Ed Notes Online: The Opt Out movement is a bomb set off at ground zero of ed deform

Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Opt Out movement is a bomb set off at ground zero of ed deform

Opt out nukes ed deform

Teacher led fight backs against ed deform have generally been a dud and parents have never been organized enough to make a major impact. But common core and high stakes testing has galvanized resistance from both the left and the right. Despite the billions in astroturfed money going to spread ed deform, we are seeing a growing counter-reaction.

And we also are seeing the stages of a major reaction against charters - the more they push down people's throats the more scandals. Eva who pushes choice doesn't give her parents a choice to opt out.

Even PBS reported on the opt out movement - yesterday at the NYCORE conference I challenged some Chalkbeat people to cover that movement in a serious, in depth manner.

I'm going to follow up with my report of my meeting with a PTA in a Title I school but for now let me repost a Ravitch blog that had the Fair Test report:

FairTest: Test Resistance Goes Viral

The Opt Out movement is spreading like wildfire. It is led by parents, not unions, though some union locals have voted to honor the wishes of parents. Parents understand that the tests are designed to fail most children. They understand that test prep and testing are stealing time from instruction. They aren’t commanded by anyone. They are listening to their children

This message was written by Bob Schaeffer of FairTest:
Normally, FairTest sends out these news clips summaries once a week, early each Tuesday afternoon. With school standardized exam season now in full gear, however, the flow of stories about testing resistance and reform actions is accelerating rapidly. This special edition — with updates from more than half the 50 states over just three days — reports on the first, too-modest steps by policy makers across the U.S. to respond to the growing grassroots pressure for assessment reform.

As more students opt out, parents demonstrate, school board members pass resolutions and polls show strong public opposition to test misuse and overuse, we are confident that there will be many more updates by next Tuesday and in the coming weeks.

