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Monday, May 4, 2015

Teacher Appreciation Discounts and Freebies 2015 - A Frugal Chick

Teacher Appreciation Discounts and Freebies 2015 - A Frugal Chick:



Teacher Appreciation Discounts and Freebies 2015

 by  1 Comment
Teacher Appreciation Discounts and
Teacher Appreciation week is traditionally the first week in May (unless your school does something different).  We have not seen nearly the deals this year that we have in the past but there is a nice ongoing list of deals on the bottom of this post.  Hopefully your favorite teacher (or you) can take advantage of it:
CiCi’s Pizza: Teachers receive a FREE Buffet on May 5th From 4pm-Close!  Must have a valid ID. Find your location HERE. Call ahead and confirm your location is participating.
PDQ: Teachers can enjoy a FREE combo meal on Tuesday, May 5th with a valid teacher ID.  Homeschool teachers are included in this great deal! See more details and find your location HERE.
Starbucks: Don’t forget about Starbucks Happy Hour with Half Price Fraps!
teacher appreciation skinny dip
chick fil a teacher appreciation portsmouth blvd
And for the teacher in your life here are some deals they can take advantage of:
1-800-Flowers
NEA members save 20% at 1-800-Flowers – just sign into your NEA account to access the discount.
A.C. Moore
To receive a teacher’s discount (15% off your entire purchase), simply present one of the following credentials at checkout: State Issued Photo ID, School ID, Home School Affidavit or IHIP approval letter from School District or your state, Home Schooling Certificate, or State Issued Preschool/Daycare Facility Certificate/License.  A.C. Moore suggests asking your store or emailing CustomerService@acmoore.com to find out more details about the program.
Adobe Education Store
Save up to 80% on Adobe products if you are a student or for personal use by teachers, administrators, and school staff on their personally owned computers.
Aerosoles
Enjoy 15% off footwear items priced at $39.99 or higher.  Simply present your teacher ID or a pay-stub in one of our stores, or call 800-798-9478, to place your order.
Alamo Rental Car
Are you a member of the American Federation of teachers? Just flash your credentials to save $25 off a 3+ day rental. This offer is valid through December 31, 2015.
Amazon Student
Are you a teacher who is also a student? If you have a .edu e-mail address you can get Amazon Student FREE for six months! During that six months there are a few benefits, the biggest being FREE 2 Day Shipping on thousands of items. There are also exclusive discounts and promotions- many of which involve textbooks both for rental and purchase.
Ann Taylor Loft
Register as an Ann Taylor Loft teacher to receive 15% off your full-price purchase in-store, everyday!  Offer must be presented at time of purchase and you must show a valid Teacher ID.
Apple Store
Apple offers special education pricing on Apple computers, software and select third party products to college students, parents buying for a college student, or teachers, homeschool teachers, administrators and staff of all grade levels. Students who have been accepted to college are also eligible.
AT&T
Monthly qualified wireless service discount (up to 17%) for teachers and faculty – if your address matches their list of qualified education organizations, they will email you with instructions on how to start saving on AT&T wireless services and devices. NEA members get a 15% monthly discount, among other perks!
Banana Republic
All teachers receive 15% off any in-store purchase with a valid school ID.  This applies to full-price items only.
Barnes & Noble
All year-round, save 20% off the publisher’s list price on all purchases for classroom use, get up to 25% off the publisher’s list price during Educator Appreciation Days (next event is October 12-20, 2015), and receive valuable email offers and information on special Educator events.
Big Lots
Big Lots offers special teacher discounts, contests, and giveaways.  When you sign up for their email, be sure to check the “email me about teacher-only specials” box.
Books-A-Million
Educators simply have to complete a BAM! Educator Discount Card application at any register and present valid educator and photo identification to receive their BAM! Educator Discount Card and start saving.  The FREE BAM! Educator Discount Card offers educators, librarians and homeschoolers – Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade – a 20% discount off the original price on most books used in the classroom.
Book Warehouse
Book Warehouse offers teachers an additional 15% discount off their already low prices.  Simply show a teacher identification card or similar document and then fill out their Educator’s Card.
The Container Store
They offer educators special discounts throughout the year to help organize your classroom!  Just complete the form to receive your first offer, redeemable in-store, online or by phone. Program ends December 31, 2015.
Crayola
Sign up for the email program and receive 10% off your first purchase and additional offers.  Plus, you’ll have access to lesson plans, activity sheets, and more.
