Opt Out - Coalition for Better Education

Coalition for Better Education:

Welcome to the Coalition for Better Education

"Coercion has no place in a democratic society, least of all in school where it flies in the face of everything that quality education should stand for!"
Conny Jensen

The Coalition for Better Education was started by a group of aspiring educators from the University of Northern Colorado, and has expanded to include teachers, parents and students across the state. Our goal is to expand awareness of the costs and limitations of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) and "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), and to empower parents and teachers.

Here's a letter from a parent to the school board. We offer it here as a model.

To whom it may concern:

This is written notification that ____will not be taking the CSAP this year (or any other year for that matter).

C.R.S. 22-1-123-(5) (a) states that students cannot be tested or evaluated without written consent. I do not give my consent for to take the CSAP.

Furthermore, if other students in ____’s classroom are provided with snacks then _____gets them too. If other kids in___’s class are rewarded with ‘whatever’ (including but not limited to extra recess) for taking the test then ____gets it too otherwise it’s known as coercion or, if ___is excluded, discrimination.

As a reminder to our previous meeting regarding CSAP and my many reasons for opting my children out of such standardized testing, please know that my occupation is that of an investigator. That said, I have thoroughly researched the issue. One of the things I keep hearing from many uninformed/misinformed people is that____’s CSAP score of a zero (for opting out) would negatively affect her class/the school/district – not so. Please see the following:

“There is no federal law prohibiting a parent from opting their child out of CSAP testing.” --Jo O’Brien, Colorado Dept. of Education

Schools Matter: Join In and Opt Out: Become a Difference That Makes A Difference

Schools Matter: Join In and Opt Out: Become a Difference That Makes A Difference:

Join In and Opt Out: Become a Difference That Makes A Difference

by Jim Horn

The only way to stop the madness is to stop the madness.

The last hundred years of rewarding test scores based social class and economic privilege and calling it objectivity, science, or meritocracy has been brought into stark relief during the not-so-great Depression we are now living through.

Not only has each successive generation of unfair child tabulation in schools effectively maintained social injustice and inequalities, but so have our habitual testing orgies also effectively solidified class/race privileges and all unearned advantages that accrue to those who are not poor or working class.

Sadly, the next generation of value-added testing is just another expample of doing the same thing and

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Assignment Plan for 2012-2013

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Assignment Plan for 2012-2013:

Student Assignment Plan for 2012-2013

by Charlie Mas

There isn't a lot of change in the student assignment plan for 2012-2013 and what is there is mostly a result of the capacity management failure crisis.



They have tightened up some rules about switching schools. I don't think the rules have changed really, they are just more clearly stated. If your child has been assigned to an attendance area school for an attendance area other than the one where you live since before the new student assignment plan, that seat is a "grandfathered" seat and harder to change than if it post-dates the plan.

They are shrinking the attendance area for JSIS. They will have to continue to shrink the attendance area for this school until they finally admit that either it needs to be an option school or the language immersion program in it needs to be an option program and re-located out of the building. The district is simply deferring the inevitable here. It's easier for them, but it creates a lot of wear-and-tear on the community. They have a number of reasonable rules for families who are re-zoned out of the attendance area. Many of them are getting re-zoned into the McDonald attendance area, which may not be so bad since McDonald is also home to a language

Rapidly Rising Student Debt Harms Low-Income Students - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com)

Rapidly Rising Student Debt Harms Low-Income Students - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com):

Rapidly Rising Student Debt Harms Low-Income Students

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

January 4, 2012 RSS Feed Print

It's a truism that a college education is the key to better jobs and a brighter economic future for low-income individuals. So what is the effect of the explosion in student debt on low-income students? The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's recent brief, "Student Debt and Default in the 12th District," is a fascinating look at student loan borrowing and default that focuses on students from low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. It provides some clarity, and it's not a pretty picture.

Keep in mind that this report is limited geographically (the 12th District includes nine Western states—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and

No Educator Left Behind: Pearson, Leading Scorer of Standardized Tests, Subpoenaed - Forbes

No Educator Left Behind: Pearson, Leading Scorer of Standardized Tests, Subpoenaed - Forbes:

No Educator Left Behind: Pearson, Leading Scorer of Standardized Tests, Subpoenaed

3 comments, 3 called-out

+ Comment now

Publicly Traded Pearson Education Subpoenaed

The New York Attorney General’s office launched an investigation this week into whether or not the education and testing of the state’s school children was sold to the highest bidder. A cloud of suspicion surrounds the Pearson Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary of publicly traded Pearson Education Inc.(NYSE:PSO), the nation’s largest educational publisher and subject of a previous Crotty on Forbes column. The Pearson Foundation is being investigated for potentially lobbying state education officials improperly and footing the bill for those officials to take

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teaching and learning in a strange land

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teaching and learning in a strange land:

Teaching and learning in a strange land

by Mike Klonsky

One of the by-products of the accountability movement and high-tech data management tools--like on-line grade-books--is the elevation of filling in boxes over actual learning. -- Teacher in a Strange Land

I really liked this reflective piece by Nancy Flanagan, "Who's responsible for this, anyway?" I think I'll use it in my Phil. of Ed. course this quarter. Nancy is a retired veteran teacher who blogs regularly for EdWeek. She was also one of the main organizers of the SOS March in D.C. last summer and was recently elected to the new

I speak English too | Being Latino Online Magazine

I speak English too | Being Latino Online Magazine:

I speak English too

by Luna Garcia

Everyone in the wonderful Latino spectrum is reminded in different ways of the fact that they’re Latino. Though these reminders come in different forms to everyone, they seem to come to some of us very often. In my case it happens almost daily because of my beautiful, thick accent.

After eight long years in New York City I can read and write in English just as well as in Spanish, my vocabulary is pretty broad, I can hold educated conversations or just joke around in Brooklyn-ish with my cousins. My accent, on the other hand, just seems to get thicker. My experience has been similar to our writer Adriana Villavicencio’s mom in that people start treating me differently as soon as they hear me speak.

Some people in this country assume that having an accent is an indicator that you’re a hard-working-low-wage-job immigrant, who is also less educated and less truthful than the rest of the population. This

Defending our pensions will need union leadership with spine. Uh oh. « Fred Klonsky

Defending our pensions will need union leadership with spine. Uh oh. « Fred Klonsky:

Defending our pensions will need union leadership with spine. Uh oh.

by Fred Klonsky

GOP House Leader Tom Cross and Democratic state chairman and Speaker Mike Madigan. Separated at birth.

An old Chicago joke: Chicago has two seasons. Winter and road construction.

A bad joke: Illinois has two seasons. The General Assembly is in session so teacher pensions are threatened. And the General Assembly is not in session so they’re making plans to go after teacher pensions.

The veto session ended a month ago. Guess what they have done during the past month?

The plan of the Gang of Four has not essentially changed. The Gang consists of the Civic Committee’s Ty

Shanker Blog » Is California's "Academic Performance Index" A Good Measure Of School Performance?

Shanker Blog » Is California's "Academic Performance Index" A Good Measure Of School Performance?:

Is California’s “API Growth” A Good Measure Of School Performance?

by Matthew Di Carlo

California calls its “Academic Performance Index” (API) the “cornerstone” of its accountability system. The API iscalculated as a weighted average of the proportions of students meeting proficiency cutoffs on the state exams.

It is a high-stakes measure. “Growth” in schools’ API scores determines whether they meet federal AYP requirements, and it is also important in the state’s own accountability regime. In addition, toward the middle of last month, the California Charter Schools Association called for the closing of ten charter schools based in part on their (three-year) API “growth” rates.

Putting aside the question of whether the API is a valid measure of student performance in any given year, using

Schools Matter: Pearson-Gate Claims More Corrupt Junketeers

Schools Matter: Pearson-Gate Claims More Corrupt Junketeers:

Pearson-Gate Claims More Corrupt Junketeers

by Jim Horn

Below is Michael Winerip's Jan. 1 piece on the fetid corporate cesspool that is Pearson Education and Pearson Foundation. I have taken the liberty to highlight the public officials who have been bought by Pearson's generous junkets. Below Winerip's piece is a late December piece by Winnie Hu.

Junketeers in London

January 1, 2012
New Questions About Trips Sponsored by Education Publisher
By MICHAEL WINERIP

In the summer of 2010, Lu Young, the superintendent of schools in Jessamine County, a Lexington, Ky., suburb, took a trip to Australia paid for by the Pearson Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pearson, the nation's largest educational publisher.

Ten school superintendents went on the trip, which cost Pearson $60,000. While the foundation

Could 'Cram Schools' Be on Their Way to America? - Education - GOOD

Could 'Cram Schools' Be on Their Way to America? - Education - GOOD:

Could 'Cram Schools' Be on Their Way to America?

by Liz Dwyer

Ready to cram for that exam? As education becomes more test-centered and competitive around the world, the pressure to log sky-high scores is on the rise. According to The Economist, Japan's reknowned juku—after-school education programs also known as "cram schools"—are more popular than ever. The juku system is even exporting its model to other Asian countries, including China and Korea. Given the U.S.'s embrace of testing as the ultimate measure of achievement for students, teachers, and schools, could formal cram schools become more popular in the U.S.?

