We thought we were all done blogging on PTA. Then, we heard about what was happening in our neighboring state of Georgia's PTA. It seems that former state PTA board members have recently come forward accusing the PTA of caring more about trips and office furnishings than advocating for children. 
​
A Georgia blogger has all the dirty details of the on-going saga which she says should be a TV reality show. Maureen Downey, an AJC writer, interviewed several former PTA leaders earlier this year who spilled the bean about the inner workings of GA PTA. In her blogs here, here, and here, Downey presents a PTA tell-all about nepotism, criminal records, racism, and outrageous spending habits. There are also allegations of noncompliance with by-laws, wrongful removal of board members, and PTA business being conducted in an opaque manner.

The tell-all was precipitated by the shady ouster of Georgia PTA State President Lisa-Marie Haygood along with some other state PTA board members. The actions of current PTA state board members were so shady that National PTA has gotten involved. Unfortunately, NPTA has done little to rectify the situation. Mostly, they have just sent out letters threatening disaffiliation. Of course, this means Georgia's schoolchildren are now probably going to be disqualified from entering PTA Reflections art contest. 

WTG PTA!! Way to punish the kids for adult misdoings.

​But there is more to this story. And it involves charter schools. Haygood led the fight against creating an Opportunity School District in Georgia. The OSD is Georgia's version of Tennessee's ASD. Haygood's efforts were quite successful. The Governor's proposed OSD legislation was defeated. But before Haygood could accept her PTA Advocacy award, she was summarily removed from office. And nobody knows why. ​But there's lots of speculation.

Former GA PTA board members told Downey that Haygood was kicked out as president because, among other things, she tried to reign in some excessive spending habits. Most recently, the cash-strapped PTA expended $20,000 for its board members to travel to Las Vegas for this year's upcoming National PTA convention. 

​So….. Was Haygood ousted in retaliation for defeating OSD legislation? Or for tightening up PTA's financial practices?  Or maybe, both? 

We're not sure but this isn't the first time, there has been drama with Georgia PTA involving charter schools. Last time, GA PTA opposed a referendum that would permit state authorizers for charter schools. But those advocacy efforts were stamped out by National PTA under the direction of Tennessee's own Betsy Landers. 

During Landers' presidency in 2012, National PTA changed its longtime stance on charter schools. That year, the National PTA executive board adopted a new position that flew in the face of local control by school boards and opened up charter school authorization to states and other bodies. 

Since 1995, National PTA had always taken the position that local school districts should have exclusive control over the approval process of charter school applications. This allowed locally elected school boards to decide who could operate a charter school; where to locate new charter schools, the number of charter schools in the district; and what types of charter schools would best meet the district's needs. 

But when Landers became National PTA president, PTA withdrew its opposition to state and other charter school authorizers. That change meant that PTA is now advocating against local school boards having exclusive control over the charter school application process. In a letter, Landers told PTA state presidents that she wanted to ensure PTA would support "all authorizing bodies and public charter schools." She further stated that all local and state PTAs should comply with the new position in their advocacy efforts so PTA could remain "relevant."

The upshot of this new PTA position was to set the stage for charter school proliferation and other problems that come about when outsiders intrude on local school decisions. Ironically, National PTA, under the leadership of former Tennessee PTA President, Betsy Landers, took a stance that marginalized local school boards at the same time Metro Nashville Public Schools was waging an epic battle with the State of Tennessee. MNPS and TDOE were vying for control over the charter school authorization process. MNPS claimed it had the autonomy to deny Great Hearts' charter school application. But TDOE withheld funding in an effort to force MNPS to approve the charter. Eventually, Great Hearts ended the stalemate by withdrawing its application. 

Landers and National PTA were criticized for the change in position on charter school authorization. Two state PTAs flatly ignored the new National PTA position and continued with their advocacy campaigns against state charter school legislation, Georgia PTA and Washington PTA.

In August 2012, GA PTA released a recommendation that voters oppose a referendum allowing the State to authorize new charter schools calling the measure a "state power grab" that would place the education of children in the hands of those who intend to profit from it. But National PTA stepped in and pressured GA PTA to back off from its opposition to state authorized charter schools.

At the same time, Washington State PTA also opposed a ballot initiative creating charter schools in their state. Washington State PTA reasoned that the initiative lacked sufficient safeguards in the form of local controls. Parent activists were clear in their disdain for charter schools and were quite critical of them. But despite the outspoken opposition to charter schools, Washington State PTA later caved to NPTA's position and overturned its stance against the charter school proposal in a controversial PTA platform. 

But we know that National PTA's stand on charter school authorizers was not voted on by its general membership. Instead, National PTA changed its stance on charter schools with merely a vote of two dozen or so executive board members. And as detailed above, this did not sit well with some state PTAs. 

Over the years, PTA has continued its embrace of charter schools without seeking the will of its membership. Consequently, members are voting with their feet. A 2012 article says National PTA membership "has dropped steadily over the past 10 years from about 6 million to under 5 million." 

Since 2012, PTA membership has continued to plummet, dropping to 3.8 million members. That's a loss of 1.2 million members in less than five years. While Landers attempts to explain the membership decline with excuses revolving around economics, working mothers, and single parents, not everybody is buying those excuses. 

"PTA's shrinkage can't be explained only by such factors, given that parents are active at tens of thousands of schools in independent parent-teacher organizations not affiliated with the PTA. Factors driving this trend include frustration with having to pay state and national PTA dues, and disenchantment with the PTA's role as a vocal advocate on such issues as charter schools...." 

Among the reasons members leave PTA:

• "I don't feel like we get anything from national or state to justify that expense"
• "I don't feel the PTA's mission and our mission are the same"
• "Parents think they're joining to be involved with the kids at their school, and they're really becoming part of a massive political action committee"
• "It just didn't seem like that was a real good use of our money"
• "There was a time when we really needed the PTA - that was how we got information, now we have the Internet ... We can get all the information we need at our fingertips."

​
​But Landers refused to entertain the notion that National PTA's top down advocacy efforts could be driving away members, saying instead, that in"any association that takes a stand, there will always be some members who disagree." Landers blamed the declining PTA membership on PTO Today and initiated a lawsuit against PTO Today's parent company. 

"The National Parent Teacher Association, an iconic group that's been part of America's cultural backdrop for more than a century, has seen its membership fall by more than half of the 12 million members it had in its heyday in the 1960s. That decline, at least in part, motivated the PTA to file the lawsuit against PTO Today."

"The 15-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses PTO Today of engaging in false advertising, trademark infringement and other deceptive practices to 'further continue to encourage members to leave PTA.'  President Betsy Landers accused PTO Today's parent company, School Family Media Inc., of 'disparaging PTA to drive business their way." She added that "PTA had no choice but to take legal action to protect its respected name and reputation.'"

But PTO Today founder Tim Sullivan, a former teacher, says "the claims in the suit have no merit" and goes on to describe the basis of the PTA lawsuit as "kind of dumb.""On the one hand, they say we're trying to make money by confusing the marketplace and pretending to be them; on the other hand, they're claiming that we're disparaging them. I suppose it's possible to do both, but it would be kind of dumb to do both."

Within six months, PTA's lawsuit against PTO Today was dismissed and settled without any money changing hands.

So, PTA walked away empty handed????? Was it worth it? 

Landers said, "It is important for the public to understand that what makes PTA unique is the national network of families united in their commitment to improving the education, health, and safety of all children." But, we have to wonder just how much PTA spent on this litigation? How many memberships did local PTAs have to sell to fund this lawsuit? And most importantly, did it benefit the children?

We can think of a billion better ways to help children than a litigious attempt to protect PTA's brand name and its reputation. We think, PTA's own actions are driving its loss of credibility and its loss of membership. If you don't believe us, just click on the links in our blog and see for yourselves. We aren't making this stuff up, and it is too important to ignore.

Did you know that Governor Haslam sent your child a letter?  Yes, all students in grades 3-5 in TN received a letter at school from the top elected official in the state to tell them to do their best on the almighty TNReady test.  
Because when kids are stressed, let's make an even bigger deal about it by sending them a letter from a strange man they don't know... 

In his letter to children, Governor Haslam made this comparison, "In a lot of ways, TNReady is like a yearly check-up with your doctor. Just as a check-up lets your doctor know if you’re growing and healthy, TNReady lets your parents know if you’re growing in school. Information from TNReady will help teachers see what you know. It will also show what needs a little more work so you can stay on track."

