Karen Lewis Speaks at FairTest Event June 4 2015

No Excuses New Jersey, It's Time to Pass Opt Out Legislation

Save Our Schools New Jersey has made it so easy to contact your state reps to pass legislation that would protect students and give parents the right to opt their children out of high stakes testing.

No excuses. If parents, teachers and students don't click on the link below, then they deserve what they get. How much easier can it be, and it's another snow day.

No excuses!!

Support A4165: Protect Right to Refuse High-Stakes Standardized Tests

Please enter your zip code below to ask your New Jersey Assembly Members to support A4165. 

This bipartisan legislation guarantees all families the right to refuse high-stakes standardized tests, without retribution.

You may personalize the subject line and edit the email to your Assembly Members. Sharing your family's experiences with high-stakes standardized testing is particularly helpful in informing legislators about this issue. 

Please also call your two Assembly Members and ask them to support A4165. You may leave a message on their voicemail.  You can find their contact information by looking up your home town at this link

It only takes a minute to call and send an email and has a significant impact on your Assembly Members' willingness to support this legislation. 

We anticipate that A4165 will be heard in the Assembly Education Committee very soon. 

Please check our Facebook page for daily updates and our website for our position statement on high-stakes standardized testing.  Our website also contains additional information about the PARCC high-stakes standardized tests; answers to frequently-asked questions about refusing high-stakes standardized testing; and useful forms for parents who wish to refuse such tests for their children.     

Thank you for all you do to support high-quality public education for all of our children!

Subject:

Some Talk, Some Act: I'll Go With Those Who Act

from United Opt Out:

“The revolution I want is ‘proceed until apprehended.’ Whether they [reformers] have sinister motives or misguided honest motives, we should say, ‘We are not going to listen to you anymore. We are going to do what’s right.’” -NEA President Lily Eskelson Garcia

We at UOO agree.

Recently the CEA legal services center wrote an opinion piece about Opt Out in the October issue of the CEA Journal. The legal team reviewed state law and Supreme Court cases and ended the piece with a recommendation that teachers should not directly encourage parents or students to opt out.

K-12 public education is now an 800 billion dollar industry. High stakes testing allows for immense profit – using our children. This year the PARCC test will be administered in Colorado. It is already predicted to fail 70% of Colorado’s children, setting up the perfect storm for privatization, using the open door policies found in the Race to the Top mandates and No Child Left Behind waivers. We at UOO act in accordance with the urgency needed to stop the dismantling of our public schools; we respond to Ms. Eskelson Garcia’s call for a revolution and we shall proceed until apprehended.   Civil disobedience and non-violent protests are necessary in times of crisis. Such actions can bring to the forefront the inequities and injustice occurring in our country. Such action can demand change. Simply, opting out is “do[ing] what’s right.”

We at UOO spend a lot of time reviewing ed. statutes. In fact, we have reviewed the ed . statutes of all fifty states in order to create effective opt out guides per state.   At times, a state’s ed. statutes can provide a loop hole that allows for a “legal” opt out. However, in most cases, opt out is simply an act of civil disobedience, an act that is necessary when unethical laws fly in the face of science, teacher experience, student experience, and simply, in the face of doing what is right.

CEA legal services state, “The taking of statewide assessments is required of students and the Colorado Department of Education’s regulations applicable to teaching licenses require that teachers do not set an inappropriate example for children or youth whose ideals the educator is expected to foster and elevate.”

We cannot imagine a better example for children or youth than an educator who stands up to policies which harm children.  

In order to “foster and elevate” children we must first do no harm. A high stakes environment which thrives on testing and denies children resources essential to their mental and physical well-being is not only harmful, it has been labeled “child abuse” by Dr. Gary Thompson, a Doctor of Psychology, who speaks nationwide on the abuses inflicted on children in the name of high stakes testing. Peer reviewed research on high stakes testing clearly shows that such testing causes illness, anxiety, decreased motivation, and heightened levels of stress.

We at UOO have helped thousands of parents refuse tests for their children. Dr. Thompson states that approximately 20% of children will be successful on the common core high stakes PARCC test. The other 80% include children of poverty, children of color, children with exceptional needs, and children who suffer from emotional stresses such as anxiety, OCD, and suicidal thoughts. Opting out is “do[ing] what’s right.”

We believe that setting children up to fail, in the name of the almighty dollar, is indeed, child abuse.

