Metro Nashville School Board Member, Amy Frogge, got fed up and posted a passionate plea about TNReady on Facebook.  She sees firsthand how her children are being affected by it.  Her 9 year old will spend more time testing than she did to take the LSAT to get in law school!  Her post struck a nerve with parents, and it quickly went viral with over 4000 shares.  Diane Ravitch blogged about it.  Then the Washington Post picked up on Amy's post and wrote an article about it.  This madness isn't going away anytime soon.  Parents are waking up and demanding change.

Incredibly, our Survey Form on our Momma Bear website has netted hundreds of parents in Tennessee telling us they are opting out/refusing and they are contacting their legislators.  We can't keep up with all the parents contacting us wanting info on how to refuse/opt out.  If we haven't responded, please check our website's FAQ section for the answers we'd write you back if we had time.

David Carroll is a wonderful writer from Chattanooga.  He recently shared an anonymous frustrated teacher's voice about the standardized testing in TN, and his post went viral.  The teacher's words are eye-opening, sobering, and alarming.  Another post of David's told about a teacher who came up with a brilliant way to incorporate a poetry lesson with her students on how the testing made them feel:

[The teacher] who came up with a creative way for her fifth graders to get in some poetry practice, stretch their writing skills, and share their thoughts on the testing process (and the aftermath).  “We were talking about testing,” she told me, “and how some of the kids struggle with the tests.  There’s so much pressure on them.  We decided they should express their feelings, and relate them to poetry.”  She explained the exercise wasn’t about the test itself, or not wanting to take it, but more about how students often feel they’re being judged by a test score.  “This was a way they could look deep into themselves and celebrate their individual worth,” she said.

Carroll wrote:
When I read the students’ work, I was blown away.  In our never-ending quest to attach numbers to everything, brag about the top 5, and humiliate the bottom 5, we often get lost in statistics and rankings.  It’s kind of refreshing to step back and acknowledge that these kids aren’t just numbers.  They’re living, breathing wonders, and no two are alike.  As you’ll see in these samples of their work, they’re exuberant, shy, funny, curious, worldly, and innocent.  Each demands, and deserves, some one-on-one time. [...] I’ll bet every teacher would love to find a way to engage in more “face time” and less testing anxiety. 

The students' poetry is powerful.  It is personal.  It human, and so unlike the standardized tests these children are pushed and pushed to perform on.  You can read their entries and even see a precious video of a student at his website.  It is worth your time.

Another excellent blogger in TN, Dad Gone Wild, is married to a teacher.  After talking with his wife and saying that the Governor was going to not count TNReady on teacher evaluations this year unless it helps teacher scores, his wise wife wisely asked for proof.  NOTHING has changed other than the Governor saying something to the media.

It was a PROPOSAL by the Governor, not a promise.  A suggestion that he MIGHT take action upon. 

Think about how many times the Governor has pledged things and not followed through...  Remember Governor Haslam's promise, 2 years in a row now at least, to increase teacher pay to make "Tennessee the fastest growing state in the nation for teacher pay"?  Teachers are STILL waiting, not a penny more on their paychecks than before.

His latest budget proposal to increase funding to public schools sounds impressive, but when you realize that the state is under-funding public education by $500 million per year, and his $200 million increase is over 2 years, not one... well, even with common core math, it is obvious that his concession is a drop in the bucket.  It is one of those useless tiny circle bandaids for pimples when the schools are starving on shoestring budgets.  Governor Haslam says nice words to the media, and they fall for it and report it but nobody ever holds his feet to the fire.  It is a shame.

If you're as frustrated as we are, then good!  Do something about it.  As a wonderful national blogger/teacher writes, be radical!   Send a message to the state that your kids aren't pawns in their political game, your kids aren't guinea pigs for the testing  company... opt your kids out of the testing.  You won't be the only one.

You've probably already heard the great news that the voucher bill is probably dead for the year.  If you want more detail about how Representative Dunn (who is the poster boy politician for out-of-state organizations funded by billionaires who want to privatize public schools) dramatically teared up when he pulled his bill from consideration because he knew he did not have enough votes for it to pass, then click HERE to read the news.  

Dunn, with tears in his eyes, claimed that anti-voucher people only called him about the money not about the kids.  Um, we have to point out the elephant in the room: his campaign and lobbyists are getting paid big bucks, paying people to show up and speak about vouchers, giving away yellow scarves to anyone who will wear them.  Meanwhile, parents and teachers (like us Momma Bears) were working for free to stop it.  Money matters to who? This is for the kids.

Anyway, after Representative Dunn's crocodile tears, his quoting scripture, and his pull on people's heartstrings lamenting the poor kids in Memphis that he claims his vouchers would save (ironically, the same poor children he won't lift a finger to push for adequate funding for their starving public schools), he at last brought his 4 year-old voucher bill to the clerk's desk.  (cue funeral dirge music)

From what we understand, the clerk's desk is a vast dark hole.  Once a bill is placed upon it, only a vote from 50 Representatives can get it off the desk to be voted upon again with 24 hours notice.  This is intriguing to us, this desk...  
Does it become piled up with stuff people set upon it?  
What happens if the clerk spills his coffee on it?  
Can he pick the bill up and put it on another desk or does that take 50 votes, too?  
Is the desk a big giant pile of stuck bills that stay stuck forever?  
​Or does he have a nice file cabinet to put these lame bills in?
What are the odds of bills stuck there ever getting out?

Perhaps the greatest question we have is...

Can we put the TNReady paper test on the clerk's desk, too?  Please oh please???

Before you throw a celebration party, know that this bill is not dead yet.  We are watching to make sure it stays lost in the pile and not horse traded for something else.  Representative Dunn is pretty sneaky and so are the many lobbyists in Nashville whose job is to get vouchers in TN.  (Remember how the bill was rushed through committee when key members were absent?)  So, we're happy the bill is stuck, but we're still very skeptical.  Even after you cut the head of the snake off, it can still bite you.  And there is always next year, the money flowing into campaigns to elect pro-voucher legislators has already started.

Speaking of money.  We have heard that if you compile all the money spent on pushing vouchers over the past 4 years in TN (including the salaries of the lobbyists [lobbyists make big bucks, and there are a bunch of them], campaign contributions to politicians, PR, etc.) the grand total would be over $8 million.

$8 million spent to "help" 5000 potential voucher kids in Memphis?  We can't help but imagine if that $8 million went to the current public schools of those students to implement smaller class sizes, to put more support staff in the buildings working with the students, and to providing support services to address the crippling poverty these kids face every day and will still face if they attended private schools on vouchers.  Now THAT would really make a difference.  Such a shame, such a shame.​

After Monday's failure to launch the much-publicized, miracle, magical, almighty TNReady test, the TDOE is desperately back-pedaling and kicking the can o' blame to the testing company.

My, oh, my!  
Since Monday's failure, we've never seen so many irate parents and teachers on social media!  Our blog was late posting to the cyber world that night, but hit nearly 2,000 views before midnight.  A teacher in East TN who has a lovely blog called, "Bringing Back Mayberry," wrote about the testing mess she experienced yesterday and we can see there are already over 3,000 facebook likes on it!  We Momma Bears are seeing people who normally don't post on social media posting rants and sharing articles about it.  A journalist in Chattanooga even wrote a nice article about the testing mess and shared our Momma Bears website and blog.  It is a hot topic, and everyone seems to be upset and want out of this mess!

One mom wrote, "Our teachers, coaches, administrators and staff will ultimately have to do the impossible and make this work and will most likely be asked to do so without question or complaint. They are held accountable while our leaders get a free pass. It's time for someone to step up and hold our leaders accountable for their actions and lack of support for our schools and repeated mismanagement of our tax dollars."
​

One clever Dad came up with this funny picture below and wrote, "First and foremost I know ‪#‎TNReady‬ is a fiasco for all involved and I do understand the seriousness of it. I also know a lot of teachers and admins in MNPS personally and they will achieve the impossible when it comes to their students. Let's face it they will be the ones who will have to adapt on the fly as always to these changes. As a father of MNPS students I will always be thankful for that. But with that said, I also believe you have to find humor in situations or you will go mad. ‪#‎TNAintReady‬"

A Craigslist advertisement searching for test scorers for Measurement, Inc. has gone viral, too.  Basically anyone with a Bachelors degree in anything can earn $11.70 per hour for grading student tests.  So, the livelihood of teachers jobs, and the status of students being labeled failures or qualifying for remedial/gifted programs, and the fate of schools who could become one of the deathly bottom 5% and be given to charter operators...  their fate lies in the hands of people who found some part-time, seasonal work on Craigslist.  Job perk: If they have a "secure work station" at home, they can even grade our children's high-stakes tests in their pajamas.  Parents are not amused.

Legislators are upset, too.  Rep. Bo Mitchell of Nashville was quoted in the news for wisely saying, "If they would take those dollars and fully fund our schools instead of trying all of these schemes to put a middle man, to put more money in their pockets, we may improve education in this state.”

​So it is funny when we hear that Commissioner Candice McQueen says that she's only really hearing from frustrated people in Hamilton County, Tennessee:

Because we see fires all over the state!!!  You know what that means, Momma Bears! Time to roar!  Especially if you live in an area other than Hamilton County, you should contact Commissioner McQueen (be sure to contact your legislators, school board members, and superintendent, too!).  

It is also funny to read that Commissioner McQueen "has lost confidence" in the TNReady test vendor.  Because we've lost confidence in her, and we have serious doubts.  Some irate parents even started an online petition to demand her resignation.  Parents want their voices to be heard! {and more than just the 15 hand-picked parents on McQueen's Parent Council that STILL hasn't been revealed, even though the TDOE spokesperson told parents last week in Johnson City, TN at a town hall meeting sponsored by the PTA that the list of Parent Council names were on the TDOE website along with the press release.  Nope, they're not there.  Someone is fibbing.}

So, Momma Bears, you have some polite pestering to do...

Here's Commissioner Candice McQueen's contact info:
Candice.McQueen@tn.gov 
(You should also cc: Governor Bill.Haslam@tn.gov since he gave her the job)
(615) 741-5158
Go ahead, give her an earful (and be sure to tell her where you're from in TN!)


Two points to make to your elected officials:

1. The high-stakes testing is out-of-control!  We want it drastically reduced and transparent.  We do not want teacher evaluations to be connected to our children's test scores. (Okay, sorry, that's more than 1 point.)
2. We sure don't want vouchers!  The TDOE royally screwed up this testing contracting job, and they screwed up last year's TCAP test results, and they are screwing up the state-run ASD schools...  why on Earth would legislators trust them with millions of dollars in voucher dollars flowing to private interests which are unaccountable and nontransparent?!?  Learn from others mistakes:  In other states, the logistics of vouchers have led to mismanagement, fraud, segregation, students falling through cracks, and overall worse student outcomes for students (especially poor kids).  TN doesn't need vouchers; we need fully funded public schools! 

Sorry, that's like a gazillion points. We Momma Bears cannot help but get on a soapbox once we get started.  It makes us so mad! Go get on your own soapbox and politely pester your elected officials.  Your voice is important!  Blast off, parents!

Dear True Believers,

Y’all got to be excited! Here you sit on the cusp of making history in Tennessee, despite a few pesky parents, educators, newspaper columnists, members of the Tennessee County Commissioners Association, school board members,students, and community members, who can’t appreciate all you do, by this time next week, you’ll be celebrating Tennessee joining the forward-thinking states who have provided a pathway out  for all those trapped kids in failing schools. Never mind that vouchers have never worked anywhere else, we all know Tennessee is different. So ignore the haters, this has been a long time coming, and Lord knows, you’ve worked hard for it and deserve it.

Legislators, I have got to say I am really impressed by your willingness to stake your political reputation on the idea of vouchers for the sake of those poor, poor children. Some may say otherwise, but I take it as evidence that you care about all children. Seeing as, for the most part, you will never even interact with these children. People don’t appreciate how expensive running for office every two years is and out-of-state education lobby groups have been extremely generous over the last several years. Heck, last year alone they dropped 260K on your campaigns. A million bucks over the last two years is a lot of cabbage. Especially now that some of you are drawing challengers. Your willingness to make this sacrifice shows that this truly is about the kids.

Now maybe all those lobbyists won’t go away, but just in case they do, one area that you might want to look at for recouping some of your financial losses is in the school building industry. Hear me out, now. We all know that once you take away thereligious-affiliated schools, that there are not enough private schools to handle the demand of all these new voucher-carrying students. Luckily, there are already some lobbyist groups ready to step into the void. Now, that may mean sharing some of ourchildren’s personal information, but you knew that was going to happen anyway. How else would we be able to decide who gets a voucher life boat and who doesn’t?

You rural folks, who have done a lot of the heavy lifting on this bill, might be a little worried that you might not get to benefit from this voucher bill. Fear not, I know you are being told that this bill is primarily for those poor kids in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, but let’s look at that a little closer. A lot of people don’t realize that just a couple of students can have a profound effect on a school’s overall grade.

Look at Williamson County, arguably the home of the best schools in the state, and specifically at Fairview Middle School. A few transfer kids with special needs threw off their results enough for them to get classified as a “focus” school. So, if a couple of priority schools in Memphis get rid of 100 or so kids each with their vouchers, then they’ll no longer be in the bottom 5% of schools. But there will always be a bottom 5%. So be on the lookout – Fayette, Maury, Grundy, Hardeman, Hancock, Roane, Sevier, and other counties – any one of you could come off the bench and suddenly become eligible for vouchers.

Do you know what the best part is? Let’s say Swiss Elementary School students were eligible for vouchers, but the parents disagree with the rankings. They believe in their school, and they don’t want to use vouchers to enroll in a private school. Well, that would then mean that any student in Grundy County could now get their private school tuition paid for with taxpayer dollars. Sweet! If those poor kids don’t want it, then it’s yours! Pretty good deal, huh?

Sure the schools in question may lose out on that needed cash to keep the lights on when they lose students because of these vouchers, but as Rep. Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville) says, “In the end, the adults in (the schools), they’ll be OK, but the kids in them can’t wait.” So if a district loses a school or two to financial hardship brought on by lost funding, or if a great school has to scale back, it is all for the greater good according to Rep. Dunn. I’m assuming that’s why a State Representative from East Tennessee and a few from Williamson County are fighting so hard for a plan that won’t even affect them and runs counter to conservative beliefs, while those who itwill affect voted against it. Hey, I saw Waiting for Superman. I know how all this works. Tennessee has spent enough on our schools with limited results, we need to take action.

It does my heart good to see so many putting the needs of so few first. LikeRepresentative Dunn says we need to focus on creating new opportunities for children, not on finances.Now we just have to find a way to get some of that Title I money to follow the kids as well. Maybe we could even move Tennessee up from number three to number one nationally in Charter School growth. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, right? And I wouldn’t let it bother me that Governor Haslam didn’t even mention you in his recent State of the State speech. Probably just slipped his mind. I also wouldn’t worry whether any of this is constitutional or not,because who’s going to ask? Besides, whats one more potential law suit?

So lets inflate the balloons, strap on the party hats, and crank up the Kool and the Gang, because its time to celebrate. Unless, of course, some of those pesky parents, educators, county commissioners, school board members, African American State Representatives from Memphis, students, and community members who can’t appreciate all you do raise too loud of a fuss and stop this bill come Monday. But that will never happen…. or will it? The choice is ours.

Sincerely,

A pesky parent

The above letter and picture were originally posted on this fantastic Tennessee Dad's blog. Click HERE to read it and his other blogs. They are all better than sliced bread, with a jar of Nutella, and 5 minutes of blissful peace and quiet.  Yes, his blogs are that good!

Before you send us an email all upset thinking Momma Bears have gone to the dark side, take a a gulp of sarcasm and re-read his article.  Of course Momma Bears don't support vouchers, we have and always will support public schools.  Sometimes you have to fight fire with funny.  So, enjoy! and then take action because your voice is important!

Not sure exactly what to do?  You need to find your TN House of Representative and pester the stew out of him/her because they are the ones voting on this bill on MONDAY.  Click HERE to find your House of Representative.  OR even better, click HERE to visit TREE's website where they have easy steps to follow and links to make it super-easy for you.  (Those TREE people are smarter and more tech-savvy than we are!)

​So, don't waste too much time enjoying that jar of Nutella, dear reader, you have work to do!