First off, children at that age are old enough to know that going to the doctor isn't usually a pleasant experience.  It could mean vaccines, or a strep test that hurts your throat, or drawing blood with needles, or yucky tasting medicines you have to take, or doctors who tell your parents you need to eat more vegetables.  Rarely is a trip to the doctor at this age something that children enjoy.

And since many children in TN without health insurance don't visit the doctor for checkups annually, this comparison probably makes even less sense to them.

But, hey, let's go with that whole "doctor visit" comparison on a logical adult level...
Let's say little Billy Haslam goes to the doctor for his yearly check-up.  His doctor has been trained to listen to his heart, check his vitals, ask specific questions, and notice things that would indicate if Billy is healthy or not.  Billy's doctor has years of education and experience as a doctor, so Billy's Mom trusts him.  Billy's doctor says Billy needs additional testing.

The doctor explains to Billy's mom that Billy's testing will take Billy 7-9 hours to complete.  Billy has been feeling just fine.  His mom wonders if Billy really need such a time-consuming test?  The doctor insists saying this test will determine if little Billy is healthy, below healthy, or extra healthy.  No excuses, he's gotta do it.  Mom can't refuse the test because it is the law.

So, Billy's personal assistant, oops, we mean Billy's Mommy, must change his schedule for the weeks of testing so that Billy is able to test during the mornings when he's most alert.  In fact, everyone's schedules change for the next few weeks so that Billy can do this.

Billy is ready.  

No, wait, he's not ready...  

Before Billy can take this test, his doctor sends home packets of paperwork for him to complete.  Billy must practice for this test.  Rigorously practice.  (Note: Some doctors send home test practice paperwork with patients to complete over their summer and winter vacations, but Billy's doctor only gave him a month's worth of preparation... Gee, we hope Billy does okay!).

The night before the test, Billy's Mom says he must go to bed early to get a good night's rest.  Billy is getting a little worried because his doctor is putting so much importance on this test.  Billy's Mom tells him she loves him no matter what the test shows, just to try his best. Billy lies awake at bedtime worrying about this test that everyone keeps talking about.

Billy goes to test
Billy's Mom wakes up early to make a nutritious breakfast, but Billy doesn't eat much of it because he is nervous about this test.  In the car on the way to the test, Billy's mommy hears a radio advertisement about this test.  Billy's mom believes that this test will be fabulous for her son.  

Billy enters the doctor's office, and sees big poster on the wall telling Billy to do his best on this test. Even stranger, Billy can't stop staring at the nurses' chests; they are all wearing t-shirts that say "READY to Zap the Test!"  Before Billy tests, he is presented with some gifts:  a letter from the U.S. President wishing him well on this test and a #2 piddler with red circles on it!  

Billy is led to a room with bare walls.  The nurses tell Billy the procedure:  only urinate in the correct cup and do not stray outside of the cups.  The nurses will tell him when to start and stop.  If Billy does well today, he can have some candy!  Candy sounds nice, but Billy wonders why they are trying to make this test so much fun?  Is there a catch to it?  

The usually nice nurses are acting even stranger now when Billy tries to ask a question about this test.  They can only repeat the instructions again, with no inflection in their voices.  Billy thinks they sound like robots.  

Billy doesn't know it, but the nurses are not allowed to look at the test or answer Billy's questions. In fact, if the nurses and doctors talk about Billy's test, like how the urine cup seems to have leaky holes, they could be fired and/or lose their professional licenses.  They just smile at him and tell him to pee darkly to fill up the cups, and don't make any careless drops.  ​

Billy stares at the test.  Oh, no... Little Billy has performance anxiety and can't pee on command.  He does his best as two nurses watch him struggle.  Billy finishes day 1, and is discouraged.  He couldn't understand what some questions  were asking him to do, so he skipped those.  He ran out of time and didn't get to all the cups he should have. The nurse said that's not good.  Billy is not liking this one bit.

Over the next few weeks, Billy must spend 8 hours peeing in different color cups.  Cut Billy off mid-stream! On day 5, the labels are all wrong and don't match the correct set of cups, so Billy has to wait a long time for the nurses to get it figured out.  See, the cups are supposed to come pre-labeled with Billy's name on it, but for some reason they don't, and the nurses aren't trusted to write Billy's name on the cups.  A testing specialist has to be brought into sort it out.  