We must also factor in the effects of poverty on brain development. In Colorado, the number of homeless school children has more than tripled in the last decade. The poverty rate of black children stands at approximately 40 percent while the poverty rate of Latino children is approximately 30 percent. Colorado also has the third fastest growing rate of childhood poverty in the nation. The stresses of poverty can change the development of the brain.  CEA has called the current testing in Colorado toxic. We would agree. Such toxic testing should not be inflicted on children of poverty – toxic stress already exists in their lives. Adding toxic testing will further increase the damage done to the pre-frontal cortex – the part of the brain which deals with problem solving. Such toxic testing is guaranteed to increase the school to prison pipeline.

Teachers and parents nationwide have shared story after story with us regarding the emotional and physical stress placed on children in high stakes testing environments.  We at UOO cannot fathom any reason, whatsoever, to place any child in these abusive situations. Opting out is “do[ing] what’s right.”

In order to protect children, it is essential to refuse to comply with unethical laws.

The PARCC test is an experiment. There is no peer review research to demonstrate that this test is valid. There is no parental informed consent for the PARCC experiment. Experimentation requires informed consent.

The PARCC is not our only concern. We believe parents should also refuse common core tests and curriculum inflicted on our youngest children (grades K-3). Early childhood health and educational professionals agree; they wrote a joint statement in 2010, demanding that the K-3 standards be withdrawn. They state, “The proposed standards conflict with compelling new research in cognitive science, neuroscience, child development, and early childhood education about how young children learn, what they need to learn, and how best to teach them in kindergarten and the early grades.” 

We take our cue from the experts, those who work with children in multiple capacities, to determine what course of action is necessary to halt the harm – the toxic common core curriculum and testing – occurring in our public schools. Opting out is “do[ing] what’s right.”

CEA legal services state, “…it is important that educators do not directly encourage parents or students to violate the law; to do so might result in potential disciplinary action.”
We state…

Thank you for the legal advice CEA, but we agree with Ms. Eskelson Garcia. “We are not going to listen to you anymore. We are going to do what’s right.” We will lead this revolution, and until we are apprehended we will encourage parents, teachers, and students to ignore an unethical law that is being used to harm children, the teaching profession, our school communities, and ultimately, our democracy. Join us and stand on the right side of history.

What can you do?

We recommend working with like-minded individuals in your community to determine how best to share opt out information. In some districts, it is best to share opt out information off school campus. In other districts, you might find like-minded individuals who are willing to help you disseminate information in ways that protect teachers. We personally have worked with superintendents, administrators, teachers, union members, parents, students and community members to find creative ways to educate and take action. The First Amendment guarantees us the right to express our political views.

We also recommend that teachers find like-minded local union members to shift the momentum in our unions starting at the grassroots level.  Corporate money buys corporate ideology – and unfortunately, many of our unions have succumbed to the idea that getting a seat at the table will save our public schools. The privatization movement offers no seat at the table for teachers or students. The end goal is profit – our children’s well-being is not of concern.

The R.A.V.E. caucus (Re-igniting Association Values for Educators) is an excellent group of teachers, AFT members, NEA members, parents, students and community members who support opt out in Colorado. Their vision and mission statement can be found here. 

- United Opt Out Team

Brooklyn Schools Lead the Way

 “There was inappropriate content, many highly ambiguous questions, and a focus on structure rather than meaning of passages.” 

Brooklyn schools lead the way. From The Nation

There’s a growing nationwide movement opposing these tests as the result of a corporate-driven agenda that has distorted real learning, widened the achievement gap, increased financial strain on schools and parents, unfairly stigmatized teachers and introduced unnecessary stress into the lives of young people. There’s a litany of grievances cited by critics and the opposition comes from both the left and the right.

In many places, activists have encouraged parents to opt out of the tests, which is legally allowed in all states. The most dramatic example of a successful opt out movement took place in January 2013, when teachers led a test boycott at Seattle’s Garfield High School. Teachers refused to administer and students refused to take the state test, which organizers argued wasn’t aligned to curriculum and provided statistically unreliable results. After a months-long standoff with the district, which saw teachers threatened with suspension, the district relented and allowed the high school to forgo the test.

Nothing has gone that far in New York City. Yet. But three Brooklyn schools did havesignificant opt-out numbers this past week and there’s a huge undercurrent of resentment building to what even many school administrators are calling unreliable, unfair, unintelligible and unnecessary tests.

Liz Phillips, the highly respected veteran principal of Park Slope’s PS 321, was so aghast at the muddle that was apparently this year’s ELA that she issued a strongly worded statement on behalf of her administration and faculty, telling parents, “There was inappropriate content, many highly ambiguous questions, and a focus on structure rather than meaning of passages.” She added that she was “devastated” at having had to administer the tests and underscored that “our teachers and administrators feel that this test is an insult to the profession of teaching and that students’ scores on it will not correlate with their reading ability. ”

Phillips followed up by quickly organizing a protest at her school on April 4, the morning after the ELAs were complete, and reaching out to Dr. Rebecca Fagin, the principal of fellow Brownstone Brooklyn Public School 29 (where my children are in third and first grades currently) encouraging her to do the same.

Fagin, in her second year at the helm and already on record as opposing the high-stakes nature of the test along with 545 fellow New York State principals who co-signed this letterlast November, was receptive to Phillips’s suggestion. She also had the strong backing of a growing group of the school’s teachers, a small number of whom had previously collaborated on a teachers’ resolution opposing the tests which was subsequently signed by about three-quarters of the school’s faculty and released at the April 4 protests.

I’ve heard moving emotional appeals making the case against high-stakes testing. I’ve read heavily reported books. I’ve sat through well-informed data-driven presentations. But I had not read something like the PS 29 Teachers Resolution, which combines the intellectual clarity of the deeply informed with the urgency that only profound personal involvement can incite.

These teachers are on the front lines—they truly care and they really know the deal. Let’s honor their commitment by listening to them.

PS 29 Teachers Resolution

April 4, 2014

Over the past decade, standardized tests have taken on greater importance in New York’s public schools. New York City’s students now take state ELA and math exams in grades 3 through 8, and their performance on these tests is linked to promotion, middle- and high-school admissions, teacher evaluations and school progress reports.

Because the tests are now aligned with the Common Core State Standards, they have become more difficult, resulting in much lower passing rates across New York City and State. The tests have also become longer: elementary school students will spend between seven and nine hours taking the state tests this month and next, and students with testing accommodations may have to sit for as many as eighteen hours of testing this spring. Moreover, during March and April, students in testing-grade classrooms can spend up to three hours per day preparing for the state tests.

As teachers, we feel the impact of these changes in our classrooms. In testing grades, the anxiety that students and teachers have about the state exams is palpable. Some students break down in tears during testing and related test-prep sessions, knowing that their performance impacts not only their promotion to the next grade, but also their chances of getting into choice middle and high schools.

Compounding the emotional turmoil, teachers in testing grades must narrow their otherwise rich curricula in order to make room for test prep. Subjects like social studies, word study and read aloud are cast aside, and valuable social-emotional learning and exploration must be limited in order to make sure that students are ready for the exams come spring.

High-stakes tests require that teachers narrow not only their curricula but also the skills they emphasize. As teachers in testing grades prepare students for the state exams, they must often put aside their emphasis on skills like elaboration and creative thinking in order to teach kids to write formulaic responses and find the one right answer.

Even the lower grades have been affected by these high-stakes tests. The pressure to prepare students for their upcoming years of testing has cut time for exploration and play. Additionally, that pressure has increased the need for students to meet, at times, developmentally inappropriate milestones in reading and writing.

Beyond the scope of individual classrooms, high-stakes tests have significant consequences for a school as a whole. As teachers are pulled from their programs to accommodate the proctoring and scoring of exams, a number of critical support services, ESL periods, ICT classrooms and specialty programs are disrupted for nearly a month.

When used correctly, we believe that assessment is a powerful tool. At PS 29, we constantly assess our students, collecting meaningful data that informs our day-to-day instruction. Unlike the high-stakes tests, our assessments improve the education we provide.

Across grades, we feel with great certainty that the rise of standardized testing—and most specifically, its high-stakes nature—has eroded real student learning time, narrowed the curriculum and jeopardized the rich, meaningful education our students need and deserve.

As such, we, the undersigned, believe that it is crucial for teachers to raise our voices on these issues, and we resolve to stand together to advocate for the elimination of the high-stakes nature of standardized tests.

Sincerely,
Kim Van Duzer
Leah Brunski
Rachel Knight
Peter Cipparone
Sara Thorne
Susannah Sperry
Liz Sturges Cosentino
Carolyn Rivas
Sophia Soto
Kristen Adamczyk
Sarah McCaffrey
Mollie Lief
Chantelle Luk
Melissa Bandes Golden
Frank Thomas
Jackie Lichter
Tristram Carver
Jessica Albizu
Hana Pardon
Lisa Cohen
Dan Turret
Lauren McGivney
Adam Gerloff
Bradley Frome
Izzi Kane
Molly Dubow
Kathy Nobles
January Mark
Jasmine Junsay
Nadira Udairam
Aaron Berns
Monica Salazar-Austin
Rachel Certner
Alice Pack
Marisa Noiseux

United Opt Out, March 28-30 in Denver

Join United Opt Out, March 28th – 30th, 2014 in Denver, CO.

“Why Denver?” Good question.

 We are coming to Denver because we have many friends that need our help. We are devoting the entire event to action on three themes: union organizing, corporate education reform basics, and next steps. When we leave, Denver will have a plan of action stating exactly what parents will do, what students will do, what teachers will do, and what community members will do. They will be ready. And others in attendance will have strategies and new knowledge to take back to their own communities.

 We will combine the efforts of all who attend to do some of the heavy lifting. Are you ready? If so, join us and we’ll get to work. Register today.

LOCATION: AURARIA CAMPUS in Downtown Denver

900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204

National Activists in attendance to offer their support include: Bess Altwerger, Sam Anderson, Anthony Cody, Tracey Bowen Douglas, Angela Engel, Stefanie Fuhr, Michelle Gunderson, Jeremiah James Henderson, Jim Horn, Rosemarie Jenson,  Denisha Jones, Alex Kasch, Larry Lawrence, Rick Meyer,  Mark Naison, Monty Neill, Kris Nielsen, Meg Norris, Tom Poetter, Susan Horton Polos, Becca Ritchie, Ricardo Rosa, Pasi Sahlberg, Carmen Scarfaro III, Jocelyn Weeda, Lois Weiner, and Pam Zich.

And of course, the UOO crew: Shaun Johnson, Morna McDermott McNulty, Peggy Robertson (local to Denver), Ruth Rodriguez, Tim Slekar, and Ceresta Smith.

Bios to follow soon for all activists. UOO bios can be found here on our website under “About.”

Keynote by Pasi Sahlberg.

And once again, our focus, keeping our eye on the ball – as we always do at UOO:  Reclaiming Our Unions at the Grassroots Level,  Corp Ed Reform – What you Need to Know in Order to Take it Down, and What’s Next? The Solutions

Detailed schedule and locations for each day’s activities to follow soon.

Recommended hotel: Embassy Suites Downtown Denver (phone number and info in link!) When you call, they will ask for a confirmation number (give them #81614934) and a phone number used for reserving the block of rooms ( give them #720-810-5593).  10 King Suites have been reserved – each will hold four people. Space is limited we are told – this appears to be a busy weekend in Denver so reserve your hotel room now!

 Registration required for this event in order to secure your attendance -  $20 at eventbrite.

"STANDARDIZED" Documentary Philadelphia February 6

This very important and timely film is a must see. It will make its debut at Howard Middle School in Orlando, Florida on January 25 and will be in Philadelphia on Thursday, February 6 at 6 pm.

Check the web site to see where it is playing and bring it to a theatre or a school near you. 

Filmmaker David Hornberger of Rockfish Productions attended the Occupy the Department of Education events in 2012 and 2013 and will be giving a portion of the proceeds from the film to United Opt Out National. 

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The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools invites

 you to a screening and discussion of  

           Standardized: Lies, Money, and Civil Rights”.

Thursday, February 6 - 6:00 p.m. - Ritz East, 125 S. 2nd St.

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Buy tickets

There will be a discussion after the film. Special Guests:

Helen Gym - Philadelphia’s Parents United for Public Education

Mark Naison - Professor of History and Chair of African and African-American Studies, Fordham University; author of Pure Bronx. He is the founder of the national Badass Teachers Association.

Jim Horn - Founder of the Schools Matter blog. He is author of “The Mismeasure of Education”. 

Tickets are $9.00.

To see the trailer and purchase tickets go to Rockfish Productions.

Online is recommended because if it sells out there may not be tickets available at the door.

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"Standardized" Documentary: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education

“Standardized: Lies, Money and Civil Rights: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education”

"We think this film is going to give more parents the guts to say, 'Our kids don't have to take these tests,'"Hornberger said. "They prove nothing.

To watch it, go to www.youtube.com and search on “Standardized.”

By the way: After its theatrical run, Hornberger intends to post “Standardized” at www.vimeo.com, charging $5 per viewing and donating $1 from each purchase to the United Opt Out movement. The official trailer for “Standardized” has received more than 3,600 views on YouTube. To watch it, go to www.youtube.com and search on “Standardized.”