Fred Smith with his annual The Night Before Xmas—2020

Fred Smith has done it again for 2020 with is yearly Xmas specials. 

Here are his previous years, each with a different theme.

• Fred Smith - The Day After Christmas - 2018 Version

• 2017: Fred Smith: Dispirit of the Season
• 2016: Fred Smith's Annual "Night Before Christmas"

• 2015: Fred Smith, Poet Laureate of Opt Out - 'Twas the night before...

• And then there’s Mulgrew who must choose who is winning 

  To claim he was backing them from the beginning. 

• In (2014) Fred Smith gave us this gem.
  Fred Smith: The Day Before Xmas (With Arne Duncan ...
  

I first met Fred, a testing expert who used to work for the NYCBOE, when he contacted me about getting ICE members to assist in gathering data for his exposures of the evils of testing. Over the years, his involvement with groups like GEM and Change the Stakes has grown.

Fred is also a statistician for the NY Jets - don't blame him for their absence from the Super Bowl for almost 50 years.

Fred Smith convincing Jets dancers to boycott field tests - he's the one in the middle

The Night Before Xmas—2020

 

'Twas the night before Christmas and in the Snow House

Sat a duck-assed old fat man with botoxic spouse. 

This may be my last chance to go through the list,           

And give gifts to people who’ve made me real pissed.    

 

Whether I like them or hate, it’s ever the same,                 

They’re bound to go down in my endless blame game:                   

To my faithless AG and once true legal goon,                     

 Yeah, Bill Barr you left me, so come kiss my moon.

 

As to Mitch, the traitor, who upped and caved in,            

Here’s a carton of face masks to cover your chin;            

And for Rudolph, the red-faced, sputt’ring buffoon,                  

What would be more fitting than a golden spittoon;         

 

The prize for Pompeo requires some thinking,                

Backtracking on hacking without even blinking;             

And as for that Birx, as well as for Faucci,                      

A pox on both jerks for making me grouchy;                  

 

And to my dear friends, Pelosi and Schumer,                  

A set of false teeth and an unbenign tumor;                    

Bah, to Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett             

I’ll strip off their robes for not being my parrot;              

 

To NBC cable, O’Donnell and Maddow,                  

Go choke on your words and walk in the shadow;           

Which goes for Jake Tapper and for Wolf Blitzer,           

Two cups of egg nog and a cyanide spritzer;                   

 

The Judiciary Committee and Adam Schiff                     

A one-way train ride heading off of a cliff;                      

As for Masha, Vindman and Fiona Hill,                          

You dared utter the truth; here’s a poisonous pill;           

 

This thing ‘bout the virus and how many have died?                 

Qanon swears that every one of them lied;                      

I now know there are 300,000 folks hidin’;                       

No presents for the “dead” who voted for Biden;             

 

Of course, can’t forget those phony Obamas,                  

Who should be sent packing to some land full of llamas;               

And I have to keep waiting until two weeks hence          

To decide what determines the fate of Mike Pence;

 

But there's a place in my heart for Betsy DeVos;

I'd love to spend a few minutes inside her clothes.

On Ivanka, on Kayleigh, on a Stormy day,

On Kelly or any blond who'll pull my sleigh.

 

Loyalty to me must be undiminished;                             

One step out of line and you know you are finished,                 

‘Cept for Putin, who says I lost the election;                   

For some weird reason I can’t spurn his defection.          

 

But I digress, there are more who’ve sorely peeved me,                 

Who think I’m a fool and those who have grieved me:    

Including all foreign leaders, ‘cause they are foreign,      

Save for Bibi and Britain’s Elizabeth Warren.                 

 

I’ll give them all coal to stuff in their crotches;               

And spoiled milk to SNL which nobody watches.           

And let me see what I have for Stephen Colbert;             

Ah, it’s something set for ticking under his chair.            

 

Forget about pardons and exoneration,                    

Maybe I just need an extended vacation                          

Where I won’t have to pretend to read any book,              

And I’ll have full time for golf and being a crook.

 

Now it’s almost midnight on this Xmas Eve,                   

And it’s time to be taking my overdue leave.                     

But I’ll keep right on tweeting my message of cheer                 

To do more for America in the New Year.                           

 

  -  Fred Smith

 

Fred Smith - The Day After Christmas - 2018 Version Plus Ghosts of Past Fred Xmas Posts

Once more my fellow  Skinny award recipient Fred Smith gives us his yearly treat. Below this year's version are some of his past greatest hits.

The Day After Christmas (2018)

It’s the day after Christmas; I’m sitting here stumped.
How could it happen that all the joy had been trumped?
Even Santa, dear Santa, had taken to bed,
And a platinum imposter had stolen his sled.
It was too late to stay him, this darkest year’s Eve
With a sack full of coal, wearing hate on his sleeve.
He grabbed at the reins on his miserable journey.
In the lead stood Rudolph the red-faced attorney,
Who was followed up close by his stable of does.
It gave us new meaning as he roared Ho, Ho, Hos.
“On Ivana and Marla—never feel bitter.
And don’t dare look back as I play with my twitter.
On Melania and Stormy, keep pulling my sleigh;
Onward Huckabee too, and on Kelly Conway.
And so now let me check to see who’s on my list
Who deserve prizes and who got me really pissed:
There’s nothing I have for folks in states that are blue;
And Puerto Rico gets less for all it’s been through;
Must take care of the red states, for that is my base;
And those bearing arms to protect our supreme race;
(And while it enters my mind during this flight,
I want a new flag that’s one hundred percent White.)
There’s goodies for Bibi, and the Saudi crown prince,
With much love for Kanye, who makes Obama wince;
And hail the electors who ensured my first term;
And anyone out there who made Hillary squirm;
Poison apples to prune-faced Nancy and Schumer;
I wish them each an inoperable tumor.
That goes double for Rachel and for O’Donnell;
But, for now, complete praises for Mitch McConnell.
For Kate McKinnon and the cast of SNL,
Here’s a one-way ticket—You can go straight to hell;
And I must heap scorn on all my hand-chosen elves
Whom I ousted for thinking of only themselves.
For every deserter, a replacement was found
As my cabinet door kept on spinning around.
Of course, I have nothing for immigrant children
Who have infested our land by several million;
Or all diseased terrorists and Muslim invaders;
I’ll squash them to save us from such infiltrators.
The question’s not will I, but rather when shall I
Turn against anyone who thinks I’m his ally.
Bless Betsy beside me, busy fixing each school;
Vouchers, charters and God’s mission supply her fuel.
While the stock markets crash, you know that I’m grinning.
Got plenty of hotels and cash—It’s called winning!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The wine soon wore off. The ride didn’t happen at all.
Should’ve known when his first stop was to visit The Wall
Would have thwarted and put a swift end to his game,
As he screamed and raged looking for someone to blame.
Noёl, no Wall, he became hair-trigger irate;
How can I go on to make America great?
Wound up with a Whopper home alone on silk sheets,
While he spouted off outbursts of unseemly tweets.
Still I’m shaken; I hope this was just a bad dream,
A scary clown Santa trapped in his deranged scheme.

======
2017: Fred Smith: Dispirit of the Season


2016: Fred Smith's Annual "Night Before Christmas"

2015: Fred Smith, Poet Laureate of Opt Out - 'Twas the night before...

And then there’s Mulgrew who must choose who is winning

To claim he was backing them from the beginning. 

I first met Fred, a testing expert who used to work for the NYCBOE, when he contacted me about getting ICE members to assist in gathering data for his exposures of the evils of testing. Over the years, his involvement with groups like GEM and Change the Stakes has grown.

Fred is also a statistician for the NY Jets - don't blame him for their absence from the Super Bowl for almost 50 years.

Fred Smith convincing Jets dancers to boycott field tests - he's the one in the middle

Last year (2014) Fred Smith gave us this gem.
Fred Smith: The Day Before Xmas (With Arne Duncan ...

~Fred Smith

Fred Smith, Poet Laureate of Opt Out - 'Twas the night before...

And then there’s Mulgrew who must choose who is winning

To claim he was backing them from the beginning. 

I first met Fred, a testing expert who used to work for the NYCBOE, when he contacted me about getting ICE members to assist in gathering data for his exposures of the evils of testing. Over the years, his involvement with groups like GEM and Change the Stakes has grown.

Fred is also a statistician for the NY Jets - don't blame him for their absence from the Super Bowl for almost 50 years.

Fred Smith convincing Jets dancers to boycott field tests - he's the one in the middle

Last year Fred Smith gave us this gem.
Fred Smith: The Day Before Xmas (With Arne Duncan ...
Here's another brilliant piece of holiday cheer from Fred.

‘Twas the night before Christmas of 2015.

My poor head was spinning from all I had just seen.