Remember that back-issues of “Testing Resistance & Reform News” are archived at: http://fairtest.org/news/other
National Revolt Against High-Stakes Testing is Growing: So Is Its Impact
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/19/revolt-against-high-stakes-standardized-testing-growing-and-so-does-its-impact/
Arizona School Test Cheating Investigated
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2015/03/arizona_middle_school_fudging_test_scores_investigation_reveals.php
California Tests Graded by Non-Educators
http://www.kcra.com/news/whos-grading-your-kids-assessment-test-in-california/31857614
Colorado Educators Blast Weak Education Reform Bill
http://northdenvernews.com/hickenlooper-johnston-testing-bill-blasted/
Colorado Schools Need Less Testing, More Teaching
http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2015/mar/17/our-view-less-testing-more-teaching/
Connecticut Superintendents Say Students Can Opt Out of Tests, No “Sit and Stare”
http://jonathanpelto.com/2015/03/17/victory-in-ct-parents-can-opt-students-out-of-sbac-tests-students-will-be-provided-alternative-location/
Florida Teacher Urges Parents to Stand Up Against New State Exams
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/clay-county-teacher-speaks-out-against-fsa/nkXyx/#__federated=1
Florida House Unanimously Endorses Small Reduction in Testing Overkill
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150318/ARTICLES/150319542/-1/guardian
Georgia Parents Launch Opt-Out Drive
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/parents-refuse-let-children-take-standardized-test/nkZLr/
Illinois Students Opt Out of PARCC Tests
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/arlington-heights/news/ct-parcc-test-walkout-rolling-meadows-hersey-tl-20150317-story.html
Indiana State School Board Member Offers Ideas to Cut Testing Time
http://indianapublicmedia.org/stateimpact/2015/03/18/state-board-education-releases-resolution-cut-testing-time-students/
Louisiana Opt Outs Top 4,000
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/louisiana-news/new-orleans-news/item/843908-louisiana-common-core-test-opt-outs-top-4100-still-1-of-total
Maryland State Senate Votes Unanimous Approval of Test Review Commission
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2015/19199.shtml
Massachusetts Schools Deal with PARCC, Pearson and Pushback
http://www.progressive.org/news/2015/03/188048/p-parcc-pearson-and-pushback
Teachers Say PARCC Is Failing Students and Schools
http://patch.com/massachusetts/framingham/letter-editor-parcc-failing-teachers-and-students-0
Michigan Testing Politics Adds Stress for Students and Teachers
http://hechingerreport.org/common-core-means-three-tests-in-three-years-for-michigan-kids/
Minnesota Assessment Reform Depends in Part on Federal Law Changes
http://www.dglobe.com/news/3701236-school-testing-changes-tough-sell
Minnesota Students Face Too Much Testing
http://www.southernminn.com/owatonna_peoples_press/opinion/article_a5dde418-912b-5f52-8353-3534c3a77c6d.html
Mississippi Ends Graduation Testing Requirement
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/03/20/miss-ends-testing-requirement-diploma/25082065/
Mississippi Parents, Students Protest PARCC Tests
http://www.wjtv.com/story/28563545/parents-protest-parcc-test-in-rankin-county
New Hampshire Students Administered Wrong Smarter Balanced Assessment
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150318/NEWS04/150319083
New Jersey Furor Over Test Privacy
http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-furor-over-n-j-tests-as-student-privacy-concerns-raised-1.1290700
Concern Mounting About Pearson’s Role in Education
http://www.phillyvoice.com/concerns-rising-over-pearson/
New Mexico Educators Block Test-Based Teacher Evaluation Bill
http://www.daily-times.com/four_corners-news/ci_27732207/new-mexico-dems-flunk-bill-put-student-test
New Mexico Teachers Not Allowed to “Disparage” Standardized Tests
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/03/nm-defending-test.html
New York Is Testing Public Education to Death
http://www.blackagendareport.com/node/14720
New York Must Clear Up Mystery of Missing Test Items
http://citylimits.org/2015/03/16/ny-state-must-clear-up-mystery-of-missing-test-items/
Ohio High School Students Opt Out of New Tests
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/03/some_high_school_students_opt_out_of_new_tests_on_americas_founding_fathers_and_documents.html
Ohio School District Blasts PARCC Exam
http://www.xeniagazette.com/news/home_top/152309446/Xenia-not-thrilled-with-PARCC
Oregon Schools Begin Testing Under Protests; More Families Opt Out
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/253902-123219-testing-testing-under-protest-pps-assesses-students-some-parents-opt-out
Scores From New Oregon Test Will Not Be Used on School Report Cards
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/254361-124343-bill-new-test-wont-count-on-school-report-cards-teacher-evaluations
Pennsylvania’s PARCC Tests Benefit Pearson, Not Pupils
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/03/letter_standardized_parcc_exam.html
Rhode Island Parents Mobilizing Against New Standardized Test
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150314/News/150319530
Tennessee Voters Overwhelmingly Oppose School Closings Based on Test Scores
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/poll-tennessee-voters-overwhelmingly-agree-public-schools-should-not-be-closed-based-solely-on-state-tests-300052573.html
Texas State Senate Overwhelmingly Endorses Bill Easing Graduation Testing Requirement
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texas-senate-oks-bill-easing-testing-ultimatum-for/nkYRm/
Utah’s New Civics Test Will Waste Student Learning Time
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2302893-155/letter-new-civics-test-will-waste
Wisconsin Senate Endorses Suspension of School Consequences From Test Scores
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/education/2015/03/17/state-senate-endorses-school-test-score-delay/24909695/
No Child Left Behind Fails to Work “Miracles” — Spurs Cheating
http://theconversation.com/no-child-left-behind-fails-to-work-miracles-spurs-cheating-38620
Ditch the Test and Punish Model: AFT President
http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/does-no-child-left-behinds-testing-regime-work/ditch-the-test-and-punish-model
What if “Education Reform” Movement Got It All Wrong?
http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/what-if-education-reform-got-it-all-wrong-in-the-first-place
More Testing Promoted as the “Rational Solution” for Schools: That’s the Problem
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2015/03/19/more-testing-is-the-rational-solution-for-schools-thats-the-problem/
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org

Categories Opt Out, Resistance, Testing

2 comments:

reality-based educator said...: Gotham Schools will not cover opt out or any other part of the ed deform pushback fairly or honestly because it will make their funders sad and the last thing they want to do is make their funders sad. Then they might have to, you know, work for a living, pay market rate for their offices, etc.; Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 9:02:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...: Amen to that comment. I commend Chalkbeat for listing their donors on their website. But, I think only teachers read the donors and understand what kind of bias it implies.; Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 2:25:00 PM EDT

"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/cory-booker-clear-and-present-threat-public-education

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

This chapter looks interesting:

Class struggles: The UFT story, part 3

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Of course for another view, check out the review at New Politics of the Kahlenberg Bio on Shanker by Vera Pavone and me: Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:
http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/
I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You can sign up for this free series at :
http://act.bcfed.ca/online-campaigning-for-union-activists/

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

Ex-HSA Teacher has left a new comment on your post "Fear and Loathing at Evil's Harlem Success Empire ...":

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy Tyson
Professor of African American Studies and History
Duke University

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.
- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Full article with charts here.

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

More at Substance

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.
Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/12/on-growing-use-of-corporate-test.html

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

The US Is Facing a Weimar Moment

Published on Sunday, March 15, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

SEE MY VIDEO ON HARLEM SUCCESS RALLY 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Ed Notes Extended

Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Opt Out movement is a bomb set off at ground zero of ed deform

2 comments: