If you've been following my blogs, you know that my family has been wrestling with idea of boycotting NCLB testing this year. My wife and I decided on "Bartleby light." So as parents, we opted our son out of NCLB testing and did not put the pressure on him to write, "I prefer not to take your test."
In our small town, word spreads fast and it came to our attention that some of the teachers didn't understand why we were "mad" at them. Didn't we (my wife and I) understand that they (teachers) are forced by law to administer NCLB assessments?" My wife and I know that "opting out" of NCLB may initially hurt our schools AYP, but in three years all schools will fail to meet AYP. Then what (see here)?
I needed the teachers to understand that we are 100 percent supportive of them and public schools. I decided to write a letter to the school's principal. The next day the principal asked if he could share it with the teachers. "Absolutely!" By the end of the day my wife and I had found out that the majority of teachers were now supportive of our act of civil disobedience.
Therefore, I decided to include the letter in this blog.
Dear Principal,
If the teachers don't understand what we're doing please let them know they can contact me directly. We want them to know that we feel like this the only option left that might help them (teachers) get their professional autonomy back. We have worked with all the representatives (local, state, and federal). Each level has dismissed us. The boycott is not against the teachers. It's actually in support of them. I can't stand seeing teachers and teaching having the life sucked out of them. Michelle and I want the teachers and administrators put back in charge, in collaboration with the local community. This is how a public school system is supposed to work in a democracy -- parents, teachers, and administrators working together to provide the best education possible for our kids.Teachers need to know that the accountability movement is really a rigged witch-hunt. In the end (actually occurring now) teachers are being blamed for not holding kids accountable and failing schools. Michelle and I want the teachers to know that if they were leading the discussion concerning quality education we would never have had NCLB. This system was specifically designed to fail. As supporters of teachers and public education, Michelle and I had to be a little extreme (boycott), because the end result of NCLB testing will result in the extreme ending of public education as we know it. We refuse to let a corrupt system (not designed by teachers and administrators) use our kid as a data point to prove that teachers and public schools are failing. We greatly admire the teachers and administrators that work in our public schools.
Sincerely,
Tim
Teachers, if your students start to "opt out" of NCLB, it has nothing to with their feelings towards you. This is a movement in support of you. We know you are being held hostage by NCLB. At this point, only we (parents) can fight against the high-stakes standardized testing madness. Your jobs are on the line and your hands are tied. We (parents) are the only ones that might be able to make a difference.
Should my wife and I do anything else? Does this "adequately" explain our intentions? Should teachers and administrators support or condemn us?
Follow Timothy D. Slekar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/slekar
Spread the word. Boycott FCAT!!
Add;
In twenty States students can be beaten for receiving a low test score. (corporal punishment)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/marc-ecko-corporal-punishment_n_833623.html
http://unlimitedjustice.com/ (watch the video)
In all States students face the cruel psychological and physical effects of Bullying everyday while teachers and management look the other way.
http://www.bullyonline.org/schoolbully/school.htm
In all States students have a legal obligation to attend school, therefore is it not a choice, and local education authorities will prosecute children and parents for non-attendance. And while they are sitting in class students and parents have to pretend that;
“teachers and their unions are using the collective bargaining process in ways that help kids, boost the teaching profession and promote the public good.”
American Federation of Teachers
“Surprise, those circumstances DO impact scores! I could go on and on... these tests are sick... the process is sick... and I applaud parents for using reason to opt their children out of this absolutely stupid, expensive, and very misleading measure of "testing" students and rating the school.”
Maybe a movement needs to be organized.
I'm only 25, but I've worked in Secondary Education for 6 years, and I think NCLB has done a lot to harm students and the field of education.
Testing is out of control. The SAT (I, II and Subject Based), HSEE, ACT, CST / STAR. Oy ve! Demasiado! Sheesh!
It really sucks for those of us who work with your kids who need desperately to prove to the governmental overlords that we educated properly, and to get "credit" for our work, and boost our API scores. We hate testing fatigue, it sucks for the kids, they get so burnt out. it is just too much. Picking the best answer does not convey an individual's education level. There is no essay, oral presentation, debate, group exercise, or other more dynamic indicator scored. There are so many ways to learn and evaluate, and choosing the right answer is but a small part of all of it.
Most Americans have a love affair with pay for individual performance and they don’t like unions.
The capitalists pushed too hard too fast this time. Must go slow to privatize this nation’s schools.
Like a frog in boiling water, go slow and they wont know what hit them. Manufacturing folks and service employees went out with just a whimper. What is it with these teachers? Who knew?
Wall street tactics is coming to our schools, prisons, social security administrators; the capitalists must privatize everything even the post office, police, fire depts, that is the very objective of capitalism and Americans love their capitalism as it takes most of them to third world status.
Socialism, communism, capitalism will all create of society of haves and mostly have-nots.
The interesting thing about capitalism is that capitalism and imperialism go hand and hand like ducks and water. Always looking for resources as profit centers to promote greater profits as a never-ending desire for more profits.
Unions are a roadblock for the capitalists to have cheap labor and no seniority or worker rights and few benefits. With teachers, older senior teachers can be replaced with a fresh out for half the wages and less benefits and the CEO of a private school can claim cost reduction then additional profits then here comes the big bonus for self.
Then as a cost reduction outsource the admin jobs to India. $$$$$$$$ Saved.
Do you have a link to support either claim?
My opinion is most Americans will say they don't like the way Teachers Unions are run. There is a big difference not like the way their run and not liking unions?
Do you know of any Universities or Colleges that teach pre-service teachers about union principles or collective-bargaining, grievance procedures, arbitration...?
Personally, I wouldn't need a letter. I would understand why any parent would opt their kid out and I would wholeheartedly support it.
You hit the nail on the head. NCLB was designed to prove our schools are failures and it was only a matter of time. 2014 to be exact. Unfortunately, Obama is helping it along thanks to that education amateur Duncan.
Parents, you do have the power to say NO! These are our children. Stop waiting for someone to give you permission. There may be consequences for refusing testing, but it is NOT against the law to refuse testing. Administrators like Texas school superintendent John Kuhn are starting to speak out. If they know that parents stand with them, then maybe we can turn the tide.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-03-04/the-alamo-schools-letter/