After several days of this testing, Billy is beginning to get frustrated, bored, careless, and sloppy with all of this testing, even when the nurses bribe him with a crazy hair day and a popsicle.  Billy chews nervously on the #2 Piddler and finishes 2 weeks of testing with grit and perseverance.  

Hooray, Billy's test is over!
Billy, he did his best.  He's exhausted.  His weekly schedule has been disrupted for three weeks now.  He is glad for it to be over and so are the nurses.

Billy wants to know how he did.  
Billy's mommy wonders how he did.  
Billy's doctor wonders how he did.

They'll have to wait 6 months.

Billy'sMommaSaysWhaaaaaat?!?
The test results won't be back for 6 months, at the very least.  

Billy's mom asks what good this test is if the results take so long to get back?  She points out that six months is halfway to the next annual check up!  His doctor says, "Look, don't blame me. I HAD to give the test.  If I don't give every one of my patients that test, my clinic wouldn't get paid and I would lose my professional license. Just be glad the test is over.  Hopefully we'll get some good data in six months that will help me to know how to treat Billy."

SEVEN months later...

Everyone's test results finally arrive!  Hooray!  

The doctor looks at the test results and says, "yep, that's what I figured. Billy is healthy."

Billy's Mom gets a copy of the results, too.  Her copy is really pretty with lots of pretty colors and graphs that look generally vague (because the prettier they make it, the less likely mommy will figure out that there is actually nothing useful about how Billy did on the test).  There are a few sentences on the test results: "Billy is healthy and on track to live a long and prosperous life with an above-average salary, a beautiful wife, 2 children, and a cat.  It is recommended that Billy needs to work on flossing his teeth and not picking his boogers in public."

Since the doctors, nurses, and parents are forbidden from ever seeing the actual test, they have no idea if the test actually measures what the testing company claims it does.  

The graph on Billy's results show how he compared to other children who took the test.  These comparisons are done on a secretive curve formulated by the testing company.  This means that about 5% of children will be extra healthy, about 30% will be below healthy, and the rest are in the middle healthy.  There is no gray area between the categories, every child is sorted into one of them.    

​The bill arrives from the testing company...

That will be $30 million dollars, paid for by tax payers. Wait, we forgot to include the cost of the doctors and nurses to administer the test.

(Let's not even talk about the cost of the pencils, radio ads, postcards, and letters from important people that were sent to the test-takers. Those costs were covered by anonymous people and corporations who believe wholeheartedly in the test. How nice of them! What's that you say??? Those people don't take the test? Their children don't either? This makes Billy's Mom grow skeptical of their motives.)

Time for another yearly check-up!
Billy and his mom are shocked to learn that his old doctor was fired. Unfortunately, Billy's test results proved that his doctor was ineffective. In fact, the whole hospital was closed due to the bad test results of the children. The entire office and hospital have been given to a private charter company to get better test results from all the children on the next test. The new leadership also got millions of dollars in grants from philanthropists and the federal government; these grants will buy ipee-pads for all the children to improve their aim for this year's test.

Billy's NEW doctor sends an enormous packet of practice paperwork for Billy to do over the next 5 months. Billy is also prescribed a weekly practice test, some screener tests, and a set of 3 benchmark tests to predict how Billy will do on the next test. Billy must improve his scores on the next big test to show growth or the doctor will look bad! Billy's doctor also tells him about a new section on the big test; it is called a "colonoscopy."

Billy's mom wants to refuse the next test. She thinks it is too stressful, too time consuming, too expensive, and too secretive. This was too much pressure on her son, and it honestly didn't tell her anything helpful or anything that she didn't already know.

Absolutely not. Billy's mom is not allowed to refuse the test for her son. It is against the law to opt out of this test. Because she tried to opt out, Billy's Mom got a letter from the State of TN saying she had no right to keep her child from taking this test. Billy's doctor warned her if she didn't let them test her, she could be turned in to DHS for being a negligent parent, plus, the doctor needs to know if Billy is healthy, extra healthy, or below healthy to treat him right as a patient. If Billy doesn't take the test, he will get a ZERO score, which means he is basically brain dead. He will not have a beautiful wife or a cat when he grows up if he does not take this test.