FedEx
FedEx Office is pleased to offer teachers, professors, faculty and staff members 15% off on most products and services at participating FedEx Office nationwide. To receive your discount, simply present your discount card when making a purchase in-store or at fedexoffice.com and the discount will automatically be applied.
Half Price Books
Apply for a teacher discount card to save 10% on your purchases at Half Price Books.  Just bring in valid ID and proof of current employment such as a pay stub or employee ID card.
Hancock Fabrics
Inquire in-store at Hancock Fabrics about their Teachers & PEAH (Parents Educating at Home) 10% discount. This discount cannot be combined with any other discount cards programs or used to purchase gift cards. You can obtain a Red Apple card at any Hancock Fabrics store. To obtain a card you must present a copy of your most recent paystub from the school or PEAH members must present documentation from the state for teaching status or your PEAH card. The cards must be signed by the teacher. This discount is only available in stores, it is not available at HancockFabrics.com.
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby offers a special 10% discount on merchandise sold to churches, schools and national charitable organizations when they purchase items with an organizational check or credit card. Please see your local store manager in regards to obtaining this discount.
HP Home and Office
Sign up for their exclusive educator discounts on HP’s most popular products.
J.Crew
All teachers receive 15% off any in-store purchase with a valid school ID.  This applies to full-price items only.
JoAnn Fabrics
Free discount card for 15% off every purchase (excludes remnants, patterns, gift cards, and previous purchases).  Bonus coupon for 20% off any one total purchase when you enroll or re-enroll in the program.  More of their popular, money-saving coupons as a Jo-Ann Preferred Customer.
Lakeshore Learning
Join the Lakeshore Learning Teacher’s Club and receive 15% off on hundreds of classroom items every day.
LEGOLAND
On select days, K-12 California classroom teachers receive free full day admission to Legoland. Reservations and advance tickets are required. Family and Friends are $48. Call (760) 438-LEGO. On select dates, homeschoolers can also receive discounts.
Lenovo
Lenovo’s Academic Purchase Program assists students and faculty to find discount laptops, tablets, and desktop computers.
Michaels
All teachers receive 15% off their in-store purchase with valid school ID.  Some exclusions apply – please see store associate for details.
NEA Magazine Service
If you’re a member of the NEA, you can access more than 900 magazines at up to 85% off the cover price.
National Geographic
Although National Geographic does not currently have a program that offers classroom sets, as an educator you qualify for the educational discount price of $1 per copy (as opposed to the regular price of $1.25 per copy). Use this form to subscribe with the special educator rate.
National Parks Service
Did you know that the National Parks Service offers a ton of materials that you can borrow?  From DVD sets to games and hands-on “Field Trips in a Box,” they will loan you great material for your classroom.
New York Times
Teachers save 50% on New York Times subscriptions! You must be a current K–12 teacher or administrator at a school in the United States and use the email address assigned to you by your institution.
Office Depot/Office Max
Teachers receive 10% back on most classroom supplies.
Party City
Party City offers a 10-20% school/non-profit discount (depending on the size of your purchase). Just provide them with a letter, signed by an officer of your school or organization on official letterhead and pay with a check or credit card in the name of the company or organization.
Scholastic Teacher’s Store
Scholastic offers a special online store for teachers with terrific discounts, up to 75% off!
Schuler Books
They offer a 20% discount to K-12 educators to help offset the cost of books from their Young Adult, Children’s and Education sections. The program is available to fully certified K-12 educators working in Michigan.
Seaworld Florida
SeaWorld Orlando offers a complimentary Teacher Study Pass to all active and certified K-12 Florida grade school teachers.  The pass is valid for unlimited admission to SeaWorld Orlando through 12/31/2015.
Staples
Staples offers a special Rewards program for educators. Benefits include 5% back in rewards, and 10% back in rewards on teaching and art supplies.  Plus, get free shipping on every staples.com® order.
The Limited
Students, educators, and military personnel receive 15% off every purchase made at any The Limited store location – just show us your school or military I.D.!
Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort offers teachers and all school support staff a very special room rate.
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Education World: Teacher Appreciation Week: Ideas

Education World: Teacher Appreciation Week: Ideas:



Sixty-Five Ways to Recognize Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week and All Year Long

