Tuesday, May 20, 2014

10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNow The Network For Public Education

The Network For Public Education | 10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNow:



10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNow

May 20, 2014 Testing / Opting Out, Uncategorized


As the school year starts to wind down, instead of talking about all the great things they’ve learned most students are still in the middle of testing, testing, and more testing.  So what can you do? Help us collect letters calling on Congress to hold hearings on the overuse and misuse of standardized tests.  Here are 10 quick ways you can gather letters:
  1. Every time someone you know complains about the amount of tests our children are subjected to, email them this link or hand them this letter.  Ask them to fill it out and mail it in.
  2. Neighborhood b-b-q? End of year party?  Bring your pot luck item and copies of the letter.  Offer to collect them back and mail them in to our partners in DC at the Institute for America’s Future, 1825 K St. NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006.
  3. Ask your child’s teacher(s) what they think about the amount of testing.  Odd are they too are frustrated and would be interested in sending in a letter.
  4. Take a look at the list of Congressional members who could make this hearing a reality.  Do you know any of them or are they from your district?  Then contact them and ask them to hold the hearings now.  Our Grassroots Toolkit will give you suggestions for a personalized letter.
  5. What about your School Board Member or Superintendent?  Are any of them sympathetic to the artificial stress the overuse of standardized testing is putting on children?  We need our school leaders to stand with us, but we’ll never know if they will unless we ask them.
  6. Bring up the discussion at your end of year PTA / PTO meeting.  These are other parents concerned and involved with volunteering.  Do they have concerns about overtesting too?  Print out some letters and share with parents at your school.
  7. Do your children participate in activities or clubs after school?  Most people working with children are seeing the effects of the current obsession with testing?  Ask the mentors, instructors, coaches & leaders what they think & if they’ll support our call by mailing in our letter.
  8. What about your state legislator?  Don’t laugh.  Each state has champions for public education in office.  Do you know yours?  It’s a good relationship to build if you don’t and an easy call to make if you already know them.  We need our state legislators to join our call and ask Congress to hold these hearings now.
  9. Are you on twitter?  Facebook?  Spread the word with this link http://bit.ly/1eRdpj5 to our online letter signing campaign and use #TESTHearingsNow.
  10. Here’s the easiest way.  Email 10 friends and ask them to sign the letter and email 10 of their friends.  We’ve all received those silly chain letters.  Here’s one that can actually help our children and save our schools.  Email today!
Any letters you collect can be sent to:
NPE Call for Hearings
c/o Institute for America’s Future
1825 K St. NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC  20006
Thanks for your continued support of NPE.
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