Special Edition: Testing Resistance & Reform News: April 2 - 4, 2014

The 2014 round of standardized exam administration got underway in several states this week. As predicted by FairTest and our Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS) allies, opt-out campaigns and other forms of protest exploded in many communities. In just the past three days, we've seen so many great news clips that we could not wait until our normal Tuesday distribution date to circulate them nationally. 

Check out these stories about local activities around the nation and the great commentaries about why to protest, then go to the TRRS website --http://www.resistthetest.org -- and post your own events to show allies, the media and policy-makers the ever-growing strength of our movement.  

Opt Your Children Out of State Testing: Don't Feed the Machine
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/01-2

Mistreating Students and Teachers in the Name of Higher Test Scores
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/?p=6900

Delaware Teachers Seek Indefinite Moratorium on Test-Based Evaluations
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2014/04/02/dsea-pushes-lawmakers-hold-evaluations/7200221/

One Simple Sentence Can Opt Students Out of Iowa Standardized Exams
http://abetteriowa.desmoinesregister.com/2014/04/01/prime-one-simple-sentence-can-opt-your-child-out-of-tests/

Cyber Attacks Paralyze Kansas Testing
http://cjonline.com/news/2014-04-01/cyber-attacks-paralyze-state-math-and-reading-tests

Maine Educators Seek Moratorium on New Standardized Tests
http://bangordailynews.com/2014/04/02/news/state/maine-education-association-seeks-moratorium-on-new-standardized-tests/

Bill to Delay Test Use for Teacher Evaluation Heads to Maryland Governor
http://marylandreporter.com/2014/04/02/common-core-relief-bills-heading-to-governor/
Maryland School Encounters Technical Problems With Common Core Field Test |http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/04/field_testing_an_on-the-ground.html

Nashua, New Hampshire School Board Pushes to Delay Common Core Assessments
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20140402/NEWS0606/140409883

New Jersey Parents Must Push Back Against Test Overuse: Letter
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/04/letter_push_back_against_too_much_use_of_standardized_school_tests.html

New York Boycotts Protest Harmful Effects of Testing
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/another-voice/another-voice-boycotts-of-standardized-tests-protest-the-harmful-effect-on-our-education-system-20140401
At Least 30,000 New York Students Sit Out Standardized Exams
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/common_core_30000_opt_out.html
80% Opt Out at One Brooklyn School -- Parent Calls Movement "Common Sense"
http://pix11.com/2014/04/01/opting-out-of-controversial-common-core-testing-is-common-sense-brooklyn-parents/#axzz2xgU5MAtE
Is Testing Taking Over Schools; Entire NYC Faculty Says Yes
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2014/04/02/is-testing-taking-over-our-schools-an-entire-faculty-says-yes/
New York "Teachers of Conscience" Refuse to Administer Common Core Tests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/04/teachers-refuse-to-administer-standardized-tests/
New York Won't Punish Schools Where Many Students Opted Out
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/new_york_wont_penalize_schools_where_students_opted_out_of_exams.html

Why Our Son Won't Take North Carolina's End-of-Grade Tests
http://obsdailyviews.blogspot.com/2014/04/why-our-son-wont-take-eogs.html

Oklahoma Computerized Exams Experience Technical Problems
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/education/schools-rattled-yesterday-by-online-testing-system-problems/article_edf90d74-bb73-11e3-b881-0017a43b2370.html

Rebellion Against Standardized Testing Spreads to Pennsylvania
http://www.citypaper.net/article.php?Rebellion-against-standardized-testing-spreads-to-Philly-20022

Tennessee Advances Bill to Bar Linking Student Test Scores to Teacher Licensing
http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/8511609771d64e9290ea16f21ae9e173/TN--Teachers-Test-Scores

Parents in 30 Texas Districts Submit Opt-Out Letters
http://kxan.com/2014/04/01/one-district-changes-the-rules-as-more-parents-opt-kids-out-of-staar-testing/

Congressman: Federal Testing Reform Would Empower Local Schools
http://www.troyrecord.com/opinion/20131126/rep-chris-gibson-empowering-local-schools-the-case-for-reform
Rep. Gibson's Bill to Reduce Federal Testing Mandates
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr4172ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr4172ih.pdf 

Federal Auditors Fault State Test Security: Many Unusual Score Gains Not Investigated
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2014/04/nearly_a_year_ago_the.html

The High Stakes of High-Stakes Testing
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/sns-201404021730--tms--rkoehlerctnbk-a20140403-20140403,0,5729716.column

Testing Experts Say: Time to Evaluate Teacher Evaluations
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/04/02/27sukin.h33.html

Some Politicians Still Ignore Parents . . . . at Their Peril
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/01/case-study-how-politicians-ignore-parents-on-school-reform/