Are you searching for new ways to show your teachers how much you appreciate their efforts? Principals shared some things they have done to show their appreciation.
What are you doing to recognize staff members at your school during this year's celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week? The week offers principals, students, and parents a special opportunity to recognize the hard work teachers do all year long.
"I've learned that recognizing teachers is a critically important part of my job, since teaching can sometimes feel like a unappreciated effort day in and day out," said principal Lolli Haws of Avery Elementary School in Webster Groves, Missouri. "Recognition from adults for a job well done or appreciation of ongoing efforts is vital."
"Teachers need appreciation often, not just during the annual recognition week," added principal Patricia Green. That's why she keeps filling the candy jar in the staff lounge. It is also why she frequently offers prizes for the correct answer to trivia questions she posts on the white board in the staff lounge. Those are just a couple of the things she does all year long to show her appreciation to the teachers at Cedar Heights Junior High School in Port Orchard, Washington.
"I try to treat my staff like a big family," added principal Marguerite McNeely of Oak Hill High School in Hineston, Louisiana, "because that is just what we are."
Great ways to celebrate teachers all year long including the following:
  • Host a "Thank You Breakfast" during Teacher Appreciation Week, or during another time of the year when they least expect and most need it.
  • Gather students of a grade level or instructional team in the gym for a volleyball tournament. The principal and assistant principal, and other available support staff, organize and monitor the tournament while teachers spend time socializing over a specially planned meal or work together to accomplish other planning tasks.
  • Recognize special contributions by putting "Cookie Coupons" in teachers' mailboxes. Arrange with the cafeteria for teachers to redeem those coupons for a special treat.
  • Whenever you are able, send a personally written -- preferably, handwritten -- note of thanks or appreciation to teachers "caught" caring or who pulled off terrific classroom projects. Send at least a dozen of those notes each week. Keep a copy for the teacher's file; later in the school year you will be able to draw on those positive moments as you compose teachers' evaluations.
  • Plan to take over a class for a special read-aloud time that will give teachers an extra break. You might read a favorite book and do a follow-up activity; or you might make special arrangements with a teacher to read something connected to the classroom curriculum. Besides offering a brief mental-health break for teachers, this is a great way for principals to get to know students and for students to see the principal in a different light.
  • Provide doughnuts in the morning -- for no special reason at all other than to say "Thank you."
  • Be on the lookout for special gifts that relate to teachers' special interests. Dollar stores and other budget outlets can be great places to find those kinds of things--for example, a small birdhouse for a teacher who loves birding, a picture frame for a teacher with school-age children, a book of crossword puzzles for the puzzle fan on your staff.
  • Take a teacher's duty as a reward for a special contribution.
  • Call for a "Jeans Day." All teachers can dress down on that day. Or make this a special reward for teachers who have gone above-and-beyond; have stickers printed that say "I earned this Jeans Day." They can wear the sticker on whatever "Jeans Day" they choose.
  • At each faculty meeting, hold a lottery drawing for a "free" two-hour break during which time you will cover a teacher's class. The break can be redeemed at any time, but it needs to be arranged at least a week in advance.
  • Give gift certificates to teachers who have perfect attendance each quarter. You might offer choices such as a certificate for a manicure, a CD, a movie, or a dinner.
  • Each month, hold a party to recognize staff members who will celebrate birthdays that month.
  • Provide a duty-free week during scheduled state-test times. Arrange to have PTA parents or others cover those duties.
  • Establish a bulletin board on which to spotlight a different teacher(s) each month.
  • Plan a "Pamper Day." Set aside a space and bring in a nail technician to do teachers' nails or to give hand massages with hot lotions. Put out scented potpourri, the silver punchbowl, and special cookies. Play relaxing music. Arrange to have each teacher's class covered for 30 minutes so they can visit the Pamper Room.
  • Meet outside of school over lunch with teachers of each grade level or with teaching teams. Provide coverage so you can have a few laughs and get to learn more about the teachers and their concerns.
