Susan Ohanian Goodies and Monty Neill Testing Fact Sheet

I can't resist posting these. So much good stuff I don't have time to read them all but they are all enticing. I need to extract the Rich Gibson NEA report and post separately given I posted EIA's very different angle a few days ago ( and got a nice note from Mike Antonucci).

Give the often hopelessness of The Situation, it is mighty tempting to join Susan in raising yaks. Or camels. All one has to do is ask, "One hump or two?"

UPDATE: I wanted to include something Monty Neill sent out:

FairTest has revised and updated two of its most popular fact sheets (all FT fact sheets are at http://fairtest.org/fact%20sheets).

How Standardized Testing Damages Education - at http://fairtest.org/how-standardized-testing-damages-education-pdf

What's Wrong with Standardized Tests? - http://fairtest.org/facts/whatwron.htm

We hope you find these and our other fact sheets of use in your advocacy and education week. They may be freely circulated, printed, etc., so long as proper credit is given and the use is not for profit.

Monty

Susan Ohanian writes

Compiling and writing the items in this post drives  me a whole lot closer to leaving the computer and taking up gardening or raising yaks. This is Vermont. There's a yurt a mile from my house. Also two wineries within three miles. Somebody has a camel 6 miles from here. I don't know why. I just mention these in realization that life COULD have possibilities other than obsession with Common Core resistance.

Not wanting to sound overly dramatic, I have to say these items have just drained my soul.

Cartoons: go to
http://susanohanian.org/cartoons.php
and you can see three on the screen. One is good news from Georgia.

You probably need to read the posts below on Georgia activities--two cartoons and two articles-- to understand why I posted the New Yorker cartoon.

More Cartoons: Georgia Data Source for Evaluating Teachers
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=796

NEA Rep Assembly Delegates Given SHARK Bags
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=795

Toddler Test Prep
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=792

Common Core Enforcement Tool Coming to a School Near You
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=668

Kudos to the Georgia professors. Kudos to the Georgia parents.

And there is a Good News item that will warm your heart. Kudos to 9-year-olds.

Susan

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New York State Reading  Association Celebrates Common Core
Susan Ohanian
notes on conference program
2012-07-12
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=298

The Common Core State (sic) Standards dominate the NY State Reading Association conference. This mirrors what's happening across the country. Speakers lead audience in drinking Kool-Aid.

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Straight Talk about Common Core
Victor Rivero and Chet Linton, with Susan Ohanian
Tech Digest
2012-07-10
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=297

Let the reader beware. . .

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NEA's Representative Assembly Part Four Mopping Up... The Budget; The Left at and After the RA. Coming: Why are Things as They Are?
Rich Gibson

2012-07-11
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1033

Part 4 of Rich Gibson's analysis of the NEA Rep Assembly.

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School as Wonder, or Way Out
Ta-Nehisi Coates

2012-07-11
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1032

The author, a senior editor at The Atlantic, talks about what happens when a kid internalizes failure. He speaks from first-hand knowledge.

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NEA Convention Report, Day Three... The NEA Representative Assembly Part Three 'We Mis-Educate Our Members and the Nation! No Bullying! Obama! Money=Values!'
Rich Gibson

2012-07-09
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=0

This is the kind of reporting we need: On-the-spot, knowledgeable,and very very skeptical.

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NEA Convention Report. Part Two, more of the same, and worse... If 'Wisconsin' was a victory, how does the NEA spell D E F E A T?... The NEA Representative Assembly Days Two and Three, 2012 Grueling T
Rich Gibson

2012-07-08
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=0

NEA wouldn't even back the student strikes in Canada. Does their refusal to back SOS mean Lily won't be there?

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NEA Convention Report. Part One... The National Education Association Representative Assembly 2012... 'Patriotism! Democracy! It’s About Us! We Teach America! '
Rich Gibson

2012-07-08
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=0

Here is part one of Rich Gibson's report from the NEA Representative Assembly.

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To the editor
Joanne Yatvin
The Oregonian
2012-07-10
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1457

Joanne Yatvin answers David Brooks.

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Georgia Department of Education Says Evaluation Plan Won’t Work But Will Implement it Anyway?
Jack Hassard
blog
2012-07-08
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1366

Georgia's requested modification of the RTTT required teacher evaluation system points to the absurdity of the whole system.

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Got Bullied? Get Disneyland!
Jo Scott-Coe
The Nervous Breakdown
2012-07-09
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1365

In this powerful essay Jo Scott-Coe asks us to look beyond the public outpouring of funds to the the 68-year old bus monitor who was treated so badly by 7th grade boys.

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On Special Education, Spurned Teacher Is Vindicated
Michael Powell
New York Times
2012-07-07
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1364

A teacher told his principal the school was violating state special ed requirements and she booted him. Now state vindicates him.

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9-Year-Old Who Changed School Lunches Silenced By Politicians
Maryn McKenna
Wired
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=773

Read the wonderful story of a 8-year-old girl and the charitable work she inspired.

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Georgia Professors Speak Up--Loudly and Clearly
letter from Georgia academics
GREATER
2012-06-25
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=4249

Georgia professors speak out from their 'ethical, moral, and professional obligation.' This makes academics from 3 states. Will the other 47 remain silent?
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Order the CD of the resistance:
"No Child Left Behind? Bring Back the Joy."
To order online (and hear samples from the songs)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhbdrake4
Other orders: Send $15 to
Susan Ohanian
P. O. Box 26
Charlotte, VT 05445
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