There are more than 50,000 cram schools in Japan, and conditions are ripe for a similar explosion here in the

Student Achievement, Poverty and “Toxic Stress” « The Core Knowledge Blog

Student Achievement, Poverty and “Toxic Stress” « The Core Knowledge Blog:

Student Achievement, Poverty and “Toxic Stress”

by Robert Pondiscio
January 4th, 2012

Tags: accountability, American Academy of Pediatrics, poverty effects, toxic stress
Posted in Education News, Education Practice, Education Theory, Research and Reports,Teaching, accountability | No Comments »

It’s a safe bet that not many teachers are avid readers of the medical journal Pediatrics. But a report that appeared in the publication last week deserves to be read and understood deeply by everyone in education. It has the potential to transform the way we think and speak about children who grow up in poverty–and education as a means of addressing its worst effects.

The report links “toxic stress” in early childhood to a host of bad life outcomes including poor mental and physical health, and cognitive impairment. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in an accompanying policy statement, calls on its members to “catalyze

Missouri Education Watchdog: Look Into The Crystal Ball for Education Reform

Missouri Education Watchdog: Look Into The Crystal Ball for Education Reform:

Look Into The Crystal Ball for Education Reform

by Anngie

Have you made your new year's resolutions? How about your new year's predictions? Ann Kane of the Potter Williams Report has made her predictions for this year for education reform. She sees many players but "One Big Government Monopoly"

The more things change, the more they seem to remain the same.

1. Michelle Rhee will be appointed Secretary of the Department of Education after Obama wins re-election. However, if the unimaginable happens, and a Republican gets into office, Rhee will be appointed Secretary of the Department of Education. She will make Kyle Olson of Education Action Group her second in command.
2. The DoEd will not be abolished. However,

Jersey Jazzman: Urban Students=Cash Cows

Jersey Jazzman: Urban Students=Cash Cows:

Urban Students=Cash Cows

by Duke

Hey, I know how to fix schools: let's give MORE tax money to private companies! As quickly as possible!

First proposed by Gov. Chris Christie and since taken up by South Jersey Democrats, a plan that would open up select public schools to nonprofit or even for-profit management appears poised for passage in the final days of the legislature's lame duck session.

The proposed Urban Hope Act, at least in its current incarnation, is in part an attempt to speed the glacial pace of getting new schools built in some of New Jersey's poorest districts. The initiative may enlist the aid of the Schools Development Authority, which is often criticized for dragging its feet on projects.

The measure has seen a host of changes since the idea was first announced by Christie

What Chafee may see – or at least used to – in Diane Ravitch | WPRI.com Blogs

What Chafee may see – or at least used to – in Diane Ravitch | WPRI.com Blogs:

What Chafee may see – or at least used to – in Diane Ravitch

January 4th, 2012 at 6:00 am by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site

Education Sector’s Kevin Carey had a long and less-than-sympathetic profile in The New Republic recently looking at the career of Diane Ravitch, the iconoclastic education historian who’s influenced Governor Chafee’s views on K-12 reform. Ravitch has become a darling of the teachers unions for breaking with her former allies in the conservative movement on education policy:

When Ravitch first voiced enthusiastic support for private-school vouchers, they were largely untried. As she now observes, the results of long-term voucher experiments have been disappointing. Ten years after No Child Left Behind, a lot of children are still behind.

These are reasonable points. The problem is that Ravitch’s use of evidence to support her new positions is often dubious, selective, and inconsistent.

That excerpt gives you a taste of Carey’s critique. As I read the article, though, I found myself mulling one of the

Education advocate blasts Christie waiver - NorthJersey.com

Education advocate blasts Christie waiver - NorthJersey.com:

Education advocate blasts Christie waiver

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

BY LESLIE BRODY

STAFF WRITER

THE RECORD

PRINT | E-MAIL

The Education Law Center has complained to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan about elements of the Christie administration’s proposal for tracking schools’ progress.

SCIARRADUNCAN

In a letter to Duncan made public Tuesday, the center protested that the Christie plan could tap some federal money intended for disadvantaged students and use it instead to reward gains in schools with few at-risk children.

The center asked Duncan to delay his decision on whether to give New Jersey a break from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law, which mandates that all children be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

Calling that requirement unrealistic, President Obama

On 10th Anniversary, a Look Back at 'No Child' Legacy - High School Notes (usnews.com)

On 10th Anniversary, a Look Back at 'No Child' Legacy - High School Notes (usnews.com):

On 10th Anniversary, a Look Back at 'No Child' Legacy

By JASON KOEBLER

January 4, 2012 RSS Feed Print

George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, which requires students at all U.S. public schools to meet certain math and reading benchmarks, went into effect nearly 10 years ago, on Jan. 8, 2002. Since then, NCLB has been a popular target for politicians, educators, and policy experts as it has become outdated. The legislation was supposed to be rewritten in 2007, but has merely been renewed by Congress for the past several years.

President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan haverepeatedly attacked the law, going so far as to grant waivers