  • Start an "Encouraging Words" chain. Use a computer to design and print special cards, or purchase card stock and attach a small apple sticker to each card. The principal will begin the chain by sending the first five cards to five deserving faculty members. The next week, the principal places a blank "Encouraging Words" card in the mailbox of each teacher who received one the week before. Each of those teachers sends an "Encouraging Words" card to another of their colleagues. And the cycle continues Include the entire staff -- don't forget custodians, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants, bus drivers, and others -- in this project. You might even attach to each card an apple sticker that still has on its backing. As teachers drop "Encouraging Words" cards in their colleagues' mailboxes, they affix the sticker next to the person's name on their mailbox. That way, teachers can see who has not yet been recognized; all staff members should be recognized once before anybody receives a second recognition.
  • Purchase fresh flowers for teachers' desks during parent-teacher conference week.
  • Offer to baby-sit a teacher's child while that teacher does some special, above-and-beyond activity for students or the school.
  • Put in teachers' mailboxes your personal list of "Twenty-Five Things That Make [Your School Name] Great!"
  • Show your appreciation by reminding teachers -- in your newsletter, a staff meeting, or a personal note -- that you know where the real work in the school goes on, and that it is not in the office!
  • In your public address announcements remind students to show appreciation for their teachers in all kinds of ways. Creating a special card of appreciation is just one of those ways. (See this article's sidebar for more ideas!)
  • Make staff members feel special and professional by purchasing business cards for them. If such a purchase is not in your budget, enlist the support of your art and technology teachers to use school computers to design and print cards.
  • Take a teacher out to lunch to recognize a special day -- for example, a birthday or a special honor or award.
  • Praise teachers often in staff and parent newsletters. Keep a record of those notes of praise to be sure you are spreading around the recognition; and add to teachers' official files a copy of newsletters in which they are recognized.
  • Give teachers extra release time to observe another teacher in your school or a nearby school. Arrange coverage of the teacher's class to enable the release time. This is a win-win for everybody; teachers really appreciate being treated as professionals and they pick up new ideas and skills.
  • For a reasonable cost, you can purchase "From the Desk of" notepads or sticky notes for teachers.
  • Rent a boat and spend part of an in-service day taking teachers on a short and relaxing cruise.
  • Put attractive pop-up tissue boxes in teachers' mailboxes just before the opening day of school and two or three other times during the year.
  • Host a staff breakfast early in the school year. Use this as an opportunity to make the breakfasts a monthly treat by signing up grade levels to plan future feasts.
  • Learn what teachers want or need that they do not have and approach local businesses about providing those things. Ecourage teachers to use the DonorsChoose site to find funding for their projects.
  • Provide copying services for teachers. Arrange for parents and others to do the mundane task of copying so long as teachers provide three days' advance notice and instructions about how many copies will be needed and any special requests (for example, requests for copying on colored paper or two-sided printing).
  • Provide each teacher with a coffee mug that has his or her name on it.
  • Purchase a new microwave oven for the staff lounge area.
  • Warehouse stores and teacher catalogs have great buys on school supplies when they are purchased in bulk. At the midyear point you might stash in teachers' mailboxes a new supply of crayons from "The Crayon Fairy" (or another in-demand supply from an appropriately named fairy).
  • Order a 6-foot long sandwich and have it delivered to the faculty lounge.
  • At the end of each grading period -- when teachers have spent hours agonizing over student performance -- send special notes of appreciation.
  • Cover a teacher's class so he or she can attend to a medical or family issue -- for example, a doctor's appointment, seeing their own child perform at another school's holiday concert, or spending a couple hours with a parent to help them transition from a hospital to a nursing facility.
  • If you have lost part of your school vacation to snow days, provide some special treats on those makeup days to recognize the extra stress that goes with losing valuable R&R time or planning days.
  • Sprucing up the teachers' lounge with some paint, new pictures or curtains, and some new-used furniture will make the space a more comfortable one. (This could be a special Teacher Appreciation Week gift from you or the PTA.)
  • Order a copy of If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students from your local bookstore or Amazon.com. This is a great source book for building staff morale.
