other readers,
Who’s behind the opt out movement?  The New York Times says it’s the teacher unions; my eyes and ears suggest otherwise. But, more to the point, something is happening out there, and it’s an opportunity to rethink the path we are on.  The central question: Just what aspect of education do we most care about holding accountable: students, teachers or schools?  Of course they’re connected, but we have to choose the one that matters most.  The feds and many others in the US focus on using student scores to evaluate teachers.  Other countries assess students in order to assess students!  But what would happen if we focused on holding schools accountable? Is there a pathway to ’Trust but Verify’ in education? I hope you will take a look at this short piece. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/1ID1K71
Thanks, and best wishes,
John

John Merrow
President,
Learning Matters, Inc.
212.725.7000 x104

My blog:
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/

The Influence of Teachers:
http://amzn.to/qLS7JT