[Xmca-l] Re: Opt-out movement

Greg Thompson greg.a.thompson@gmail.com
Mon Mar 30 07:56:35 PDT 2015 

Greg M,

I recall Charles Payne (http://ssascholars.uchicago.edu/c-payne/) giving a
talk back in 2006 or so about NCLB's testing policy. Although not a massive
supporter of the overall project, he said that the one good thing from
NCLB's testing program was that it meant that schools that were failing
students could now be held accountable.

I think that because these failing (and formerly forgotten) schools are
disproportionately serving minority students, to get rid of testing would
mean getting rid of the means by which schools could be held accountable.
Testing gives hard numbers to say that certain schools are failing and need
to change.

For someone like me that feels like testing is of dubious value, that's a
tough pill to swallow.

-greg


On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 8:45 AM, Greg Mcverry <jgregmcverry@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Here is a press release of the 20 civil rights groups who have signed on to
> annual testing:
>
> http://edtrust.org/press_release/more-than-20-civil-rights-groups-and-education-advocates-release-principles-for-esea-reauthorization-the-federal-role-must-be-honored-and-maintained/
>
> The full text is available.
>
> For a nuanced, but with a strong pro-reform slant, here is a Fordham piece
> on opt-out: http://edexcellence.net/articles/opting-out-race-and-reform
>
> But I agree, too often #edreform is done to and not with.
>
> On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 10:34 AM Glassman, Michael <glassman.13@osu.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi Greg,
> >
> > Do you have a link on this.  I would be really interested to know what
> the
> > thinking of the NAACP is and who is pushing this particular idea.
> >
> > You can also take it and flip it around.  Why are affluent and privileged
> > whites - the same group that is strongly pushing and materially
> benefitting
> > from the emphasis on testing (who runs Pearson, who is pushing corporate
> > charter schools) also looking to escape it?  Why does Rahm Emmanuel put
> his
> > children in the University of Chicago laboratory school?  Why do so many
> of
> > the people pushing testing putting their children in Sidwell Friends
> > school?   It raises some really disturbing questions I think.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-l-bounces@
> > mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Greg Mcverry
> > Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 10:21 AM
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Opt-out movement
> >
> > Yet there is also data to support that the opt-out movement is really a
> > movement of affluent and privileged whites.
> >
> > In fact the NAACP has come out strong in support of annual testing as a
> > neccisity. Some go as far to call the importance of keeping annual
> testing
> > a civil rights movement.
> >
> > I think the opinions of  both NAACP wrong and those who look to
> > accountability based reform as a means to improving disparities between
> > students of color and their suburban peers are wrong.
> >
> > On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 10:17 AM Beth Ferholt <bferholt@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Here in the NYC area it is now a large and quickly growing, as well as
> > > a diverse, parent movement.
> > >
> > > I am generally pessimistic, despite the time I have chosen to devote
> > > to this movement, but there are three very good things to come out of
> > > it
> > > immediately:
> > >
> > > The children see their parents and teachers fighting back, together,
> > > because we care about them here and now -- we are present with them in
> > > their daily lives, not telling them what will be good for them when
> > > they grow up.
> > >
> > > May children enjoy joining the fight.  Their tactics are very
> > > interesting, worth us thinking about, even if they are also funny.  A
> > > huge march I went to this weekend had a sign that said: "Quomo, end
> > > testing, eat fresh Pizza."
> > >
> > > The teachers I work with, no matter what their schools are allowing
> > > them to do, feel deeply respected and supported by this movement,
> > > during this time when most of them are wondering whether or not they
> > > can remain in their chosen profession.
> > >
> > > Some of the NYC teachers are also opting their students out without
> > > the UFT or parents' support, just risking their jobs for their
> > > students, and while this cannot be widespread it creates empowering
> > > stories that intergenerational groups enjoy telling and retelling.
> > >
> > > In NYC we find out on Wed. if students getting higher scores one year
> > > to the next, on the tests, will now be the primary criteria for firing
> > > teachers.  We'll also find out if all schools of education with
> > > teaching candidates who do not pass the new Pearson teacher exams
> > > (results are back and almost the only teacher candidates passing
> > > identify as white) will be closed down by Cuomo in three semesters.
> > >
> > > Du Bois was writing about this, it's not new, and there is also
> > > probably little we can do to change the tide, but at least in NY
> > > things may look very different for public schools preK-graduate school
> > > within a few short years.
> > >
> > > We'll see if Cuomo's budget passes on April fools day,
> > >
> > > Beth
> > >
> > > On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 12:48 AM, Peter Farruggio
> > > <pfarruggio@utpa.edu>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Yes, it's still unsafe for teachers to boycott the tests in most
> > > > places, although the local teachers union in Seattle coordinated
> > > > such an action last year. But the opt out movement is led by
> > > > parents, certainly with teachers supporting it in the background,
> > > > and it has blossomed this
> > > testing
> > > > season. Certain administrators have been using bullying tactics,
> > > including
> > > > outright violations of parents' rights; but the resistance to
> > > > incessant testing will continue to grow as parents organize and
> > > > coordinate their actions nationwide. Education is and always has
> > > > been political, and the politics have become harsher with the
> > > > neoliberal push to privatize
> > > schools
> > > > and everything else.
> > > >
> > > > Teachers can and must play a role in defending democratic education,
> > > > and that means helping to stop the testing madness. The best thing
> > > > they can
> > > do
> > > > at this point is to find ways to educate parents about what is at
> > > > stake
> > > and
> > > > how to exercise their parental rights. If that means conducting
> > > clandestine
> > > > informational meetings in church basements, so be it.
> > > >
> > > > See below
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > http://unitedoptout.com/
> > > >
> > > > http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=5528&section=Article
> > > >
> > > > http://fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Pete Farruggio, PhD
> > > > Associate Professor, Bilingual Education University of Texas Pan
> > > > American
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:
> > > > xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Greg Thompson
> > > > Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2015 11:04 PM
> > > > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > > > Subject: [Xmca-l] Opt-out movement
> > > >
> > > > This is related to the other thread since one of my initial
> > > > responses to the comments there was: As teachers, why not just stop
> > > > paying attention
> > > to
> > > > all the testing and do the stuff that we know really matters?
> > > >
> > > > Here is one answer for why not:
> > > >
> > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ntklteK_c&annotation_id=
> > > 54833ffb-0000-2b41-a517-001a11c17db2&feature=iv&src_vid=JM1ddULfdhU
> > > >
> > > > It is a video about a school in Chicago where 75% of the students
> > > > opted out of taking a standardized test and the fallout that
> followed.
> > > >
> > > > Scary.
> > > >
> > > > -greg
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
> > > > Assistant Professor
> > > > Department of Anthropology
> > > > 880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
> > > > Brigham Young University
> > > > Provo, UT 84602
> > > > http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Beth Ferholt
> > > Assistant Professor
> > > Department of Early Childhood and Art Education Brooklyn College, City
> > > University of New York
> > > 2900 Bedford Avenue
> > > Brooklyn, NY 11210-2889
> > >
> > > Email: bferholt@brooklyn.cuny.edu
> > > Phone: (718) 951-5205
> > > Fax: (718) 951-4816
> > >
> >
> >
>



-- 
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson

More information about the xmca-l mailing list