  • Ask for volunteers for a committee -- which will include you, of course -- that will take responsibility for planning special activities to build morale all year long.
  • If it starts snowing a couple hours before school lets out, go outside and scrape or brush off teachers' cars so they can get on the road soon after the bell rings. (If you do not live in an area where it snows, perhaps you could bring in a local company to rotate teachers' tires twice a year. For the publicity, good will, and potential business, the company might do this without charging a cent.)
  • Provide dinner between school and an evening PTA meeting.
  • Recognize a teacher who has gone above and beyond by putting in his or her mailbox a voucher for a free cup of coffee at Starbucks or another local spot.
  • Start every in-service gathering with a special snack. Perhaps you and your assistant principal might even cook up a special brunch or lunch to kick off the event.
  • Purchase a special book for the school library to recognize a teacher or honor a special occasion (for example, a retirement, a 20th teaching anniversary, or the completion of a master's degree). You might even give the teacher the choice of what book to purchase. Include inside the book a special bookplate to commemorate the teacher, the landmark occasion, and the date.
  • Ask parents to donate theater or sports tickets they cannot use. Announce in your staff newsletter a drawing for those tickets; interested faculty members can enter their names.
  • Encourage individuals or teams of teachers to present at conferences. Provide the funding to support those efforts, which will motivate teachers and bring recognition to your school.
  • Keep the candy jar in the staff lounge full of chocolate and/or hard candy.
  • Offer a once-a-month "theme week" in the faculty lounge. Decorate the lounge appropriately and provide a related treat. For example, on October 16 you might recognize the birthday of Noah Webster -- of Webster's Dictionary renown -- by serving homemade alphabet soup and presenting teachers with a new set of dictionaries or grade-appropriate dictionary/vocabulary skills work sheets that they can use with their students. And use a thesaurus to help turn the wall of the teacher's room into a word wall, featuring dozens of superlative word cards that describe your staff.
  • To recognize the start of spring, add fresh flowers to the teacher's room and provide each teacher with a flowering plant to brighten his or her desk. Serve up a snack of spring rolls -- homemade, or ordered hot from a local Chinese restaurant -- to accompany lunch.
  • The faculty room is not getting the attention it needs? Arrange for "gremlins" to clean it up!
  • Offer a sweet reward -- a candy bar or an ice-cream cone coupon -- for teachers who complete surveys before the deadline. Or let them select a treat from a basket in your office when they turn in the form; in that way, the fastest responders are guaranteed the best treats.
  • Include special prize offers to the first teachers to respond to special postings in the weekly newsletters. (Knowing there are occasional hidden surprises in those newsletters is a way to be sure they get read!)
  • Enlist the office staff to help you solicit gifts or coupons for teachers from local merchants such as restaurants, florists, and auto service providers. Use those special gifts as incentives for a variety of tasks.
  • At each faculty meeting, or any other time, hold a random drawing for a "lunch of the month." On a specific day, those teachers will get to order-in from the restaurant-of-choice's menu.
  • Post on a bulletin or white board in the faculty area a weekly trivia question. Provide small prizes, and announce the trivia answers and winners in your staff bulletin each week.
  • Host a "Welcome Back to School Luncheon."
  • Share a great Web resource in each edition of your staff newsletter. That resource might be a site that offers great ideas tied to an upcoming holiday or a site that focuses on stress busters or teacher humor.
  • Sign up teachers for Education World's Weekly Newsletter or Lesson Planning Newsletter. Each issue of those newsletters is packed with timely articles and ideas. (Or try out the newsletters for yourself first.)
  • Get into every classroom every day -- or at least two or three times a week. That personal contact goes a long way in letting your staff know where your priorities are.
  • Provide each teacher with a rose on Open House night.
  • To relieve stress during annual testing times, place in each teacher's mailbox a special candy treat with a note of encouragement. For example, on the first testing day provide a peppermint patty with a note that says "Thanks for your COMMIT-mint to our kids." On the second testing day, offer a Tootsie roll with a note that thanks teachers "For the awesome roll you play in helping our students achieve." On the third day of testing, give a Reisen chocolate with a note that proclaims "You are the Reisen our students are doing so well." (A stroll through the candy aisle of the store will spur more possibilities for candy-related notes of encouragement.)
     