ESEA revisions were clouding my brain

And Cuomo’s Task Force sugar plums causing me pain.

In the City the Chancellor held town halls in schools,

“Engaging” parents to tell them testing still rules.

A district supt. warned teachers of testing taboos

And not aiding parents who might want to refuse.

A new exam company was coming to town,

Having just won a $45 million test crown.

Yes, Questar will be here bedecked richly in green,

Bringing a bright shiny gift that was ne’er-before seen.

Soon enough I knew we would find ourselves captive

Of competence-based tests/computer adaptive.

But Pearson was still here to make ‘16’s test toys

To be given again to New York State’s girls and boys.

And ‘ere I descended into more gloom and fog,

An inner voice urged me to chug two mugs of nog.

My mind became fuddled with stark dueling visions

Of sky riders this night on opposite missions.

On the right was a sleigh dark-sided and shady

With curly-haired driver and a pearly white lady,

Whipping a dreary team of worn out work horses,

Having clearly lost sight of where the real Force is;

Still maintaining the will to accomplish their goal

To fill all children’s stockings with Common Core coal.

Though Andrew and Merryl might be losing their grip,

For now, they would go forth in their moonless sky ship.

And there on the left stood a sleigh wreathed in light,

Poised to keep sailing upward in glorious flight.

For on this voyage the crew never slumbers,

And everyone counts in ever growing numbers.

There’s no one commander playing ego trip games,

So before we proceed, here are some worthy names:

Diane Ravitch and Haimson and Scott and Burris,

Analysts, activists and writers who stir us;

Jeanette Deutermann, Lisa Rudley, Buffalo Chris

On Long Island and upstate—throw them a kiss;

Nichols-Stone-Mata-Sopp-Zavala had what it takes

Parents to start City opt out and change the stakes;

Lisa North, Jane Maisel and Rosalie Friend,

True educators from beginning to end—

With Jia-Jeanne-Katie-Nancy-Edith and Ruth

Unafraid to fight Power by speaking the Truth;

And let’s not forget Regents Rosa and Cashin—

Both know the score and bring the stature and passion.

If anyone was left off the list afore-scribed,

Please put the blame on the quaff that I have imbibed.

Back to the sleighs racing to our children this year,

My bet’s on the one with all the wondrous reindeer

And then there’s Mulgrew who must choose who is winning

To claim he was backing them from the beginning.

I’m riding shotgun tonight with the Doboszes.

It’ll be 70 degrees; we won’t have red noses.

The reins in strong hands are pulled by Jamaal Bowman

Proven time and again he’s no melting snowman.

But seriously folks, our objectives this year:

To spread the joy of opt-out and lessen the fear;

To every City corner and to be very thorough;

To take back our schools for each child in each borough.

And though we’ve gained ground on the dark sleigh of the night

And while we firmly believe that our causes are right

We all are aware that we’re in a long fight.

But, hey—Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

~Fred Smith

 

Stop Pearson Child Abuse: Get Ready to Rumble - er - Opt Out -- of June Field Tests

1,391 NYC schools with June Stand-Alone FT assignments

Thanks to Fred Smith for getting this material together. What are field tests? They are tests given in June to use our kids as guinea pigs for future tests. So kids and teachers are made to go through useless testing for the purpose of Pearson profit -- PPP. Fred points out that the kids and teachers know full well these tests have no meaning and they put little effort into them, with many kids just guessing to get through the test, thus invalidating the test.

Last year's field tests created a bit of a stir with some parents opting out. Look for a more massive opt-out movement this year with rallies and demos. And Ed Notes will be there to cover.

Fred has more stuff for the rest of NY State/Long Island if you are interested. Email me and I'll put you in touch.

CtS PDF 2013 June NYC Master Stand-Alone FT Assignments

Before there was a GEM, the NYCORE Justice Not Just Tests Committee, Teachers Unite, Center for Immigrant Families and Time Out From Testing  supported a teacher whose 4 8th grade classes refused to take the field tests. Kids testified that the idea came out of a discussion in class after they asked the teacher why they had to take more tests that had no meaning. We asked the UFT to support that teacher.  [Posted on ed notes: June 3, 2008].

