Parent-led Protest Against High Stakes Testing Thursday, June 7th

I will be there to tape this. And see below for notes on Pearson feeling the heat.
See Leonie Haimson at Schoolbook:

The Lessons of Pineapplegate

PRESS ALERT

Press Contacts:

Martha Foote            

Tel 347-967-8159

martha_foote@hotmail.com

Anne Stone

Tel 917-757-3618

anne.judith.stone@gmail.com

Parents in X* Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:

Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters

"Enough is enough - we want more teaching, less testing!"

WHAT:        Press conference and demonstration against the State Education Department, the NYC Department of Education, and Pearson over excessive and high-stakes standardized state testing.

WHEN:        Thursday, June 7th at 10:45 A.M.

WHERE:      Outside Pearson headquarters, 1330 Sixth Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, Manhattan.

VISUALS:   Parents and children holding posters and giant puppets; a theatrical marching band; children in costumes.

WHY:         From June 5th to June 12th, children across the state are being forced to give up learning time solely to serve the research purposes of billion-dollar test publisher Pearson, which has a $32 million contract with the New York State Education Department. But parents in an unprecedented number of schools (number to be revealed at the press conference) are fighting back by refusing to allow their children to take these field tests and joining a protest at Pearson headquarters. 

*Number to be revealed at the press conference

Here is a comment from a NYC teacher pointing to the Pearson spin job at the Pearson site: 

In my seven years of teaching, I have written many "tests" to measure the learning of my own students. I weed out unfair questions by reading the test over carefully and revising it as needed. Sometimes I ask colleagues for suggestions about wording or presentation. On rare occasions a student raises his hand and asks for clarification about the wording of a question. If I can answer him without compromising the content I'm testing, I do. Having the ability to recognize when you don't understand something and asking a reliable person for clarification is, after all, an important college- and career-readiness skill. Apparently the test-writing experts at Pearson cannot determine the fairness of a question without subjecting hundreds of students to it first. Field testing DOES affect students; this year I had 3 students (2 with special needs, 1 an English Language Learner) break down crying during the state math test upon encountering untaught non-grade-level material that may or may not have been embedded field items. Now that teacher evaluations are going to be tied to test scores, I guess the field tests will affect me too!

Here is an internal communication about their response strategy.

Dear Colleagues, This spring testing season, we’ve seen misinformation and misperceptions on standardized assessment permeate media coverage and call into question Pearson’s role in the educational testing process. Doug Kubach, our CEO of Assessment and Information, shared information today on NEO to answer your and your customers’ questions on testing.  He also announced the launch of a new social media campaign to demystify testing for parents:  “Parents, Kids & Testing.”  Through the campaign, we will share links to education and testing resources along with information about testing in all 50 states and U.S. territories for parents and their children.  To read Doug’s full announcement, visit his blog on NEO. Regards, Shilpi Niyogi Executive Vice President, Public Affairs ---------------- Another response: Dear Colleagues: Here in our Department of Hispanic Studies at the University of Northern Colorado we have been using the texts published by Pearson.  However, in view of the company’s involvement in high stakes standardized testing and the stranglehold the regimen has on public schools, and thanks to all the information that has come through this open forum subscribers’ list, we dropped Pearson from our Spanish curricula for our Spanish 101 and Spanish 102 classes.  I summarized our rationale in the attached letter to a CEO at Pearson. In appreciation, Don Perl The Coalition for Better Education, Inc. www.thecbe.org  -------   Sandi Kirshner                                                                                                                        Executive Vice President Pearson Higher Education 75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116                                                                            May 23, 2012 Dear Sandi Kirshner: I appreciate your detailed response received on May 22nd to my questions regarding Pearson’s “philosophy of education.”  Here in Hispanic Studies at the University of Northern Colorado we have discussed in some depth the most appropriate direction for implementing resources for our Spanish language students.  I think a bit of professional information about me is relevant at this time.  As a middle school teacher in the academic year 2000 – 2001, I was charged with administering high stakes standardized testing to my inner city students.  I studied the issue in considerable depth and after much deliberation decided that I could not, in good faith, administer these tests and still consider myself a professional educator.  That act of civil disobedience began a journey to raise the awareness of the citizenry of the dangers posed by high stakes standardized testing.  Enclosed please find a copy of the letter dated January 16, 2001, stating the reasons for that refusal.  We started a coalition, we forwarded a ballot initiative, we have advertised on billboards on the roadways of Colorado advising parents of their rights as their children face high stakes standardized testing, and have played a part in crafting legislation to take a bit of the onus off the testing regimen. In view of this mission and our moral opposition to the dangers inherent in high stakes standardized testing, and in contemplation of  Pearson’s involvement in the creation of these tests now so ubiquitous throughout the nation’s public schools, we must look to other publishing houses to provide our students with the necessary resources for Spanish language acquisition. Sincerely, Don Perl Department of Hispanic Studies University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 80639 don.perl@unco.edu 970-351-2746 cc Seth Osburn – Pearson Publishing – 16816 South First Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85045  ------------ Hello, In trolling on the Internet, (I Googled "field test" "New York" "2010"), I somehow stumbled on to this! http://www.fehb.org/gr38ftmatrix-1014.pdf (I've saved to my hard drive and doc is attached, in case it disappears online.) It came from: http://www.fehb.org/ Franklin Essex Hamilton BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) The embedded link to NYSED looks dead, but the info here says that each school's strand number stays the same from school years 2010-11 through 2013-14. So perhaps this is a way to predict what field test your school might be offered next year and the year after! For example, I don't know my school's strand, but from looking at this, it seems my school is "E3." This year's field test was 5th grade math; looks like  next year's is 5th grade ELA. Thanks, concerned NYC parent of a fourth grader/amateur detective ;)

Joe Nocera: Income Gap Tied to Decline of Unions

Joe Nocera must have seen the GEM film "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman," the film the UFT doesn't want you to see -- but you can online) where we use graphs to make the point that the decline in unions since the 1970s is directly related to the growing income gap.  His column today in the Times (Turning Our Backs on Unions)
really nails the point that the liberals' abandonment of the union movement (think Woody Allen comment on Al Shanker destroying the world when he got the bomb) has had a major impact.

We see that in the support of even liberal Democrats and celebrity liberals supporting charters and in the general assault on teacher unions. The tone and tenor of Nocera's article is a sign that the assault has gone so far it is beginning to turn against the assaulters. But the problem from out end is the loser -- we all want to cooperate--  mentality of our union leaders. When Nocera criticizes them in his piece it is from the wrong direction -- as if they were really fighting and not capitulating enough. He misses that point by a mile.

I would ask the question about Paul Krugman, the real liberal on the Times. He has been writing about many of the same issues but blames the Republicans and lets Obama and the Dems off the hook. And he says nothing about the ed assault on teachers by both parties. Let's hope both Krugman and Nocera begin to shine a light on that, especially given that Michael Winerip may be gone from the Times.

Turning Our Backs on Unions

By JOE NOCERA

“The Great Divergence” by Timothy Noah is a book about income inequality, and if you’re thinking, “Do we really need another book about income inequality?” the answer is yes. We need this one.

It stands out in part because Noah, a columnist for The New Republic, is not content to simply shake his fists at the heavens in anger. He spends exactly one chapter on what he calls the “rise of the stinking rich” — that is, the explosion in executive pay and what he calls “the financialization of the economy,” which has enriched one small segment of society at the expense of everyone else.

Mostly, he grapples with the deep, hard-to-tickle-out reasons that the gap between the rich and the middle class in the United States has widened to such alarming proportions. How much have technological advances contributed to income inequality? Globalization and off-shoring? The necessity of having a college education to land a decent-paying job? The decline of labor unions?

That last one, I have to admit, caught me up short. My parents were both public high school teachers, who proudly walked picket lines when the need arose. My hometown, Providence, R.I., was about as pro-union a city as you could find outside the Rust Belt. But like many college-educated children of union parents, I have never been a member of a union, and I viewed them with mild disdain.

As Andy Stern, the former president of the Service Employees International Union, put it to me: “White-collar professionals tend to appreciate what unions did for their parents. But they don’t view today’s janitors or nurse’s aides in the same way.” Instead, they — or, rather, we — tend to focus on the many things that are wrong with unions, exemplified these days by the pensions of public service employees that are breaking the backs of so many cities and states. Unions seem like a spent force, and we tend not to lament their demise.

Noah includes himself as one of those liberals “who spent too much time beating up unions,” as he told me recently. (He and I are both members of the informal Washington Monthly alumni society.) His thinking began to change in the early 1990s when he read “Which Side Are You On?” It is a powerful meditation on the difficulties unions face, written by Thomas Geoghegan, a Chicago labor lawyer. Researching “The Great Divergence” reinforced Noah’s growing view that when liberals turned their backs on unions — when they put, in his words, “identity politics over economic justice” — they made a terrible mistake.

Noah places the high-water mark for unionism in the mid-1950s, when nearly 40 percent of American workers were either union members or “nonunion members who were nonetheless covered by union contracts.” In the early postwar years, even the Chamber of Commerce believed that “collective bargaining is a part of the democratic process,” as its then-president noted in a statement.

But, in the late-1970s, union membership began falling off a cliff, brought on by a variety of factors, including jobs moving offshore and big labor’s unsavory reputation. Government didn’t help either: Ronald Reagan’s firing of the air traffic controllers in 1981 sent an unmistakable signal that companies could run roughshod over federal laws intended to protect unions — which they’ve done ever since.

The result is that today unions represent 12 percent of the work force. “Draw one line on a graph charting the decline in union membership, then superimpose a second line charting the decline in middle-class income share,” writes Noah, “and you will find that the two lines are nearly identical.” Richard Freeman, a Harvard economist, has estimated that the decline of unions explains about 20 percent of the income gap.

This makes perfect sense, of course. Company managements don’t pay workers any more than they have to — look, for instance, at Walmart, one of the most virulently antiunion companies in the country. In their heyday, unions represented a countervailing force that could extract money for its workers that helped keep them in the middle class. Noah notes that a JPMorgan economist calculated that the majority of increased corporate profits between 2000 and 2007 were the result of “reductions in wages and benefits.” That makes sense, too. At the same time labor has been in decline, the power of shareholders has been on the rise.

“Say what you want about the abuses that labor committed,” says Noah. “They were adversarial. They weren’t concerned enough about the general prosperity. Some of them were mobbed up. But they were necessary institutions.”

Not surprisingly, Noah closes his book with a call for a revival of the labor movement. It is hard to see that happening any time soon. And unions need to change if they are to become viable again. But if liberals really want to reverse income inequality, they should think seriously about rejoining labor’s side.

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Breaking: Charter Schools Cut School Day, Use Parents, Teachers and Kids as Political Tools

...teachers are being forced to go since it is happening during their work day, and students and parents are bribed into going via free bus transportation, and the promise of "face painters, magicians, and all sorts of fun things" upon arrival [at City Hall on June 6].

This just came in from an anonymous charter school teacher. Still unconfirmed but if it happens there has to be some violation of some ed law. But if it does take place on what would be normal school time whatever violations there are will be ignored. I know Eva and crew have lots of gall but if this actually happens on school time even I will be shocked.

I follow your blog, and was wondering what you know about the big charter school rally that's supposed to happen June 6. Apparently, Eva is very worried that a new mayor will undo all the pro-charter school policies implemented by Bloomberg over the last few years. Thus, it is my understanding that a whole bunch of charter schools are going to end school early this Wednesday so that students, parents, and teachers can attend a rally outside city hall just to create the impression that there is wide support for expanding charter schools, when in fact, teachers are being forced to go since it is happening during their work day, and students are parents are bribed into going via free bus transportation, and the promise of "face painters, magicians, and all sorts of fun things" upon arrival. The whole thing seems very fishy and manipulative to me. I'm wondering if you have any more information on this, and/or if you would be able to mobilize your networks to do a counterprotest, or at least expose the deception behind Wednesday's rally. I guarantee you there will be busloads of children going to city hall this Wednesday to "protest," since they have the afternoon off.

Since I currently work for a charter school, I'll rather remain anonymous, but I appreciate the work you do. Your blog has helped me recognize the political mess I've put myself into by working where I work, and I'm trying to get out as soon as possible.
Thanks!

This email is a sign of disaffection among charter school teachers. I would hope some of them join up with the new caucus MORE. Hmmm. Maybe a MORE charter school chapter.

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Christopher Cerf: The Perfect Face of Ed Deform... and a Crook Too

Cerf/Broad/Duncan extortion racket in New Jersey

There was a twitter debate initiated by Ken Libby about civility in the rhetoric on both sides of the ed wars where he raised the question as to whether our side can also be too vicious. Read below and tell me how we can't be vicious enough.

Broad Infestation at the NJDOE

Jim Horn posts a stunning letter he received from a former employee at the New Jersey Department of Education. The letter is anonymous for obvious reasons. Take that for what it's worth, but keep in mind Jim's blog, Schools Matter, is an excellent resource with a solid track record. I'm inclined to take this at fact value:

Below is an email I received from a former NJ DOE employee whose moral fatigue forced her from a good paying job with the State. Read it and then you will know why the Eli Broad calls his kind of philanthropy investments rather than grants.
_______________________ 

I am a former NJ DOE employee who resigned recently because I could no longer be a part of the extortion and fraud that is taking part there under the Broad Administration of Chris Cerf, Penny MacCormack, Peter Shulman, Bing Howell, ad nauseum.

From Jersey Jazzman blog.

You really have to read both Schools Matter and Jersey Jazzman to get the full picture of these crooks. We have written often about now Jersey State Ed Commissioner Cerf appointed by that other crook Christie. See below for links to our posts for the full Cerf Sleaze story. This just came in from Leonie Haimson about how Cerf tried to get rid of real educators but when he couldn't he just created a new costly class above them.

A perfect analogy: Cerf head on Bloomberg body

Cerf's latest power grab

Cerf tried to illegally replace NJ supes (real educators) but when court stopped him as it did with Joel Klein, he appts new positions above them (remember regional supervisors?) made up of broadies (Eli Broad Academy grads -- the national equivalent of the Leadership Academy but for Supts.) And using title 1 funds besides. All facilitated of course by Duncan and his minions in the name of Ed reform.

http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2012/06/broad-infestation-at-njdoe.html?spref=tw&m=1

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Ed Notes

Ed Notes Online: Coming Soon From Chris Cerf: I'm Not a Crook

Dec 18, 2010

Just to keep in perspective what education "reform" means to these fellows--and to the media, Christopher Cerf, former President of Edison, the commercial outfit that has stirred up bitter controversy in 25 states, was hired in ...

Ed Notes Online: From: Cerf Chris

Feb 07, 2007

Though Cerf insisted he had no financial interest in the company, it turns out that he just sold his Edison stock yesterday – when he saw that the CPAC agenda listed him as speaking about privatization and Edison.

Ed Notes Online: Cerf and Klein, Time to Resign

Feb 09, 2007

In a photo I took at the press conference, it appears as if Christopher Cerf, one of Klein's newest appointees, might have been napping, or as the caption says on my blog, “Christopher Cerf dreams of ways to turn the NYC ...

Ed Notes Online: Update on Cerf Investigation....

Dec 06, 2008

Check out Juan Gonzalez' column in today's NY Daily News about the long-suppressed report from the Special Commissioner of Investigation on Chris Cerf, the Deputy Chancellor, as well as the NY Times story here.

Ed Notes Online: WANTED: NYC DEPT of EDUCATION

Feb 11, 2007

I'm using this space to post another incisive email on Cerf from Leonie Haimson. The question she raises about the way the press dropped the ball on Cerf is so relevant. Of cousre, I would add to this the silence of the UFT ...

Ed Notes Online: Teachers to Be Rated on Chronic Absence - parody

Oct 21, 2008

"No excuses," proclaimed his able assistant Christopher Cerf when asked about the vast differences in the numbers between the poorer and wealthier areas of the city. "Teachers have to figure out ways to get these kids into ...

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Standardized Test Field Testing This Upcoming Tuesday, June 5, Protest June 7

Join this event!
Join CTS page.
Join us June 7!

https://www.facebook.com/events/342544932483288/

Visit 295 website for boycott letters to download and sign if you do not wish your child to take the field tests: http://ps295.org/English/pta/index.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/new-york-state-field-test_n_1546782.html   

As per Huff. Post article: “Opt-out rates for these field tests could be particularly high because the experimental nature of the tests means their results cannot count toward a student's academic record.”

From the people who accuse us of being about adults while they claim to be about children. Posted at HuffPo

A memo has recently surfaced in which the New York State Department of Education appears to encourage educators to mislead students about upcoming standardized field tests meant to "provide the data necessary to ensure the validity and reliability of the New York State Testing program."
"Students should not be informed of the connection between these field tests and State assessments," the memo reads. "The field tests should be described as brief tests of achievement in the subject."

 Nice work when the NYSED urges people to lie to children.

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Campo de Prueba estandarizada de pruebas, el próximo Martes, 05 de junio. Visite el sitio web de 295 cartas de boicot para descargar y firmar si usted no desea que su hijo a tomar las pruebas de campo: http://ps295.org/Espanol/pta/index.html

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Chicago, Chicago, A Hell of a Town

Chicago is really the epicenter of the battle between the ed deformers and the real reformers. It was the birth of mayoral control in 1995, the home of key Democratic deformers Arne Duncan who ran the schools for 7 years and Obama. Duncan was preceded by Paul Vallas who after he was run out of Chicago has ruined public school systems in Philly, New Orleans and now Hartford (or is it New Haven?) Really take a look at NO and Philly and there is only devastation.

Chicago still has a fighting chance, mostly due to the reform union movement led by the Caucus of Rank and File Educators which was elected in May 2010 with Karen Lewis, who came out of 30 years of teaching chemistry to run the 2nd largest teachers union in the nation. And despite a few missteps is doing quite well. Yes to real teachers, not lawyers, running teacher unions.

The AFT convention in Detroit starting July 26 may well have the dynamic of a struggle between the Chicago TU and the UFT -- CORE vs Unity caucus. One of the early battles shaping up is over the weak AFT Resolution on Testing and their support for the Common Core. We'll keep you posted on the 800 Unity Caucus slugs who will be there to oppose the Real Reformers.

The ed deformers were patting themselves on the back for passing a law requiring the Chicago Teachers Union to have 75% support before they can strike. My first thought was "good." Who would want to strike without having 75% of the members supporting it? Better yet, how about 90%, which seems to be the kind of support the CTU is getting for a strike from its members. And there is also parent support being built by the CTU.

All it takes is a mayor who demands people work a few hours extra a day for practically no pay. Plus all the other anti-teacher and union crap.

So the showdown between the CTU and Mayor Rhambo and NYC/Rochester reject and now Chicago Supt Jean Claude-Buzzard/vulture will be coming in September. It is in our interests here in NYC and all over the nation to support the CTU politically and financially as a victory over the ed deformers would have nationwide implications. Can you imagine how Randi will react? While mouthing support publicly she will be working desperately behind the scenes for a "settlement" where she will do as much to represent the powers that be as the union. Probably more as a successful strike in Chicago would create a greater militant demand here in NYC. We don't need our leaders to be intermediaries but to stand firmly in our corner.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis (above at podium) announced the strike authorization voting to begin June 6, while the union's officers looked on. Left to right above: Recording Secretary Michael Brunson, President Karen Lewis, Vice President Jesse Sharkey, and Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle. Substance photo by Sharon Schmidt.

Video of Karen's speech

CTU to hold strike authorization voting beginning June 6

Sharon Schmidt - June 01, 2012
Karen Lewis and the officers and members of the Chicago Teachers Union announced at a packed press conference on Friday afternoon, June 1, 2012, that the union will conduct its strike authorization referendum during the week of June 4, with full results expected by June 8. Under the terms of the law known as "SB7" (for Senate Bill 7), the union is required to get approval from 75 percent of its members in order to move towards a strike. (Retiree members are not part of the union that participates in strike votes).


Read MORE on the story

CPS parent Matt Farmer puts billionaire Board of Education member Penny Pritzker on Trial at CTU's STANDS STRONG RALLY. 

Pritzker doesn't seem to feel it is necessary to provide other people's children with the same educational experience as hers.
http://youtu.be/IMUboOIQT48




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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Jaisal Noor Documentary: Neighborhood Schools: The fight for the future of American public education

I try to keep up with current issues, especially with the restructuring/destruction of the people's public schools, but now I can honestly say that I believe  school restructuring  is the carefully planned  destruction of our free society.  This radio documentary was really an eye-opener for me, and I have been doing educational research for over  thirty years. 

The NEA and AFT sold the teachers and children out years ago, so don't look for any help from the major officials of these organizations.  Check their past positions on choice.

----  From Ann Herzer comment on "Neighborhood Schools: The fight for the future of American public education."

This audio documentary and the comment below the into were passed on by Diane Ravitch from her blog post:  Should Community Schools Survive?

Reporter Jaisal Noor has created a gripping radio documentary about the fight to save neighborhood schools.

He lets the “reformers” have their say. They want to close down the so-called failing schools and replace them with new schools that won’t be failing schools, at least not for a few years. Then they too can be closed and another new school can be opened.The closing schools serve minority students. They are overcrowded and underresourced. They must be closed. So say the officials.Jaisal Noor listens to students, teachers, and parents. What a novel idea. The officials don’t hear students, teachers, or parents. They know what’s best for everyone. And what’s best is to close their school.
Diane

Diane also heaped praise on one of our own, NYC Educator, in an earlier post.

And she was on the Ed Show: Must watch! http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-ed-show/47654288#47654288

Here is the blurb for the broadcast. Here is the link.

Memorial Day Special

Mon, 05/28/2012 - 14:38

• Length: 29:06 minutes (26.64 MB)
• Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Neighborhood Schools: The fight for the future of American public education
In the US, the historic struggle for quality education continues to unfold as America’s public schools have become the center of an intense debate. Much of that has focused on deciding what to do with schools that are struggling.  Should they be privatized? Should there be greater accountability? More funding or more local involvement?
While federal, state and local authorities maintain a top down strategy of fixing education, some communities are pushing for a different approach.  Parents, teachers and students are demanding a say in how their schools are run. But their efforts in getting leaders to address the institutional problems behind so-called failing schools are meeting resistance.  FSRN’s Jaisal Noor examines these issues in two of the country’s biggest school districts: Chicago and New York.


This documentary was produced by Jaisal Noor. Special thanks to Kouross Esmaeli and Julia Winer.  Documentary editor is Shannon Young. Technical production at KPFA Berkeley from Jeannine Etter. Music provided by Tony Davis and Action Davis.

Ann Herzer  comments:

I just finished listening to "gripping radio documentary" and am shocked.  I knew thing were bad, and that privitazation was a means of destroying democratic principles, but frankly, I think few Americans know what is happening in communities across our nation now.
 I try to keep up with current issues, especially with the restructuring/destruction of the people's public schools, but now I can honestly say that I believe  school restructuring  is the carefully planned  destruction of our free society.  This radio documentary was really an eye-opener for me, and I have been doing educational research for over  thirty years.
From my research,  I realized that children were being dumbed down through the government's destructive experimental programs when I first saw them in the book titled "Education Programs That Work".  I was also a reader for their programs.  I became a reader so I could follow what the feds were advocating for our nation.  
I read the  legislation in Arizona and from several others states.  Concerned citizens sent me entire packets of what was happening in their states.  At the invitations of citizens, I spoke in several states against the phoney "Nation At Risk"; and everything else that followed i. e. America 2000/Goals 2000, School-to-Work and the New American Schools Development Corporation's radical design teams.   I spoke against the "radical" behavior modification programs being used on children and teacher alike.  
I used only their  documented research, not  manufactured research we see now being used to destroy public education, and yes, private and religious schools as well.  One can find research data to support any point of view, and researchers get paid big money to compile phony documentation.  They often use peer research...this means "you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours".  Uninformed politicians grasp at straws when they use undocumented research.  They often get caught as several are now being exposed and citizens are now questioning.  It's about time the American people question these snake-oil peddlers.  The next time I respond, I'll try and think of a better term for them, but it might not be printed.  
Thank you Diane for all that you are doing.  I see that you often start in the early A. M. We must also remember all our good educators  and citizens who are standing up for children and freedom.  Take care, and keep up the good fight!  You are not alone.  There are many Americans who have continued to speak out against such tragic things we heard on the video. As a History major, I find this most alarming!  
The "gripping radio documentary" should be played on every media outlet in our country, but it will not because the major media is supporting this tragedy.  This "radical political" destruction of our free society is coming not only from the so-called conservative right, but from the so-called liberal left.  
The NEA and AFT sold the teachers and children out years ago, so don't look for any help from the major officials of these organizations.  Check their past positions on choice.
You can see all comments on this post here:
http://dianeravitch.net/2012/06/02/should-community-schools-survive/#comments
Permalink: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/06/02/should-community-schools-survive/#comment-145

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

A former student gets in touch

I got a text the other day from one of my favorite students from the late 70's with a photo of her and her mom (also one of my favorite parents) at her daughter's graduation. Don't they both look gorgeous? I think she was in one of my looping classes (5th and 6th grades) and if she survived two years with me as her teacher she must be special.

I think the last time I saw her she was in high school. She must be over 40 now. We have been in touch over the last 5 years and this Monday we are having dinner. She has quite a tragic story to tell that is so indicative of what so many of our students go through. Her husband, also a former student of mine, was senselessly murdered 20 years ago, leaving her with 2 small children (she had 2 more later on). But she seems to have persevered. Oh how the ed deformers don't want to address these issues -- like how about Michelle Rhee using some of the millions she collects to assist students they claim they care so much about instead of lobbyists and consultants on how to undermine public schools and the support network so many of them provide in the neighborhood.

If we do get together next week I will take some pics.  The scary one on the right is the two of us at her graduation. I think I still have the leisure suit. It's got to come back one day. As for the afro --- I think not.

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

On Anna Phillips, Fiction Writing, MORE Chapter Leaders, My Dad's Apartment

NY Times misses the boat on Anna Phillips

I ended a long day by racing over to catch the tail end of ex NY Times reporter Anna Phillips' going away party last night at Half King Bar on 23 St and 10 Ave. Last year around this time Anna said goodbye when she left Gotham for the Times. Now she is saying goodbye again as she heads down to Tampa where she will get to work for a real newspaper, the St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay Times.

Why a real newspaper? They were smart enough to hire Anna for a full-time job with full benefits, while the the NY Times missed the boat. Imagine the Tampa Bay Times getting our top notch ed reporter (Anna will be covering everything including the Republican convention --- people at the party offered to chip in to get her a gun since people packing will be allowed into the convention ---but no hand grenades) --- while the Times has to shift a guy who covered the NYPD to education (well maybe totally appropriate in the police/militarized schools under Bloomberg. Another guy who will take years to understand what the hell is really going on in education. Well, at least Anna took me to lunch on the Times expense account. Instead of ordering a tuna on rye I should asked to go to Peter Lugers.

The Times is showing what a joke they are when it comes to covering education with a revolving door of people who have to learn the ed beat.

Anna is one of the best reporters who was such a quick learner and had as much experience and depth of knowledge as anyone in the business. When she started with Gotham 3 years ago she offered to take me to dinner in exchange for my sense of how the UFT works. Three hours later, she staggered out of the restaurant and I had barely grazed the surface. But she is such a quick learner she did get the nuances, something even reporters with years of experience ----I'll be nice today and not mention them --- never get.

That the Times didn't recognize Anna's talents is a sign of their decline.

I had tried to take a cab from the east side but 23st was closed for resurfacing --- amazing how choked the traffic was at 9PM and I ended up walking. I ran into David Bloomfield on the way and he said there was still a remnant left at the party and I was glad to see a bunch of NYC ed reporters --- there were also a few stray UFT slugs (always courting the press to cover what sellouts they are) and some charter school people who never let an opportunity to schmooze the press go by.

I was happy to reconnect with Gotham leading lights Elizabeth Green and Philissa Cramer. We had a very nice chat. You know I have been critical of Gotham's coverage at times, in particular the attention given to E4E while ignoring other activist groups. It is good to have face-to-face chats so you get the other point of view. Obviously fund-raising is a major issue for Gotham --- if they had loads of money to pay reporters Anna could have remained --- and I think she did her best work there due to the freedom she had vs the straight jacket at the Times. Elizabeth and Philissa weren't aware of the new caucus MORE (though I gave Anna and Elizabeth a heads up on what was coming well over a year ago) ---- they said don't assume they know everything going on given their limited resources and invited me to pitch stories to them, as I imagine many groups do, especially the low-life charter lobby (sorry). But I am never comfortable selling stuff while I am willing to give certain reporters leads. We parted with good feelings (I hope) on the subway.

I did pick up one tidbit -- that Michael Winerip is leaving the Times. Or was pushed. Another blow and sign of their downfall. Many people have been predicting that given the quality of his writing on the side of real reform. How tempted am I to cancel my sub?

 ------

 Cleaning out my dad's apartment
Anna's party was the end of the day and with subway service being what it was didn't get home until after midnight. I'm still trying to fully sort out an 11 hour piece of my day yesterday once I left my house around 1pm. I started by spending an hour working on cleaning out my dad's apartment which was sealed by the police because he lived alone when he died last week. It took me a week to get it opened. It is a large apartment with two bedrooms and two baths and a very big living room and dining area. My dad took over the apartment when my aunt died. He was living with her and taking care of her. Every cop who was there marveled at the size -- especially when I told them he paid $1200 a month. I'm sure that will triple. One new thing I learned about my dad is that he loved to use shoe trees. There are tons around, so if anyone needs a shoe tree.... well, 2 shoe-trees, guaranteed a right and a left.


MORE Chapter Leaders and Delegate meeting
Then it was up to the MORE meeting at 4:30. I got there early and sat at a small table, figuring how many people are going to show on a late Thursday afternoon? Well, as more and more people drifted in, the tables kept growing. Almost all of them had been elected, some over entrenched Unity Caucus people -- one guy with about 75% of the vote. Some are still running. The tables kept growing until they extended all across the room. We had to break into two groups. I know he is internet shy but it was so great to have the support of the always awesome Bruce Markens, one of the heroes of the UFT for being the only district rep elected repeatedly despite Unity attempts to unseat him --- until Randi finally got so fed up she eliminated district rep elections entirely.

With so many new people, we had a great session sharing advice on chapter organizing, communication, etc. Bruce and I and Kit Wainer laid out how the consultation committee should work -- it isYOUR meeting, not the principal's and YOU set the agenda and decide who should attend. (More on this another time.)

I'm excited that this group is shaping up as a support network for chapter leaders and delegates. You might think the UFT would offer this but the reality is that they do offer some good training, it is limited to chapter leaders --- and they use these trainings to recruit people into Unity, people who really have little idea as to what Unity is. But that closes them off to the alternate groups like ICE and TJC were (both are working with MORE and will not run in UFT elections again). The District Reps are the key gatekeepers and manage the CLs to make sure there is little voice of opposition, holding "support" over their heads. These are mostly young teachers who are jumping into the union so some kind of support network from experienced CLs like Kit, Bruce, James Eterno, Jeff Kaufman, etc will be very useful. This group will get together again I think on August 16. I urge anyone who is a current or future CL or delegate to come on down.

Fiction Writing

Then it was off to my 7PM fiction writing group which I have been part of since its inception 6 years ago. We read 3 pieces each session in advance of the meeting and critique them. Now other than Ed Notes (which the UFT and Tweed consider fiction) I haven't really been writing much for this group. There are some very talented people in the group, with a couple of novels and self-help books published. Mary Hoffman who I recruited to the group, used to teach with me and is a high level and serious writer with a published book of short stories and some novels hopefully on the verge. That meeting ended at 9 when I headed over to say goodbye to Anna.


================
The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Field Trip Against Field Tests: Parent Protest Pearson: June 7 @ 11:00 am

Some parents opting out of Pearson field tests will bring children to June 7 Pearson to protest having them be guinea pigs. Some parents are sending Pearson an invoice for the use of their children as child labor.

There's lots of exciting stuff happening on the opposition to  high stakes testing front. I really can't keep up so you'll have to troll around my Daily Blog roll. Here in NYC I have been part of the GEM Change the Stakes group which has attracted some outstanding parents from around the city. We had another great meeting yesterday and the next focus is on the June 7 protest at Pearson described below. I expect to be there to cover it. Other groups involved include a dynamic new group, Parent Voices (www.parentvoicesny.org) and the old standby Time Out From Testing. And this is nation-wide.

High-stakes testing protests spread http://wapo.st/KR0O2Q
*In New York, parents are organizing to boycott the June administration of a “try out” test. Students will answer experimental questions so Pearson can select items for future tests, perhaps to be used in multiple states for more profits, as was “Pineapple.” The company already had included experimental questions on the May state tests.--Valerie Strauss

The AFT/UFT/Randi Weingarten clique is looking to climb on board the test resistance movement with an  AFT Resolution on Testing resolution at the AFT convention in Detroit in July. It doesn't go far enough and is just words with no real demands. But check it out for yourself. One thing I can say for sure, every single one of the 800 Unity Caucus people going to Detroit will support it no matter what amendments are made to give it teeth. Look for them to call the question, take up space at the microphones, etc. to stop any changes. Read it for yourself --- looks good on paper but is missing some essential elements like:

-- Full transparency of all tests.

-- Full audit of all test costs.

And more -- like some focus on how the common core, which the union supports, will increase testing and costs and test prep. That they support common core and this supposed reso on testing indicates how bogus this is. Call it the Cover Our Ass reso.

Of course, as to events like this below, the UFT seems to have little interest.

If you want a copy of the flier click on the graphic and download it or send me an email and I'll get you the pdf.

Public school parents from across the city are gathering outside the headquarters of test publisher Pearson to protest misguided testing in the public schools.

The demonstration is taking place on:

Thursday, June 7 at 11AM
1330 6th Avenue –  gathering on the corner of 54th street and 6th avenue

We all saw this year how bad the tests are, with ridiculous questions like “The Pineapple and the Hare.” And yet no one takes responsibility. The New York State Education Department has turned over control of the education system to a private for-profit company with no accountability and no oversight

It’s time for parents, educators and concerned citizens to say, enough is enough! We want a rich curriculum for our kids – not “teaching to the test.”

There is no school on June 7th, so we encourage parents to bring their children on a “field trip against the field tests”. We will have a marching band, fun chants, puppets and other activities for kids.

So please join us – and tell your friends. See the attached graphics for more information and distribution.


This demonstration is sponsored by a coalition of groups, including ParentVoicesNY, Time Out From Testing, Change the Stakes, Restore Education Funding, Class Size Matters, Edu4, Alliance for Quality Education, Coalition for Educational Justice. For more information, see www.parentvoicesny.org or www.changethestakes.org.

--------
FAIR Test run by the great Monty Neill is the major national group fighting high stakes testing. Just to be in the same room with Debbie and Diane is worth the price of admission. I just sent in my $75 for a ticket. And even if you can't go on Tuesday, send them something to keep up the great work.

FairTest to Honor Diane Ravitch with the Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award

http://fairtest.org/fairtest-honor-diane-ravitch-deborah-w-meier-hero

Date and Time: Tuesday, 5 June, 6:00-830 p.m.
Place: Julia Richman Educational Complex, 317 East 67th St., New York City

Diane Ravitch is an internationally renowned and respected historian of education. Formerly a supporter of testing, test-based accountability, and school choice, she had the courage to publicly renounce her previous position after seeing the wreckage caused by No Child Left Behind. For the past two years, she has tirelessly toured the nation, encouraging educators, parents and other citizens to stand up against the relentless encroachment of high-stakes standardized testing on the minds of children and the lives of educators.

Author of 10 books, editor of 14 others, and the recipient of numerous honors and awards for her work, Diane is a graduate of the Houston (TX) public schools and earned a BA from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in American Education History at Columbia University. She was on the faculty of Teachers College from 1975-1991. She then was Assistant Secretary for the Office of Education Research and Improvement in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. She was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board by the Clinton administration, serving from 1997-2004. She shares a weekly blog with Deborah W. Meier on Education Week’s website column, “Bridging Differences.” Diane lives in Brooklyn with her partner Mary Butz.

Order your tickets or place an ad in the Celebration Program using this downloadable form.

If you are unable to attend, we hope you will place an ad in the program or make a donation in honor of Diane here.

=================

The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

The Incarceration Gap: School to Prison Pipe Line, Racism and Stop and Frisk

I received a phone call from a former student in an upstate prison serving 15 to life for murder one Thanksgiving while surrounded by 20 guests in my home. "Hey Scottie, guess who's here with me? M---." "What, he's back in prison," I said, shocked? M, one of my favorite students, came on the phone and we chatted. "There are 9 guys from the our block here," M said. ---- Norm Scott

Everything connects with everything, but the role that the incarceration of black men in America has played and continues to play seems suddenly a greater crisis than bad schools, or even poverty. If we—white Americans—were truly concerned about the "achievement gap," it's the gap in incarceration rates where we might start. No, it isn't a fact that it all starts with "pathology" or the "culture of poverty." --- Deb Meier

Yes, there's an incarceration gap. Ed Deformers blame that gap on US. Bad teaching you know.

All these issues are ignored when asshole ed deformers talk about the civil rights issue of our time being focused on getting rid of a few so-called "bad" teachers. As if the number of kids who have a dad or another close relative serving time has no relevance. Two articles featured here by Debbie Meier and Michael Powell though seemingly independent, are interrelated.

Deb connects the dots. But let's add in the series on "stop and frisk" Michael Powell has been doing at the NY Times. He has a good piece yesterday. Just about every one of my make students have been stopped.

Here are the links to Powell.

1. Time for Kelly to Drop Stop-and-Frisk in New York - NYTimes.com

   www.nytimes.com/.../reducing-crime-squandering-good-will.html

   Apr 9, 2012 – New York's police commissioner once said the use of stop-and-frisk tactics “sowed new seeds of community mistrust,” ... By MICHAEL POWELL ...

2. Arguments for Stop-and-Frisk Don't Hold Up - The New York Times

   www.nytimes.com/.../gotham-arguments-for-stop-and-frisk-dont-hol...

   By MICHAEL POWELL. Published: May 28, 2012. I grew up in the New York City so often invoked as the horror to which we might return if the police stopped ...

3. 'Officers, Why Do You Have Your Guns Out?' - The New York Times

   www.nytimes.com/.../fatal-shooting-of-ex-marine-by-white-plains-po...

   Mar 5, 2012 – By MICHAEL POWELL ... James Estrin/The New York Times ... and her voice cracks; she is speaking for the first time about what she saw.

'The New Jim Crow'

By Deborah Meier on May 24, 2012 10:58 AM

Dear Diane,
I've had a startling experience—even though "I knew it all" before. But it didn't add up until I read Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow.

Everything connects with everything, but the role that the incarceration of black men in America has played and continues to play seems suddenly a greater crisis than bad schools, or even poverty. If we—white Americans—were truly concerned about the "achievement gap," it's the gap in incarceration rates where we might start. No, it isn't a fact that it all starts with "pathology" or the "culture of poverty."

Alexander's rigorously researched and passionate book was hard to put down and equally hard to pick up. We (white Americans) keep inventing new ways to maintain racism in its most naked form—even as we about talk colorblindness. I think I have fallen into the trap, too, when pointing out that the white poor face many of the same obstacles that the black and Hispanic poor do. I, too, have been urging a more colorblind attack on our school system's miseducational policies. Tactically, it might have seemed wise, but factually, it's nonsense.

Read Deb's entire piece: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2012/05/_my_25_dear_diane.html 
 
And let me add Jose Vilson's

An Open Letter To NYS Education Commissioner John B. King [Testing Isn't Natural]

Jose ties into the testing movement as a way for the deformers to control the system -- and make more than a few bucks for their buddies. King is one of the bigger asshats and total suckup.

I’m in no way outraged because, as it turns out, I expected you to show your hand when it came to these things. The same money used to draw the huge contract recently doled out to Pearson to create (and probably fix) these tests could have been used to hire more adults to our neediest schools. Plus, your department asked the rest of us to carry out your agenda in the form of a memo. As if the kids haven’t already picked up that most of these tests shouldn’t be taken seriously. As if testing them this many times will actually matter in the lives they hope to lead after K-12.

Read all of Jose's piece:

And speaking of testing, did you know that Change the Stakes is meeting today at CUNY at 5:30 rm 5409 (34th and 5th ave -- bring id. Join the parents and teachers working on opting out or boycotting the Pearson field tests in June. And keep an eye out on ed notes for our exclusive reveal of test passages and questions in advance of the test.

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

Chicago Screening of The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman Draws Crowd in Chicago

 Little by little we are reaching new batches of people. This photo came in from Al Ramirez, one of the leaders of CORE, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators in Chicago, the same caucus that Karen Lewis is part of. Al is an old pal from the summer of 2009 when I got to hang out with CORE members when running the union was barely a glimmer in their eyes. One year later they were running the union.

Al texted this photo as they were filing in. I think this is being sponsored by a parent/community activist group who have been in touch.

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

TAPCO/Passarella Debate Continues

"I am a teacher in Queens who also has been following this. Why? Because it's disturbing. I saw it in the news on Channel 7 and googled the name PASSARELLA and SCANDAL and was lead to this blog. The entries read like a John Grisham novel. "

There is no little irony in the news today from WalBloom about the limits of a 3020a hearing for teachers from THEIR point of view. But when it comes to principal, they can pretty much do what they want --- a double -- or quadruple standard -- they get 4x the protection a teacher gets. TAPCO principal Lyn Passarella is a perfect example. I'm betting they give her a network to run --- networks, the burial ground for passing the principal lemons.

"What is disturbing is the implication that the DOE not only knew about Passarella, but probably provided the training and the knowledge for her to operate as she did. I would like to know WHO concealed her. WHO was her mentor. What organizations advised her. And most important, now that she has been exposed, are any of those parties being held accountable?"

The above quotes from a Queens teacher were intriguing for the questions they raise about the system in general under the ed deformers. We have had a few posts on TAPCO on Ed Notes over the past few years (see links below). Tapco was the highest scoring school -- until the scandals erupted. People connected to the school have been dropping by some of the posts over the years, with one garnering over 140 comments so far.
 
The debate has been intense, including teachers and students. Sometimes there are some rough edges. I do not censor any of it unless someone asks me to look at a comment. But I don't remember taking anything out. This debate really gets into the fabric of a school culture and can be very illuminating.

I'm bringing it up today because of this comment today from a teacher who has nothing to do with the school but was intrigued by the comments.

(NOTE: I have comment moderation turned on after a day or two because of the influx of ads, not to censor anyone. So it you post it will be up within 24 hours when I get to it.)

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Another DOE Scam - TAPCO - Theatre Arts Production...":

I am a teacher in Queens who also has been following this. Why? Because it's disturbing. I saw it in the news on Channel 7 and googled the name PASSARELLA and SCANDAL and was lead to this blog. The entries read like a John Grisham novel.

What is disturbing is the implication that the DOE not only knew about Passarella, but probably provided the training and the knowledge for her to operate as she did. I would like to know WHO concealed her. WHO was her mentor. What organizations advised her. And most important, now that she has been exposed, are any of those parties being held accountable?

Indeed the Passarella story is not just an indictment on her, but on the system she has been able to succeed in. Think about it. Her lying and cheating and cooking the books lead her school to achieve the number one ranking in the entire NYC school system. Yet from what I read, her graduates could barely survive in life after TAPCO. Bad sign.

Justice needs to be served. Is it true her hearing is not until fall? And she continues to collect that $145K? Incredible. Simply incredible. Why can't they after a 17 month investigation hear her case within a month? Or freeze her salary until it is decided? Just think of all the useful ways that money could be spent to better her school, and undue her damage! 

 Here are the links I found on a search of Ed Notes:

Another DOE Scam - TAPCO - Ed Notes Online - Yes

Nov 30, 2010

I find it interesting that TAPCO was discussed on this forum. Somehow, the Theatre Arts Production Co. School was rated the number 1 school in the NYC-DOE report cards this past month. When the principal announced it, ...

http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/

Ed Notes Online: That Cheat'n Principal: Passarella Removed from ...

Mar 09, 2012

I am a former staff member at the school MS/HS225, also known as TAPCO. Although I have not worked at this school for several years, I am intimately familiar with the workings of the school and its principal, Lynn Passarella.

http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/

 

UFT Condmened in TAPCO Fiasco - Ed Notes Online - Yes

Mar 11, 2012

This comment below from TAPCO takes the UFT Chapter Leader who was owned by the admin to task. But maybe you can't blame him considering he knows the UFT doesn't have the ability to protect his back. Do teachers ...

http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/

 

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.

NYC Teachers Support Parents on Field Test Boycott in Letter to Walcott

You can show your support for the boycott of Pearson Field testing which uses students and teachers as guinea pigs to test sample questions in days of tests this June. There is lots of action around this issue. Find out if your school is on the list to tested by checking the links at the end of this post.

Teachers and concerned citizens,

A handful of parents fought back against high-stakes testing last month by refusing to have their children sit for the state tests. Most recently hundreds of parents across New York City have been telling their principals they do not want their children to participate in the Pearson standalone field tests that schools are required to administer this month or next.

While many teachers would like to be able to join parents in boycotting the tests, we also know that such risks require a strong union leadership that is willing to support teachers in taking job actions of this kind in protest of unjust DOE practices.

For this reason several teachers have instead drafted a letter to Chancellor Walcott and the DOE requesting permission to not be required to participate in the June field tests. You can read and sign the letter here. The letter is polite and in no way could be considered insubordination, but please know that it is an open letter and we will be sending the names of those who signed along with the letter to the DOE and to press within the next several weeks.

Below is the text of the letter. It has already been endorsed by Movement of Rank-and-file Educators, the social justice caucus of the UFT. Please share widely with those who might be interested, and sign on by clicking here. Non-teachers such as concerned parents or community members can also sign on in support.

May, 2012


Chancellor Walcott and the New York City Department of Education
52 Chambers St
New York, NY 10007


Dear Chancellor Walcott and the New York City Department of Education,


We, the undersigned educators of the New York City schools, are writing to respectfully request that teachers across New York City not be required to participate in or proctor the Pearson stand-alone field tests that the New York State Education Department plans to administer in most schools this month and next. Our reasons for reaching out to you with this request are many-faceted, and while we will comply with any decision that is made, we would ask that you please consider our concerns with the field tests before coming to a decision.


To begin, many parents have become increasingly frustrated by the use, nature and abundance of standardized tests in our schools. We have seen this personally, in conversations with parents who express their concerns to us as their children’s teachers. And we have also seen it as a city-wide movement, which recently included a group of parents who refused to have their children sit for the New York State ELA and Math exams.  This effort by parents, organizing alongside concerned educators through the Grassroots Education Movement’s Change the Stakes committee, was supported by many more parents who said they would like to remove their children from the state exams but were concerned about the consequences. In explaining their reasons for choosing to boycott parents wrote that the increased focus on improving scores has forced teachers less time focussing on “inspiring a love of learning, fostering creativity, or encouraging critical and interdisciplinary thinking.”


Additionally, hundreds of parents organizing  with groups such as Time Out from Testing, Change the Stakes and ParentVoicesNY have now submitted letters to principals in schools across New York City stating that they “respectfully request that the school not give the [stand-alone field] tests at all, and that all students benefit from a day of instruction rather than waste yet another day on test-taking.” In the letter, parents cite concerns such as wasted instructional days and the use of their children as guinea pigs for the research purposes of “a for-profit corporation without [their] consent or permission.” We feel that as teachers it is our responsibility to be responsive to the concerns of the parents whose children we serve, and we would like to support this most recent parent effort around the stand-alone field tests.


Secondly, as teachers we agree with parents that excessive testing is damaging to our students. Indeed, the use of standardized tests to make high-stakes decisions about children, teachers and schools has been repeatedly documented by researchers to have negative consequences on children and on their education.  We have witnessed worrisome anxiety in the children we are charged with educating as the increased pressure to perform on the state exams affects them. We have seen- and in many cases been forced to comply with- a narrowing of the curriculum and the neglecting of non-tested subjects. We think that the use of time for test preparation as well as the number of days taken up by tests and practice tests is unconscionable.  Considering all this, we cannot in good faith subject our students to additional testing days in May and June without at the very least requesting permission to recuse ourselves from this practice on moral grounds.


Finally, we feel that the form and use of the stand-alone field tests are inappropriate for their stated purpose, and we lament the intended long-term strategy of increased “accountability based on tests” of which these field tests are a part. The use of stand-alone field tests for the purpose of norming state exams has been repeatedly criticized by experts. In fact, the NYS Education Department itself blamed stand alone field-testing in part for the need to re-calibrate the cut scores on the 2009 state exams that moved thousands of students across the state from passing to failing.  We also know that the field tests are meant to pilot various questions for exams that will then be used as part of the new New York State teacher evaluation system. We feel that the use of test scores in any form to evaluate teachers is inappropriate. The Board on Testing and Assessment of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences has warned that so-called “value added models” based on test scores cannot be considered fair or reliable enough to make operational decisions about teachers.  But even if such models were improved, the consequences of using tests to evaluate teachers will be damaging to students’ education for reasons mentioned previously, and will also have a negative effect on school culture. The money spent on contracts with Pearson and other for-profit companies to develop, field-test and administer these exams should instead be spent on increased resources for classrooms and on supporting the educational and non-educational needs of all children, in particular children living in poverty.


In conclusion, we would like to assert that our request is in no way intended to be insubordinate but instead to raise concerns about the field tests and to respectfully request that educators across New York City not be mandated to participate in tests to which we have moral objections. Teachers need to be empowered to stand up when we recognize injustices done to our students and ourselves, and we need unions that support teachers in taking on such challenges. Indeed, teacher protections and the ability to take collective action against injustice help us protect children. We hope that you will consider our request, and we thank you for your time.


Sincerely,
Concerned teachers of the New York City Schools

Endorsed by Movement of Rank-and-file Educators, the social justice caucus of the UFT

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PRESS RELEASE - Change The Stakes Demands Full Disclosure of School Testing Program

Elementary and middle schools in NYC will be administering field tests in June.

Do you know which grades in your school will be tested?

Read our press release

Click on your school’s borough to find out which grade and subject will be tested in your school.

Take a stand against high stakes testing!

MANHATTAN SCHOOLS

BRONX SCHOOLS

BROOKLYN SCHOOLS

QUEENS SCHOOLS

STATEN ISLAND SCHOOLS

CITYWIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS

COMPLETE CITYWIDE LIST of SCHOOLS

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.