"Principal" Contributors to This Article

A *huge* "Thank You" goes to the following members of Education World's "Principal Files" Team. Every one of the ideas listed above came from one or more of them!
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/recognizing_teachers_all_year_long#sthash.NoajaQlM.dpuf



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PTA Teacher Appreciation Week - For Parents - National PTA

PTA Teacher Appreciation Week - For Parents - National PTA:



PTA Teacher Appreciation Week



2015 TAW Web Banner
Teachers play a key role in student success and sometimes a simple “thanks” is all a teacher needs to feel valued. Take the time to celebrate your students’ teachers during 2015 PTA Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8.

How You Can Show Appreciation

PTA Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to personally thank your students’ teachers for their sacrifices and support for children throughout the year. 
To help you plan for the week, we’ve created a promotional toolkit with ideas and resources you can use to honor teachers. Here's how you can get involved:
  • Send a thank you card to your students’ teachers and ask you students’ teachers how you can support them throughout the year.
  • Show your support for the tremendous work teachers do by volunteering in your students’ classrooms.
About Teacher Appreciation WeekSM
Since 1984, National PTA has designated the first week in May as a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children.
PTA events at the national, state and local levels celebrate the outstanding contributions teachers make. We are also proud to recognize teachers and administrators with awards and grants. 

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NEA - National Teacher Day - #ThankATeacher for National Teacher Appreciation Week

NEA - National Teacher Day:




National Teacher Day, May 5, 2015

Thank a Teacher during National Teacher Week and You Could Win a $100 VISA Gift Card to Give Your Favorite Educator!

Teachers give us so much. And though we know we can’t ever thank them enough, we can take a moment during National Teacher Week to share our appreciation for the special educators in our lives.
Join NEA and the National PTA in saying “Thank You” on social media and you could win a $100 gift card to give to your favorite teacher. Find full details here.


Here’s How Our Partners Are Saying Thank You


  • Saying Thank You with Gifts — The Teaching Channel is celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Week with a 5 Days, 5 Ways Giveaway to say thank you to teachers for all their hard work. Hundreds of items will be distributed as Thank You gifts. Learn more.
  • Teachers: The Most Powerful People in the World— ASCD author Jenny Edwards has a message for teachers, and as a thank you, educators can download a free ebook of her work Time to Teach: How do I get organized and work smarter?
  • Personlize Those Thank Yous — Cool Mom Picks offers up 7 creative, DIY teacher gift ideas to make gift cards more personal.
  • How to Appreciate a Teacher -- How one working mom and English teacher say you can make big changes in a teacher's life with the smallest of effort.   


Planning an Event? Download National Teacher Day 2015 art!

WEB ART

POSTER

SHAREABLE GRAPHIC

THANK YOU SIGN

Slideshow: National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees #ThankATeacher for National Teacher Appreciation Week

An Unexpected Thank You

During Teacher Appreciation Week 2013, NEA member Courtney Bertsch-Martin was surprised at a school assembly, where she received a thank you gift in appreciation of her collaborative work on social media, sharing teaching ideas with colleagues.


It's Not Too Late to Thank a Teacher

Share our videos celebrating teachers and thanking them for all they do.



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Celebrating National Charter Schools Week: You Can't Make this Stuff Up Part 1 #CharterSchoolsWeek



 Celebrating National Charter Schools Week: You Can't Make this Stuff Up Part 1 

THE ISSUES:








Part 2 Coming Soon!
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Let the real experts determine how to assess students with disabilities

Individualized Education Plan For Students with Disabilities:




Let the real experts determine how to assess students with disabilities

 by 
Last year, I had the privilege of meeting Andrea Rediske. Andrea’s late son, Ethan, was born with brain damage. He had cerebral palsy and was blind. Not only was he forced to take Florida’s standardized test (which, by the way, required him to visually identify objects—impossible for a blind boy) but the district was pressuring the family to make Ethan take that exam on his death bed so they could make their 95% No Child Left Untested mandated quota of kids taking the test.
Last winter, I posted a video of Andrea telling her son’s story. If you haven’t seen it, it will break your heart.
Ethan’s story is maddening and heartbreaking and absurd. But here’s the really absurd part: it is the law. It’s the freaking law. Your child was born without a complete brain—too bad. Who decides who takes the test? People who have never met your child, but who nonetheless have the power to enforce the one-size-fits-all testing mandate.
These people—the test bureaucrats—are NOT in the classroom working with our students every day. Parents and teams of educators—the real experts—work hard to develop IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for students who cannot follow the standard curriculum in the standard way.
These IEPs take time and use care. They are developed by the people who work most closely with students: the student’s parents and their team of educators. These IEPs are not standardized. They are the opposite of that—they are individualized.
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So does it make sense for a student with an Individualized Education Plan to take a standardized test that has nothing to do with their learning goals? It doesn’t. Let me be very clear: decisions about how to assess students with disabilities ought to be made at the school level by the dedicated team of educators who work with that student and their parents. Not by some bureaucrat who has never met the child.
I am not against tests—I’m against tests that make no sense. I’m against tests that don’t help students. It is clear to me that if a student has an IEP, then professional educators should be able to use their professional judgment to consider whether it’s appropriate to assess that student with a grade-level standardized test.
So here is my call to action: NEA urges the Department of Education to provide IEP teams the flexibility and decision-making capacity to do their jobs on behalf of their students. The Department of Education must allow schools to use whatever assessment process or method is most appropriate for each individual student based on their needs as indicated in their IEP.
That’s all.
Let the real experts determine how to assess students.

