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What can little ol' me do about the big ol' tests?

4/29/2014

 
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Parents, are you frustrated, concerned, or feeling helpless over your child having to take high stakes standardized tests?  Does your heart break for your child because your he/she has anxiety, stress, trouble sleeping, strange stomach aches, headaches, or even vomiting around TCAP time?  

  You are not alone.  
        And your child isn't the only one.


Standardized testing never used to be this way when we were growing up, did it?  
We took the test and then went to out to play at recess and our school day went on as normal.  There was no pressure or repercussions if you missed questions.  No big deal.  The teachers simply said that they wanted to see all you had learned and to do your best.  There were no TCAP pep rallies, TCAP songs, TCAP t-shirts, pajama days, candy given as bribes on testing days, or videos made by desperate teachers to inspire kids to Zap the TCAP.  Kids took the tests.  Life went on.

That changed a few years ago in TN.  Big time. 
Test scores were put on a pedestal.  The test scores of your children now prove the worth of their teacher.  Student test scores are a huge percentage of every teacher's evaluation rating in TN, varying by district.  Yes, we know it isn't fair.  Yes, we know that some teachers don't even teach subjects that are on the standardized test--subjects like music, art, PE, library, electives, etc.. These teachers are unfairly forced to use the school's overall English or Math score for their percentage.  Yes, and we know the teachers are incredibly stressed about it, too.

The other big change that happened a few years ago is that it became mandatory in TN that the TCAP count as 15%-25% of each child's report card grade.  Yes, we know it isn't fair.  Yes, we know teachers and parents never even get to see the tests or the questions on it.  Yes, we know these companies are making a fortune selling these tests to our state with our tax dollars.  No, we don't know if the TCAP test questions are legitimately fair or even if the answers are correct.  We've heard rumors from teachers that even they can't figure out some of the answers because the questions and answer choices are so confusing, but nobody can prove it because nobody is allowed to see the test.  In fact, teachers must sign an agreement to not discuss the tests.  Teachers have told us Momma Bears that they have been forbidden by their administrators to post any comments relating to the TCAP or PARCC test on Facebook or social media.  Things have gotten so bad that even students are told they aren't supposed to talk about the test questions, not even to their parents.  (You don't tell kids not to tell their parents. That is WRONG. Unless you're throwing us a surprise party. Then it is okay.)
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This is overwhelming... What can an ordinary parent do about it?
Contrary to popular belief, ordinary parents are the most powerful forces on the planet.  It is true.  Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they work together, especially when they are Momma or Poppa or Grandparent Bears!  Being a SUPER MOM is really quite easy.  Here are the easy-to-follow steps:

Steps to saving the world:
  1. Put on your superhero uniform (cape & tights are optional) and harness the power of your words as a parent.
  2. Take a deep breath and blow off some steam.  Let your words flow like Spiderman's web from his hands.  You can do this.  Write down everything that bothers you and your children about these stupid tests.  Use curse words if you feel so inclined.  The point is to get it out of your system.
  3. Take a break. Go hug your kids. Peek on them if they are asleep and smell their sweet, sleepy heads. Children are such a blessing, and they're only yours for such a short time before they're grown up. Cherish it.
  4. After you've cooled your jets and your head is clear, sit back down and look at the verbal vomit you spewed.  It is probably pretty offensive and you need to clean it up.  So, put on your thinking cap and turn those words into magic.  You can do it.  First, delete the curse words.  Then, take out at least half of the exclamation points.  There's no need for paragraphs to be written in all capitalized letters.  Whittle down your message into a sane, cohesive letter or email.  You're going to send this to some people who CAN make a difference, so make it polite and polished.  If there are red squiggly lines popping up under words you typed, make sure they are spelled correctly and/or are the correct use of the word.  You'll sound much smarter if you fix those errors.  The red squiggly line is your friend.
  5. You can't just complain without offering a solution.  So, in closing your correspondence, write what you want to see happen with regards to testing.  Here are some options:
         Eliminate it.
         Don't tie it to teacher evaluations.
         Don't tie it to student report cards.
         Spend the testing money on more teachers instead of tests.
         Allow parents to Refuse or Opt-Out of testing for their child without penalizing their child's grade or their teacher.
         Get rid of Common Core.
  6. Good idea: Let your letter stew for 24 hours just to make sure you included everything you wanted to say.
  7. Optional: Show it to others to get their feedback.
  8. Read it one more time.  If you think to yourself, "It is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing!," then make a wish or say a prayer and then send it! 
  9. Wait. Who do you send it to?  There are a bunch of important people who need to read it, so Momma Bears suggests sending it to them all.  Here is how to find the important people:
  10. Google your school district to find out your Superintendent and School Board member's email addresses.  Send your masterpiece to them.  They need to know that parents are not happy.  (If you're lucky, they will reply to your email in a few days and will probably say it is the State's fault. See #11 for a big fat dose of irony.)
  11. Legislators are very important people who make the laws that got us in to this testing mess.  They definitely need to hear from real parents.  Click HERE to find your TN legislators that live in your district.  Be sure to tell them you are in their district; this matters a lot since they need your vote.  (If you're lucky, they will respond to your email in a few days and probably say it is your local School Board's fault. LOL. Notice a big fat problem with finger pointing?)
  12. Gosh, since you've put so much work into it, you might as well send it to all the legislators.  It may take you awhile to copy & paste their email addresses, and you may want to do it in small batches (send to no more than 25 email addresses per email) so that your email service doesn't think you are spamming.
         http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/ 
         http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/ 
  13. The Governor needs to see your masterpiece, too.  Who knows... It might be the key that melts his stone-cold heart.  His email is: bill.haslam@tn.gov
  14. Who else needs to hear it?  Teachers?  Principals?  Newspapers will publish letters to the editor!  Go for it!!!
  15. These are YOUR kids you are advocating for.  If EVERY parent spoke up, we could make a huge difference.  Don't rely on someone else to do it for you.  Don't rely on your elected officials or your school's PTA.  YOUR voice is important... Use it!  

Your school district won't tell you this, but you also have the right to refuse these tests for your children.  They are YOUR children, not the government's.  If you want to know more about it, or meet other parents who have bravely gone down this opting out route before you, here are some links to real parents in Tennessee and across the country: Stop the Tennessee Testing Madness website, Stop the TN Testing Madness Facebook page, Stop the TN Testing Madness Facebook group, United Opt Out Website (National group), United Opt Out Facebook group. 
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(Don't try this at home. Biting your computer is never a good idea)

Oops. We Changed Our Minds.

4/28/2014

 
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We Momma Bears recently had a chance to climb out of our caves and do some reading in the bright, spring sun. We finally had a chance to read through all those SCORE emails about Common Core--and we are here to announce that we have officially changed our minds: 

We now believe that our children will only reach the highest levels of self-actualization if they are exposed to the wonders of these miraculous standards. You may be thinking "What the heck? Seriously? Am I being punked? Is it the end of the world as we know it?" but please hear us out....

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Here is our ever-so-insightful reasoning:

1) We have on good authority that Common Core standards are so potent that they will counteract any and all of the negative affects that child poverty may have on learning. Your student didn't sleep last night because he/she was too hungry? Don't worry! Teach them to decompose a number and all will be well. 

2) We now understand that the best way to teach a child grit and tenacity--character traits developed by CCSS--is by throwing them into the proverbial pool because they will teach themselves to swim! No typing courses required in the state of Tennessee? No problem. After countless hours of testing on computers, they will eventually train themselves to tearfully hunt and peck their way to a 3-sentence paragraph in kindergarten before they can even read! And they will have developed grit and tenacity. And all will be well... unless they score poorly on the test... because if they score basic or below, they'll sadly finish kindergarten designated one or two years behind grade level. So, the big question is: When will pre-k testing start to better quantify that all kids should learn at the same pace? Better yet, can you start testing them as toddlers? Surely there is a way to rate a toddler's grit and tenacity based on their tantrums.

3) Common Core is going to close the learning gap! Even though the standards were raised and the gap might be wider, inspirational rubrics will overcome closing grade level performance. But, not to worry... your failing scores will put you in the bottom 5% of performing schools and your school can be closed, leaving you all sorts of charter school choices (who all do the same scripted Common Core lessons, give lots of tests, and are staffed by cheap, unqualified, temporary teachers with no experience so it really doesn't matter which one you pick... or which one picks you, because the charter schools can legally kick out the kids they don't want and there is nothing you can do about it).

4) Your child is disabled? Learning English as a second language? Well, finally your child will be tested and be instructed just like all of their peers! No more accommodations for the weaklings!  Sink or swim. Hey, it is a dog eat dog world.  Kids that can't cut it will be called "factionless" and left to live outside the 4 pillars of our society (just like in the novel & movie, Divergent).

5) Please bring us even more CCSS! Please tell us you haven't forgotten Science and Social Studies!  We need some new and harder ways to learn these subjects too. Because right now nobody cares about the untested subjects. Testing can return a focus on the entire educational experience (if tied to teacher evaluations, of course). Everything needs an aligned to a test! Be sure to include art, music, and physical education! Can you please figure out a way to test recess? We bet the government can even figure out some method to test how our kids eat lunch and then use their scores to fire cafeteria workers. Oh, and don't forget Sex Ed! Make it as graphic as possible, we don't even care how young the kids are when they learn it.

6) We want brand new untrained teachers to teach it. We know it is tough trying to squeeze that budget tighter each year and still pay the executive salaries & benefits for the administration at the top of the food chain. Get rid of all those hard-working, stay-in-the-profession-forever types. Who needs them? Bring us the Teach for America robot drones. Five weeks of training is more than enough to prepare new college grads without education degrees how to be the excellent teachers that children deserve. Never mind their classroom management is the pits. Kids will overcome with grit and tenacity. Those Teach for America drones are climbing their career ladders, bless their hearts, and we are happy to let our kids be stepping stones for them as they aspire to greatness as future charter school operators with unlimited salaries, or as well-paid administrators in the TN Department of Education or U.S.Department of Education making decisions for lots and lots of children because a mere 2 year stint as a classroom teacher magically qualifies them for that.

7) Please, give our kids the PARCC test AND the SBAC test. Yes, let's do BOTH of the new Common Core tests in our state! Arne Duncan will be so happy with us that he will wet his pants!!! We know we don't have the money for all this expensive testing, but do it anyway. It will be worth it. Also, force our school systems to buy lots of new Microsoft computers and software for these tests.  We'll afford it somehow. You must force these national common standards on our offspring and future generations. Cram it down our throats with expensive advertising through TV commercials and radio ads paid for with our own tax dollars. Would it be too blatant to plan for a Superbowl commercial? You're right, maybe that is too over-the-top. Here's a money-maker idea, advertise to our kids in the tests! Put brand name products in the test questions, we don't mind if you market to our kids because they are future customers in the global economy. Our kids need to know what brand of shoes, beverages, or toys to beg us for.

8) Please spy on our kids through the Common Core tests, benchmark assessments, and surveys. Sneak them in while they are on the computer so parents won't know and it is a big, happy surprise to parents if they find out. Track how frustrated our kids get with questions that are obviously trick questions. Count how many clicks they make with the mouse before they give up. Use the laptop camera and video them to look at their facial expressions. Don't be sneaky about it, go ahead and just blatantly ask our kids personal questions about their lives. Heck, ask them personal questions about OUR lives. We parents just love to spit our milk out at the dinner table when our kids tell us how they were asked non-educational questions that day at school like: who lives with us, how many bedrooms our house has, if our child has a TV or computer in their bedroom, if our child is bullied because of their sexuality, if they have used cigarettes or drugs, if they drink alcohol, and so forth. No question is off-limits when you label it "data." And even though some Americans may say those questions are a violation of privacy or that it is "nunya beeswax," we know that it really means that the government loves us. 

9) Be sure to keep track of our children's personal information in a giant database. Transfer and store it on "clouds" because clouds sound safe and happy (like that bonus land in Super Mario where Mario can't get killed, he just jumps around getting coins). Internet safety doesn't worry parents one bit. We don't mind that our bank accounts were hacked through Target and that nothing is ever truly secure on the internet. Hackers wouldn't want innocent kids social security numbers, would they? Why would future employers or colleges or marketing companies want our children's information, anyway? Well, we're positive the government and these corporations that have lucrative contracts with the government will keep our children's personal information safe because they love us and our kids. Besides, if there is a security breach, we'll never know. Ignorance is bliss. Share our kids information with whoever you want without parental consent. We Momma Bears have read the Race to the Top Application to the Federal Government, so we know companies contracted with government are already legally tracking our kids all the way from their "cradle to career." The FERPA law protects the government and those businesses and makes it all perfectly legal to do it without parents even knowing about it. So, go right ahead and stalk our kids. Parents won't think it is creepy. We know you love us.  

Please make all of this as hard as possible on everyone. Keep pushing all of these awful reforms on our children despite the many parents and teachers who are freaking out and complaining... 
     ...because if you do, the wheels will continue to come off. 

And Momma Bears can continue to get electorate buy-in that TN Governor Haslam's education policies are rotten and based on greed. More immersion in our children's classrooms will convince more voters that Haslam and his appointed Commissioner of Education, Kevin Huffman, both need to go. More complaints from parents, teachers, and students will open more eyes, and we can get people to the voting booths in November to get the politicians who have voted against our children and our public schools out of office.  It could be the best thing politicians & reformers have done for our state.  Truly.  
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Update: Huffman Agreement Axed by Huffman

4/17/2014

 
When the Momma Bear post on the 1-year PARCC delay was written Wednesday morning, there were many events in play and messages being shared. During this time, the Momma Bear who wrote this post heard from reliable sources that the Conference Committee (CC) Report--that had not yet been released to the public--would negate the 1-year PARCC hiatus. Because the House was going to hear the bill in just a few hours, the Momma Bear blogger wrote the post, attached the CC report as soon as it came across "the wire", and immediately posted the blog. Hindsight being 20/20, she should have read the CC report before posting it. If she had read it, she would have noticed that there is still a 1-year hiatus of PARCC in the bill. We apologize for that major error in reporting, but we hope you will forgive us: Our blogger was working within serious time constraints and, as you know, inaccurate information can sometimes be shared during such situations. 

Despite this technicality, we here at Momma Bears do believe that, as written, the Conference Committee bill that was approved by the full House on Wednesday does essentially ax the effectiveness of the 1-year PARCC hiatus. The TN Board of Education (BOE) will seek out bids for Common Core-compliant tests from other testing companies for the 2015-2016 test; however, the CC report/bill requires that these tests must be field tested prior to the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year to even be considered. That appears to leave the BOE with two test choices: the PARCC test and the Smarter Balanced Assessment--a.k.a., the "other" Common Core test that is currently being developed. (Don't forget that Ed Commish Huffman is on the Executive Committee of PARCC, so we have no doubt he will be lobbying hard for PARCC.)

So, instead of using the hiatus as an opportunity to examine other test options that could save the state much money, teachers much hassle, and children much heartache; we are basically stuck with an extra year of twiddling our thumbs as the PARCC continues to barrel down on us like an out of control locomotive. 

Oh, and we are pretty sure that this 1-year break actually helps Huffman save face because it is clear from reports across the state that TN would have been nowhere near ready to adequately administer PARCC a year from now. So now Huffman, Haslam, and the leadership in the legislature look like they actually give a hoot about the desires of the electorate/legislature, when we are pretty sure they are just relieved that they now have an extra year to try and get our state "ready" for the PARCC. 

We have news for Mr. Huffman and his buddies: As long as you and your cohorts continue to disrespect teachers and parents, starve school districts of resources, and treat our children like products rather than human beings, Tennessee students, as a whole, will never "succeed" at any high-stakes test. Raising the proverbial bar to 6 feet and then telling children who can only jump 3 feet to clear it is nothing short of insanity. But we strongly believe that, if you implement some of the following suggestions, TN students could easily clear that 6-foot bar:  

1) Fully fund our schools.
2) Implement wrap-around services that will help ameliorate the impact of poverty on learning.
2) Pay our teachers what they are worth.
3) Allow teachers to actually teach instead of test.
4) Respect a child's need for play, exercise, and the arts.
5) Encourage parents to be active participants in their children's education.

Until then, Tennessee students will never reach their fullest potential because, contrary to your beliefs, simply expecting more won't make children achieve more. 



URGENT: PARCC Agreement Axed by Huffman

4/16/2014

 
A Conference Committee Report was just released on the TN state website that, according to a post from TN Parents, "allows Common Core and PARCC, but locks Tennessee into it because of the deceptive wording and testing criteria."  

TN Parents goes on to state: "Not only that, this agreement would give Commissioner Huffman (who is ON the Executive Committee of PARCC) and the TNDOE the power to expand Common Core to include the Next Generation Common Core Science Standards, Social Studies Standards, and those Common Core Sexual Education standards that parents have been freaking out about. 

Also very disturbing, things that were promised to be included, like protection for student data, have been so watered down, they are worthless.  FERPA is not the safe law everyone thinks it is.  FERPA doesn't protect our children against data sharing without parental consent, it just makes it legal for companies and organizations to do so, and there's nothing that parents can do to stop it.  This is sickening and scary for parents.

Politicians that vote for this will be just playing right in to their hands, and they know it.  This is a deliberate, underhanded move by the administration.

Remember just a few weeks ago?
82 Representatives bravely voted to delay Common Core
88 Representatives wisely voted to delay PARCC

Heads up:  They are also trying to SNEAK the VOUCHER bill through on another bill (again).

It is a shame that the leaders of the House & Senate are doing the bidding of Governor Haslam and corporate-interests instead of representing the people that elected them to serve."


Momma Bear talking here again: Here is a copy of that Committee Report that was just placed on the TN state website today--on the LAST DAY of the legislative session. Keep in mind that legislators and the public have been told by General Assembly leadership that there would be a 1-year PARCC delay agreement in the Conference Committee. In fact, as late as yesterday, members of the media were reporting that the Conference Committee had agreed on a 1-year delay. And, this morning, on the very last day of session, we wake up to this news. How are Tennesseans supposed to trust our so-called leaders--especially Commissioner Huffman & Governor Haslam? This is a sad day for democracy. 

Demon Barber, Take 2

4/12/2014

 
When Momma Bears last left off…

We told you all about the Demon Barber of Downing Street, the mastermind behind all the nasty Labour Party education reforms in England. Just before Tony Blair bid adieu as Prime Minister, Sir Michael went worldwide with his ideas for education reform. He took a consultant position with McKinsey Global Practices and landed a new gig in Ohio. Bill Gates paid McKinsey & company BIG money for a WORLD class Ohio education system.
 
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"Pip pip, Prime Minister Tony Blair! I'm heading across the pond to throw a Spanner in the Works"
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"Cheerio, old Duff! Best of luck waffling your beastly rubbish."

Only things didn’t go so well for Sir Michael in the Buckeye state. Reforming education in Ohio “…would require an unlikely alignment of galaxies: The Ohio State Board of Education, the state’s new Democratic governor and its Republican-dominated Legislature would all have to cooperate closely. And that’s not to mention Ohio’s 613 school districts. So, it’s a real challenge to align all these actors behind that reform,” he complained.
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Which just goes to show you that even a swanky British accent can’t fool everybody all the time. (And don’t even think about pulling that world class stuff on Momma Bears. We are worldwide, too, and our Momma Bears in Wales tell us that England’s interference in education matters is not pretty.) 

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So, what’s a Brit with a degree from Oxford in American History supposed to do when faced with defeat?  

   Blame America, of course! 

“One worry I have is the sheer difficulty of getting things done in this country.”  Specifically he complains about America’s Constitution, which provides for separation of powers and local control over education. 

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“[Y]our Founding Fathers separated powers between the three branches and two levels," he stated.  “In England, we don’t have federal-state separation or the separation of powers between the legislature and the executive…” Barber further explains, “In Mr. Blair’s Britain, it was possible to impose new policy quickly” because “Britain’s political system endows its prime ministers with greater powers to impose new practices than any corresponding American official enjoys, since basic education policies in the United States are set in the 50 states and in the nation’s 15,000 local school districts.” So, in comparison, Barber says, “Once Britain’s prime minister is elected, he has a majority in Parliament and its much easier to change things. In contrast, the founding fathers created a political culture where you have to get a consensus from competing factions.” 

Hmmmm…we’re thinking Sir Michael might need to get his money back on that American History degree from Oxford and take a history class in an American public school.  He needs a better appreciation for the government created by our Founding Fathers and their reasons for creating it. “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” says the Declaration of Independence.   We like our American ways with separation of powers, states control over education, and local school boards. Americans do not want a centralized power structure like the U.K. 
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Besides who could stand all that wig wearing, hopping up and down, and shouting like they do in British parliament? If there is going to be any wig wearing, hopping and shouting to be done then let the kids do it. Remember when kindergarten used to have dress up centers, recess, gym class, and games? ***sigh***

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Back to the demon…

His very British education on American History might explain his skewed way of thinking about the history of America’s public education. In 2008, Sir Michael gave the keynote address at a Washington, D.C. national education summit sponsored by the Aspen Institute. His address, full of references to the 1960’s and civil rights, applauds Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. And as an homage to Dr. King’s 1963 “I have a Dream” speech, he even titles his speech, “Neither Rest Nor the Tranquility: Education and the American Dream in the 21st Century.” 

But underneath the platitudes is a darkness that is just plain ugly. 
Sir Michael Barber seemingly blames the fall of American education on Brown v. The Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court decision to integrate public schools. These are his exact words: 

“In 1955, the year General Motors achieved a US market share of 50 percent and two years before the launch of Sputnik undermined America’s post-war confidence, the American high school reached its zenith--at least for white kids. A year earlier the Supreme Court had momentously decided that the education those white kids received should ultimately be available to all, setting the terms of debate for the ensuing decades. Up to that time--and indeed beyond--the US had a huge comparative advantage over all other countries in the provision of universal, general education...”
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Sir Michael goes on to explain how American education has stagnated in the last quarter of the 20th century and what a tremendous economic impact that will have on our country. And how we must not be complacent in education reforms. Ya-da Ya-da Ya-da…

But when it comes time to point the finger at the causes for the decline, Barber clearly points it at the kids. “The slippage is not the result of a lack of investment which remains relatively high in the US. Rather it reflects--to use hard economic terms--a lack of productivity.”

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“The problem is that, as they get older, children make less progress each year than children in the best performing countries. Here we’re not just talking about poor kids in poor neighbourhoods; we’re talking about most kids in most neighbourhoods.” 

In other words... kids in integrated schools. 

So, now we know who we are dealing with…


Follow Momma Bear’s next blog and we will tell you about Sir Michael’s involvement in Race to the Top and how he kicked off Common Core in Tennessee.

Click HERE to subscribe to Momma Bears so you won't miss it!

Sir Michael... the Demon Barber of Downing Street

4/7/2014

 
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Sir Michael Barber, the British knight who once occupied offices at Number 10 Downing Street, has been called a mad professor and one of the scariest people in education reform.  But most Americans have never heard of him. So, Momma Bears think its time to introduce you.

Who is Sir Michael Barber?
Quite literally, he can be described as an English NUT. In fact, he is an English NUT head because the National Union of Teacher in England is called “NUT” and Barber was once their head. We think NUT head is a pretty accurate description of this former accountant turned history teacher.

He started off in the teachers union leading a national boycott against standardized testing. But that was short-lived and he soon parlayed his position as spokesperson for British teacher unions into a university professorship and authored “The Learning Game.” During that time, Barber became Tony Blair’s speech writer on education issues. By the mid 1990’s, this daft, middle aged NUT head who loves his charts and graphs was emerging as a serious behind the scenes force in education. By 1995, Barber was selected to collaborate on the Labour Party’s education policies.

When Tony Blair became Great Britain’s Prime Minister in 1997, he made Barber the head of Standards and Effectiveness and Chief Advisor to the Secretary of State for School Standards. Barber later led the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. Momma Bears will explain “delivery” to you later. But for now, think of it as something really bad that earned Barber the title as one of the scariest reformers in education.

In public office , Barber was the key architect in the U.K.’s public education reform. 

He developed a three pronged plan:

     1)  National Standards & Accountability
     2)  Teacher Effectiveness
     3)  Market Reform (aka = School Choice) 

Sound familiar??? Keep reading, there’s more…


From 1997 to 1999, the Labour Party implemented the first prong of  Barber’s “Investment for Reform” plan by instituting “Large-scale reform driven from the top down; designing all the materials at the national level and training everybody in a cascade out; using accountability to publish results and school inspection to check that people were adopting better practices.”  That is a direct quote from Sir Michael who goes on to brag that Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration dealt swiftly with under-performing schools.

Schools that were unable to live up to the new British national standards were shut down without mercy. Many of which were located in Liverpool and low income neighborhoods in London. When the Brits complained that Barber went too far, too fast,  he responded, "too bad." Critics suggested that Barber should have made more of an effort to get buy-in but he rebuffed their criticism. “I personally don’t believe that,” said Barber, “you have to be very clear what’s non-negotiable and be absolutely unapologetic.” Barber’s unapologetic slice & dice philosophy on public education reform earns him the title of: 
"Demon Barber of Downing Street"
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But Barber traded that title in 2005 for “Sir” when the Queen knighted him and he gave up his posh offices on Downing Street to join McKinsey Global Practices. Ethically prohibited from working on British projects for at least six months, Sir Michael turned his attention from the U.K. to Ohio.  Yes, Ohio, the buckeye state in America...  
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In 2006, the Ohio State Board of Education asked Achieve, Inc. to evaluate and benchmark Ohio’s K-12 policies & practices against the best international standards. So, Achieve hired McKinsey & Company to perform the research and Bill Gates paid for it. The McKinsey team, led by Sir Michael Barber, produced a research report  entitled, Creating a World-Class Education System in Ohio.  

World Class Education??? 
           That rings a bell -- Cha-ching!!!


According to the report, “The world’s highest-performing educational systems exhibit three common attributes, which reinforce each other to ensure system alignment and focus on delivering high levels of student achievement.” 
High (Dollar) Challenge
+ 
High 
(Dollar) Support
+
Aligned 
(Corporate Tax) Incentives 

Okay... So Momma Bears added the information in parenthesis, 
but you know it is true!!!
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Not too long ago, Bill Gates bought one of those World-Class systems for Memphis too. But instead of getting the fancy British model, Memphis got a knock-off version from Boston. Find out more in Momma Bears next blog when we will tell you all about how the Demon Barber of Downing Street came to Tennessee.
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(Cliff Hanger)
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    Momma Bears

    Just some moms who realize their children's public school systems in TN, as well as public schools across the country, have major threats to their survival.  We research, we write, we share, and we advocate.

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