Opt-Out Driving Ed Deformers and Their Press Lackeys into a Frenzy

Oh, poor boobies. They pretty much had us by the flotsam and jetson as they and their allies - and yes Virginia, the UFT/AFT/NYSUT complex is an ally of high stakes data-driven testing - piled on. And then came opt-out to deny them the data.

A quick Monday Morning update before we continue:
Press lackey Chalkdust features the Post and Daily News daily diatribes against opt-out while ignoring the massive anti-opt commentary below - but the have abandoned blog coverage to focus on the ed deform mainstream press.

'why not opt out of midterms too?'

Editorial: Continued support for the opt-out movement is baffling, since the stakes are now so low. New York Daily News
Columnist Naomi Schaefer Riley: Helicopter parents worried about over-testing are simply worried their kids might fail, after years of trying to do everything to ensure they succeed. New York Post

To continue:

The great blogging crew is out there creating balanced coverage. Culled from our sidebar links, including 3 MOREs - Patrick Walsh, Katie Lapham and James Eterno.

I know it’s the Post and, as such, a low bar but still I believe such a public display of outright incoherence is a small but good sign that we are winning.... Patrick Walsh, Raging Horse,

New York Post Conjures Up New Common Core Villain: Driven, Snobbish Yet Cowardly Parents

Katie Lapham: I detail why the 2016 ELA tests were so bad. The 2016 ELA tests were developmentally inappropriate, confusing and tricky.  Despite the New York State Education Department (NYSED)’s “adjustments” to the 2016 assessments, there was no improvement to the quality of the tests.
https://criticalclassrooms.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-pearson-tests/..

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  deutsch29 - Mercedes Schneider

  James Kirylo: Why My Son Will Opt Out– Again - The following is a guest post by Dr. James Kirylo, professor of teaching and learning at Southeastern Louisiana University. Kirylo’s research interests inc...
  
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  Schools Matter

  Half of Long Island Students Opted Out of Testing Last Week - from the Wall Street Journal: The number of students who opted out of state tests in Long Island rose to more than 97,500 this week, according to tallies b...
  
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  With A Brooklyn Accent

  Reflections of a Third Grade Rebel on Opting Out and Justice - FROM A THIRD GRADE REBEL (NOTE: this was the title of her story) My family and I decided that for the NYS ELA 3rd grade test I would opt out. Instead of si...
  

  

  Daniel Katz, Ph.D.

  NYC Hasn’t Gotten the Opt Out Memo - Let’s begin with one simple premise: nobody at the New York State Education Department wants to see Opt Out continue to be a significant factor in the Empi... 
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  NYC Public School Parents

  So was the testing experience for kids so much better this year? The answer must be no. - Clearly there were many problems with this year's NY state ELA exams. My three blog posts have received about 150 comments so far, and over 40,000 page vi...
  

  

  ICEUFT Blog

  UNITY CAUCUS/UFT IS BASICALLY ALL THAT STANDS IN THE WAY OF AN ALL OUT PARENT-TEACHER ASSAULT ON COMMON CORE TESTING - The defenders of the "testocracy" within the UFT-NYSUT-AFT went the amendment route to get their way at the NYSUT Representative Assembly this weekend.... 

The latter post from James Eterno nails the union leadership not backing the opt-out movement. When someone mentioned they were afraid for MORE's Lauren Cohen, Jia Lee and Kristen Taylor for standing up to Farina's gag order since the UFT will not stand with them. But the parents will - and thus we have the situation where the union would basically abandon them but their major job protection would come from parents and community forces.

But that is an essence of social justice/movement unionism -- fundamental job protection through alliances built.