ASK THE UFT TO MAKE THE TESTING BOYCOTT A PRIORITY ISSUE

CONTINUE TO DEFEND ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH
ASK THE UFT TO MAKE THE TESTING BOYCOTT A PRIORITY ISSUE

We ask that you continue to write e-mails to Chancellor Klein in support of a teacher who teaches critical thinking.
We are also asking the UFT to make this issue of academic freedom and freedom of speech a priority. Please e-mail UFT President Randi Weingarten rweingarten@uft.org and Vice President Leo Casey lcasey@uft.org asking the UFT to continue to defend teacher rights in this matter and to make this issue a priority for the UFT.

A sample letter is below:
Dear Leo Casey and Randi Weingarten,
As a member of the UFT, I ask that the teachers' union continue to be proactive in the struggle to defend the academic freedom of public school teacher Douglass Avella, who wanted his students to think critically about their education.

As an educator concerned with the abuse of standardized tests, I also support the 160 8th grade students who used their freedom of speech to boycott the practice test to demonstrate how excessive testing has taken away valuable learning time from the classroom.
Because of the large amount of support from teachers, educators, organizations, parents and students, I ask that our teachers' union make this issue of academic freedom and freedom of speech a priority.
Sincerely,

____________________
Teacher/UFT Member

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Supported by:Center for Immigrant Families, NYCoRE, Teachers Unite, Time Out From Testing

Fred Smith Explains Field Tests

I was reading through your site (Change the Stakes) and could not easily locate any info about any past or pending NYS field testing for the elementary or middle grades. I am a Long Island parent whose child has refused to take the NYS ELA and Math assessments this year. We are curious if any field testing is coming next, which I think there is some this year, perhaps even computer based. Any insight you can provide is most helpful. Thanks! --- Parent

There is another kind of field testing — known as stand-alone field testing — coming to our students soon. This is where the field test items are contained in separate booklets and results don’t count except for the publisher; the sole purpose is to try out more items for possible use. This will occur in the first week of June. There are three problems about field testing children in June. First, they know the tests don’t count. Second, it’s June. Third, after a test-heavy school year, it is unlikely they will give their best effort and perform optimally. So, the results derived from the stand-alone field tests will be a misleading basis for selecting items for next year’s exams. ---- Fred Smith: excerpt, Field Tests: Unfair Burden on Students at Schoolbook

As the one who monitors comments at CTS, I can't tell you how many parent requests for assistance on opting out have come in and the CTS parent advice crew have been busy. The hope is that CTS expands its outreach to create a bigger opt out movement on the field tests coming up. Field tests are used to check out future questions and don't count. These questions were embedded in the current tests but there are stand-alone tests coming that count for nothing and amount to child and teacher abuse.

In May 2008, middle school teacher Doug Avella discussed the field test with his classes and they all boycotted the tests. Non-tenured Doug was quickly disappeared from the system as the UFT went, "cluck, cluck" with disapproving nods even though the kids took action based on a fair discussion and never implicated Doug's words. The kids were treated like criminals. Here is a link at ed notes:

Ed Notes Online: Support for Doug Avella Builds

May 27, 2008

The students of I.S. 318 stood up for what they thought was right. They have been taught by a beloved teacher whose job is now in jeopardy. It is critical that we stand up right now and show our support for Doug Avella .... Letter from

Sam Coleman and Geoffrey Enriquez, on behalf of NYCORE
Priscilla Gonzalez and Donna Nevel, on behalf of Center for Immigrant Families
Jane Hirschmann, on behalf of Time Out From Testing
Sally Lee, on behalf of Teachers Unite

Fred Smith is the expert on the issue and sent this response to the parent above.

Your question provides and opportunity to talk about the field tersting.

There are two kinds of field tests (FT)--One kind took place today in ELA in grades 3-8--where FT items were embedded in the test booklets among the other items. The FT items do not count in scoring the test. They are there to be tried out so the publisher can see how the items work and can decide which ones to use next year. The other items will count. They are referred to as operational items. Scores will be based on student performance on these items.

For example, today's 3rd grade ELA test (Booklet 1) contains 30 items (5 reading passages followed by multiple-choice items). Children have 70 minutes to complete the test. They don't know which items count and which do not (i.e., the FT items). The test publisher hasn't said how many of the 30 items are FT test items--only that FT items are included on the test.

A safe assumption is that at least one reading passage about 500-600 words in length was being tried out along with the set of multiple-choice items associated with the passage. If everything was evenly balanced, that would mean about six items were being tried out with this passage--and would take about 14 minutes to complete -- one fifth of the allotted testing time.

The publisher (Pearson) is using four forms of the test to try out items. What does this mean? The four forms will consist of the same operational items, but each form will contain one of four sets of FT items.
So Booklet 1 will have 30 items with the same items that count and a unique set of unrefined items that are being tried out. The publisher represents the four forms as A, B, C and D.

The following is how this arrangement might look, based on the 3rd grade example I gave: (P=operational passage; O=operational multiple-choice items following the passage; FTP=field test passage; FT=field test multiple-choice item)

Form A: P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / FTP-FTFTFTFTFTFT
Form B: P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / FTP-FTFTFTFTFTFT / P-OOOOOO
Form C: P-OOOOOO / FTP-FTFTFTFTFTFT / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO
Form D: FTP-FTFTFTFTFTFT / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO / P-OOOOOO

The State Education Department (SED) has said that the FT material will be interspersed with the operational material. Since students don't know which readings and items will count from the material that is being field tested, students will be expending energy of parts of the test that will probably wear them out and frustrate them, because SED has called for tougher, more challenging items. That will have a bearing on how well they do on the test. It is likely they would do better if the test was limited to the 4 operational passages and 24 operational items.

Furthermore, since one-quarter of the students get one of the four forms, then the children who get Form D or Form C will run into the FT items (by definition less refined than the other items) right from or near the start of the test and have a greater chance of being worn out and defeated before they get to the end of the test compared to children taking Form A--who, even if they don't finish the FT items, will have a better chance of completing all the items that count.

[This has implications in New York City, where the Department of Education (DOE) makes extrapolations based on student test scores to student promotions. teacher evaluations and school ratings--clearly, high-stakes decisions that may well rely on which FT form a given class of students happens to take.]

By the way -- tomorrow ELA Booklet 2 will contain embedded multiple-choice items in all grades--3 through 8. And next week, the first two days of the math tests--Booklets 1 and 2 will contain the FT items.

The other kind of field testing is known as stand-alone field testing. This is where the FT items are contained in separate booklets and the results don't count except for the publisher. The sole purpose is to try out more items for possible future use. This will take place in the first week of June (the same as it did last year.)

SED has never established that taking the field tests is mandatory. Nor has SED cited any legal authority that requires students to sit for either the embedded items or the stand-alone. This lack of authority makes the June stand-alone field test an ideal target for resistance. I believe that not taking this week's and next week's exams on the grounds that children are being forced to engage in field testing would add a strong argument to the reasons they should not have to sit for the exams. More on that below.

Last year 20 forms (12 ELA and 8 math) were tried out in June--a service deliverable not called for in SED's contract with Pearson. The reason for this was that the four April forms did not generate enough of a pool of items to build this year's (i.e., this week's) tests. So the June 2012 field testing was hastily arranged.

There are three things wrong with field testing kids in June. First they know the tests don't count for anything. Second, it's June. C'mon, after a year of being bashed by tests--you're asking kids to concentrate on more items, take them seriously and perform optimally (the rationale behind embedded field testing). Third, as a consequence, the children are not motivated to perform their best. Therefore, the results derived from the June stand-alone field tests will be a misleading basis (or source of intelligence, if you will) for selecting items for next year's exams.

But there is a more fundamental and insidious problem lurking in the field tests. It is a reflection of the top down arrogance in Albany that insinuates children into taking the field tests (both embedded and stand-alone), which are nothing more than experimental, serving the commercial interests of the test publisher, and making children the subjects of research -- without bothering to seek the permission of parents to allow their children to participate in otherwise un-required testing activity. Doing so violates the right of parents to do what is best for their children. It is a form of exploitation to perpetuate the kind of high-stakes testing that has channeled all the creative energies of teachers and students into testing. Parents are entitled to know what is going on and to have a say in what's going on.

Making matters worse there will be stand-alone field testing again this year at the beginning of June--throughout the state in ELA and math. Most schools will have assignments to administer the try-out exams. And, just as SED did last year--it will try to keep parents in the dark about the field tests until the last minute. That's because SED understands well that these tests are not required and, if parents knew they were coming and more classroom time was being sacrificed, they would opt out of the stand-alone field tests. SED obviously feels there is a greater need to satisfy the publisher and keep the testing going than to show respect and regard for parents.

The answer going forward next week and up to the first week of June is to mobilize parents to refuse to take tests with the embedded FT items, which parents never signed onto. And between now and June --it is imperative to mobilize against the coming stand-alone field tests and to reach consensus to boycott them. This is a fight we can and must win to prevent the seeds of the next year's test from sprouting.

Fred Smith