Testing Resistance & Reform News: March 12 - March 18, 2014

As school testing season gets underway across the country, the resistance movement is pushing back hard against standardized exam overuse and misuse with more school officials supporting parents. This week's clips include stories from fifteen states!

Be sure to post your events on the Testing Resistance & Reform Spring website: http://www.resistthetest.org

Technical Problems Delay Some Common Core Pilot Test
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/New-standardized-test-delayed-for-now-5319242.php

Chicago Educators and Activists Rally: Stop Bullying Parents and Students Who Protest Exams
http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2014/03/11/chicago-teachers-education-activists-cps-stop-bullying-parents-and-s-1

Denver Releases New Opt-Out Guidelines in Response to Widespread Parent Protests
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/03/13/denver-to-release-new-opt-out-guidance-after-parent-conflict/

Let's Put Colorado Lawmakers to the Test
http://www.aspentimes.com/opinion/10596300-113/politicians-test-testing-ethos

California Suspends Test-Based School Ratings for Two Years
http://edsource.org/2014/state-board-makes-it-official-no-api-scores-for-next-two-years/59387#.UycQ8Vea9pM

Florida's Defective Teacher Evaluation Rules
http://www.bradenton.com/2014/03/12/5040835/floridas-teacher-evaluation-rules.html

Florida Educator Reflects on Being Evaluated on Students She Does Not Teach
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/15/teacher-i-was-evaluated-with-test-scores-of-students-i-dont-have/

Georgia Educator Opposes Common Core Expansion of Testing
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/let-georgians-decide-what-our-students-learn/nd7Dq/

Maryland Parent Sues to Allow Child to Opt-Out of State Exam
http://www.examiner.com/article/md-parent-files-suit-over-msa-opt-out-and-sets-precedent-for-future-assessments

Another Massachusetts School Committee Allows Opt-Outs From New State Test
http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1387862991/School-board-gives-opt-out-on-new-test

Teaching or Testing?  Massachusetts Teachers Speak Out
http://vimeo.com/88799387

Rising Cost of Standardized Exams is Testing Minnesota Schools
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_25347498/rising-cost-exams-is-testing-minnesota-schools-limits

New Jersey Parent: Cut Mandated Tests to Reduce Student Stress
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/letters/cut-mandated-tests-to-reduce-student-stress/article_8b0155e4-6a19-52b2-a911-533339e6b8b6.html

Plattsburgh, New York Forum on Testing and The Common Core -- with Links to Many Good Resources
http://ncape.weebly.com/public-forum-on-testing-and-common-core.html

New York Parents Protest "Sit and State" Policy for Students Who Opt Out
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/education/why-should-kids-just-sit-and-stare-as-parents-school-officials-debate-common-core-testing-20140317

Oklahoma School District Leaders Try to Help Parents Opt Children Out
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Leaders-push-to-opt-out-of-state-testing/I-00SK68hUGof2WZ6R7K6w.cspx

State Excludes Two Communities From Field Test Due to Concern About Opt Outs
http://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/jenks/state-education-department-to-exclude-owasso-jenks-from-field-tests/article_3b454380-aaf4-11e3-8556-001a4bcf6878.html

Millions Pennsylvania Spent on Testing Provide No Useful Results for Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers
http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/millions-spent-no-results/

Strategies to Fight High-Stakes Testing
http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/strategies-to-reduce-high-stakes-testing/

Tennessee Push to Reduce Test-Based Teacher Evaluations Picks Up Momentum
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140317/NEWS04/303170012/Push-reverse-teacher-licensure-policy-picks-up-steam-statehouse

Washington Teachers Push Back Against Feds NCLB "Extortion"
http://www.theolympian.com/2014/03/11/3027530/teachers-union-says-districts.html

Washington Rejects Arne Duncan Demand to Force Schools to Teach to the Test
http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2014/03/washington-legislators-reject-arne-duncans-demand-refuse-to-force-schools-to-teach-to-the-test.html

Letter Urges Wyoming Parents to Opt Children Out of Common Core Pilot Test
http://trib.com/opinion/letters/ide-parents-opt-out-of-smarter-balanced-tests/article_630d0051-8be2-5d17-b1d5-1b0eb9bdcdc9.html

Testing and Accountability: What Top-Performing Nations Do
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top_performers/2014/03/accountability_what_the_top_performers_do.html

How Finland Created a School System Based on Equality
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/finnish-education-chief-we-created-a-school-system-based-on-equality/284427/

"Divergent" -- New Movie Highlights Test-Driven Education Dystopia
http://www.standard.net/stories/2014/03/17/divergent-education-dystopia

Who Needs the New SAT? -- FairTest USAToday Op Ed
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/03/13/sat-act-college-board-fairtest-editorials-debates/6387025/

What the New SAT Misses Big Time
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/2014/03/12/what-the-new-sat-misses-big-time

Still unSATisfactory (with a great cartoon!)
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/unsatisfactory-article-1.1714714