IS YOUR CHILD’S PROMOTION IN DOUBT? Find out what you can do about it

Change the Stakes Provides NYC Parents With Resources on Convoluted DOE Promotion Policy.

SO AMAZING!!!! Thank you! Thank you! --- NYC parent (and teacher)

As letters of horror rolled in from parents about threats to hold their kids back if they don't go to summer school, the CTS crew took on the immense task of collating lots of invaluable info.

It takes a village and Change the Stakes is a VILLAGE.

I always say that given where CTS started less than two years ago, and the fact that the people running it today mostly came on board later on (I play almost no role other than cheer-leading) seeing their output and the spirit with which this now almost all parent group works is one of the most gratifying aspects of activism. It makes this old guy kvell.

Please share this info with your students' parents.

Here is the email from Janine Sopp (who claims she has become this amazing parent activist after being inspired by our film.)

The CtS Student Promotion committee (Andrea, Jane, Diana, Nancy, Deborah, Igor, Lisa Shaw, and Jia) did an amazing job of creating new materials and assembling links to answer many of the questions and concerns you may have about your child's promotion.  It is all posted on our website in two different ways.  The first is on the homepage and a featured post, the second is in a stationary position under opt out/portfolio assessment.

We hope you find this helpful and encourage you to share this information with other parents, teachers and administrators.  Thanks for your patience and for the hard work the committee did on this!

http://changethestakes.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/questions-about-student-promotion-decisions-this-year-change-the-stakes-resources-and-additional-links-right-here/

http://changethestakes.wordpress.com/national-opt-out-movement/opt-into-portfolios/promotion-in-doubt-what-parents-need-to-know/

June 14 Mayoral Forum, June 15-16 booth at Clearwater Festival

Additional news:

     June 14, 6-8 PM at Murray Bergtraum HS 7 candidates for mayor will respond to questions from 15 parents representing a range of education groups and unions.  See attached flier

June 15-16 Michael Shaw, David Greene, and Rosalie Friend will host a Save Our Schools booth in the activists area of the Clearwater Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park on the Hudson River.  The Clearwater is a replica of the wooden sloops that carried freight up and down the Hudson River.  It was created by Pete Seeger and others to focus efforts to clean up the Hudson River and enhance the environmental health of the Hudson River Valley.  The festival is a huge gathering - 20,000 people, 7 stages of music, dance and story-telling, plus crafts, activists, and a children's area.  If you attend the festival, be sure to come to our booth.
The Save Our Schools booth will ask people to respond to the question of the Campaign for Artful Resistance, "What is it you love about school that you have lost because of high stakes testing, school closings, budget cuts, curriculum losses, teacher firings, and other educational catastrophes?" by creating a tweet of 140 characters or drawing a picture.  Tweets and pictures will be photographed and posted in the on line Gallery of the Campaign for Artful Resistance.  At noon Saturday, Terry Moore will play the guitar and sing original songs like "Testing Sells, Testing Smells"  and "There are teachers I'll remember  all my li--ife though schools has changed."   We will also have fliers to distribute about the missions of Save Our Schools and Change the Stakes, and we hope to engage others in our effort.