Tag: Opt Out

“Learning is more than a test score…” Tee-shirts

Just a reminder, PJSTA members should be wearing their “Learning is more than a test score” tee-shirts tomorrow for the first day of the 2013 ELA exam.

tees

North Bellmore’s BOE joined Comsewogue’s last week in issuing a resolution against the use of standardized testing in New York State.

Another Newsday hatchet job here.

Long Island Opt Out’s Jeannette Brunelle Deutermann responded with the following…

Newsday, you have missed the mark yet again. There is an awakening that has been occurring throughout Long Island, New York State, and the Nation. Parents are finally educating themselves on the state of our educational system, and we are horrified by what we have found. Excessive testing on educationally inappropriate material, an experimental common core curriculum which eliminates inspired and creative learning, selling of our children’s data without our consent, and a system which vilifies the only component in this equation putting our children first; the teachers. John King, whose own children do not take part in state assessments, claims his goal is “college ready learners”. Instead he is creating an epidemic of children who are uninspired, dispassionate, bored, and stressed; An epidemic of children who hate school. What is the use of “college ready” when our children won’t even WANT to go to college?

Educators warned the State years ago that if they continued to leave teachers, parents and students out of the equation, the parents would eventually rise up. And rise up we have. Newsday has discounted us as troublemakers and complainers. We are over 7,000 strong JUST ON LONG ISLAND, and our numbers grow by the day. We will no longer sit idly by while businessmen and politicians dismantle our educational system. We will take back our schools. Thousands of children across the State will not be taking part in this week’s state tests. Do not discount us. We will be heard.

Opting Out

Recently the United Opt Out movement has been gaining some steam as many states are gearing up for standardized testing.  This movement is beginning to take root in the community that we work in along with the communities that any of us reside in.  This movement describes itself as follows…

Members of this site are parents, educators, students and social activists who are dedicated to the elimination of high stakes testing in public education. We use this site to collaborate, exchange ideas, support one another, share information and initiate collective local and national actions to end the reign of fear and terror promoted by the high stakes testing agenda.

This blog first mentioned this movement back on January 22nd.  Certainly if you are a parent of school aged children who will be taking the upcoming tests you may be interested in exploring this further.

A Must Read Article, Opting Out, BOE Candidates, Karen Lewis

A MUST READ article on the Democratic Party, how they have embraced neoliberal education reforms, and the impact of the Chicago Teachers Union on this.

If any of our members are parents who wish to have their own children OPT-OUT of standardized testing this year, this link may help you.

If any of our members are interested in running for their home school district’s BOE, please see us… we can help you.

Finally, the CTU’s Karen Lewis speaking in Manhattan this weekend…

NYCORE Conference 2013 – Karen Lewis Keynote from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo.

Calling All Activists!

A few opportunities to speak out against the overuse and misuse of standardized testing…

United Opt Out National is hosting “Occupy 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools” from April 7-10th in Washington D.C.  Speakers over the course of the weekend include Diane Ravitch, Leonie Haimson, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Brian Jones, and Karen Lewis.

New York Principals are hosting “More than a Number: How State Testing is Affecting the Educational and Emotional Health of Our Children” on April 10th at the Hofstra University Adams Playhouse at 7:00 pm.  Click here to register.