Related information on Individualized Education Plans here.
 Individualized Education Plan For Students with Disabilities:
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NYC Public School Parents: John Oliver features the Pineapple on his takedown of standardized testing

NYC Public School Parents: John Oliver features the Pineapple on his takedown of standardized testing:

John Oliver features the Pineapple on his takedown of standardized testing











Check out last night's hilarious take-down of the insanity of standardized testing in this country by John Oliver; including the infamous
"Hare and the Pineapple" passage, which was  part of the NY 8th grade ELA exam in 2012.  This passage was exposed first on this blog the day after the exam was given and quicklywent viral. 

But the real scandal is that before that, this  absurd passage and its associated ridiculous questions had been used by Pearson in their standardized exams in Florida, Illinois, Delaware, New Mexico, Arkansas, Alabama and other states for at least seven years before the New York media picked up on the story. Every time, students had been confused, teachers and parents complained, and yet Pearson kept recycling the questions, over and over again.


Below is the video from last night's how; to the right is a screenshot of our blog.NYC Public School Parents: John Oliver features the Pineapple on his takedown of standardized testing:


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Schools Matter: California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information

Schools Matter: California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information:

California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information


Link

Liberty is the freedom to exercise our constitutional rights and not be bullied. State assessments are voluntary. In California, the right to opt out of standardized testing is a parental right guaranteed by Ed. Code 60615 which says, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a parent’s or guardian’s written request to school officials to excuse his or her child from any or all part of the assessments administered pursuant to this chapter shall be granted.” State tests are mandatory for districts to administer but optional for students to take (with a parent opt-out).

Why opt-out? Assessment scores do not affect class grade, help or hinder grade level progression or graduation. Data, some personally identifiable, is kept for the student’s life, and data mining results are shared with government agencies and private companies. According to Tony Dolz, standardized assessments are “an uncompensated market research initiative by the education establishment in collaboration with private company partners.” Every dollar used for standardized testing drains funds from our classrooms. 

“Bullying” against the right to opt out has gone on in our schools for years. Time and again parents, teachers, and students are “bullied” into compliance and students are forced to submit to these extensive batteries of unproven standardized tests. Consider Phillip Brown’s story:
Our family has been opting out of these types of tests since the beginning. At first, we were met with little to no resistance from the schools. However, during the 2006-07 school year, my son passed out “Just Say No to STAR Testing” forms at Rodriquez High in Fairfield and was constantly threatened with suspension and other punishments from the school’s administration. 

I am a 35 year ACLU member and past board member. I contacted the ACLU attorneys in San Francisco and they intervened on our behalf and under threat of legal action allowed my son to pass out the flyers. Although FSUSD relented to his 1st amendment rights of free speech, the school’s officials were not happy. They were so unhappy that they watched his every move and looked for any reason to punish him. He was harassed by teachers and administrators who spoke publicly against him and to other students during class. 

A school vice principal actually told us that our son should go to another school should he wish to graduate. At which point he changed schools and we filed a civil rights lawsuit in Solano County against FSUSD. (FCS031361 - Brown, Phillip K. etal vs. FF-SS Unified School) FSUSD made an undisclosed cash settlement.

The right to opt out applies to every parent regardless of their reasons. Should any child or parent encounter resistance from any school district, I would be happy to provide contacts that we used to enforce parental rights.
Recent developments in the opt-out movement include more bullying from the federal government and more parents standing up and opting out. In Chicago, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently said wide spread student boycotts of standardized tests are not acceptable, and if state governments don’t stop them, the federal government will intervene. Why is he concerned? In New York so far, more than 185,000 students have refused to take the state’s English tests. In Seattle not a single 11th grade student showed up to take the SBAC test at Nathan Hale High School. Parents are waking up across the country and are choosing to opt out of standardized testing. Join them. 

Download “opt-out” forms and instructions. http://www.pacificjustice.org/california-common-core-data-opt-out-form.html 

Colleen Britton, Vacaville


Schools Matter: California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information:





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