United Opt Out Offers an Intimate Portrait of Activism
The administrators of United Opt Out have published An Activist Handbook for the Education Revolution: United Opt Out’s Test of Courage. It should of high interest to advocates for real change in our schools.
One of the benefits of the 2011 Save Our Schools march in Washington, DC, was the way new organizations emerged in the months and years that followed. Many of the activists now fighting for our children’s future met for the first time that hot July afternoon on the grass near the White House. United Opt Out (UOO) was one of the groups that emerged in the months that followed, with a sharp focus on equipping parents and educators with tools and information to opt out of high stakes tests, to starve the testing machinery of the raw material it needs to operate.
In their book, “An Activist Handbook for the Education Revolution,” the seven leaders of UOO make it clear that their vision extends far beyond the act of opting out of tests. They are trying to spark a social movement. The introduction makes this clear:
We share our story for a reason. Stories create action. The UOO story may be a catalyst for other small pockets of resistance out there who are right now asking, Is it possible? Can our small group do this? Can we make a difference? Yes. You can. Read our story and see how six individuals (now seven) with no money, in different locations, from different backgrounds, each working a day job, managed to make something happen.
The book opens with a review of the corporate reform project by Morna McDermott, who closes this chapter with a reminder:
Reformers aren’t afraid that schools are failing. They’re afraid that schools will succeed. Why else do they close programs that work? Why else rob children of the joy ofUnited Opt Out Offers an Intimate Portrait of Activism - Living in Dialogue: