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
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