We love Happy Endings!
Billy's mom hears about a group of moms called Momma Bears. In addition to advocating for strong public schools, they opt their children out of ridiculous tests like the one Billy took. These moms created a website, a blog, and a Facebook page where they share helpful information. Sometimes, they even tweet stuff. Billy's Mom is rightly skeptical at first. She learns that the Momma Bears are volunteer moms who don't get a penny for all the research, writing, and sharing they do. Their motive is children.

Billy's Mom spends time reading on their website, clicking links for proof. Billy's Mom is better able to make informed decisions for her child. Not only that, Billy's Mom gets brave and contacts her elected officials! She tells them to change the law and get rid of this awful test.

It is a miracle!
The legislators listen to Billy's Mom! Those legislators know they need her vote to keep their jobs. Billy's Mom tells her friends about Momma Bears and about opting out. The more that Moms know, the more empowered they are to be advocates for their children. The power of these Moms can change the world! They politely pester their elected officials until positive change happens, the world is a better place, and everyone lives happily ever after.
​
THE END

So, back to Germantown. Their parents have an unusual situation surrounding their switch to PTO. It seems that former National PTA President Betsy Landers was recently appointed to their school board. And boy! That woman is adamantly loyal to PTA.

​Yep, loyal to a fault—to the Association, that is… 

It is not unusual for high-up PTA loyalists to ignore the will of the membership and even resort to using intimidation tactics. An article in the Washington Post points to "a recurring narrative about how the leadership in so many education organizations are more responsive to those in power than to those whom they represent.”  The article describes how life got really bad for some New York PTA parents around 2012-13 when Landers was National PTA President.

The PTA Moms were upset by the especially harsh testing for Grades 3-8  (with the infamous question about the talking, sleeveless pineapple) so, they tried to get a resolution to the floor at their State PTA convention. Among their concerns was the fact that the third-grade state test went from less than three hours to nine hours in length and served an additional purpose—to evaluate teachers. After numerous attempts, all of their resolutions were shot down by the state leadership. The PTA general membership never even got the opportunity to vote on them. 

As Momma Bears, we are beyond frustrated with TNReady testing. Every year, it's one testing fiasco after another. Already, reports are coming in this year that the test booklets and answer sheets don't line up. It's just another source of frustration for our children. So, its no wonder that more and more parents are wanting to opt their children out of testing. Unfortunately, the Tennessee Department of Education refuses to recognize that parents do have opt-out rights.

​So, wouldn't it be great if we had a state law that settled things once and for all by giving parents the explicit right to opt out of standardized testing?

YEAH!!! Momma Bears would love to see a law giving parents explicit opt-out rights!!! But guess what?

​If you are a Momma Bear PTA leader, you are not allowed to publicly advocate for legislation allowing parents to opt out of standardized testing. That's right. A couple of dozen uppity-ups in the National PTA all got together last year and decided that parents didn't want the right to opt their children out of testing.

We know, parents are scratching their heads on that one!! When did dues paying PTA members vote to oppose a parent's right to opt their children out of abusive standardized testing?

Oh, yeah, they didn't. Nope. There wasn't a vote. PTA members did not approve this position statement.

Instead, the PTA uppity-ups aligned with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to oppose parents who wanted the right to protect their children from abusive testing. While the PTA attempts some lame plattitude about supporting parental rights, it's clear the PTA thinks that parents only get to decide what's best for their kids when it doesn't run afoul of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 

"As PTA’s mission is on behalf of all children, and we continue to support parent’s rights, it would be contrary to the association’s mission to support or promote a strategy that does not consider the rights or consequences of that strategy for all children.  When parents opt their children out of tests--even for legitimate concerns—they’re not only making a choice for their own children, they’re inadvertently making a choice that can affect efforts to improve schools for every child."  As in "Every Child…One Voice"— the PTA motto.

If you thought that one voice was the collective voice of public school parents, you would be wrong. The PTA clearly stated that parents are not suppose to advocate for the individual needs of their children. Instead, PTA parents are supposed to comply with what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes to be best for all children—as if the Chamber knows beans about raising kids.

Now, we know why the PTA likes to say, "it's not your Momma's PTA" because our Momma's PTA actually taught parents to advocate for the best interests of their children. Today's PTA is nothing more than a corp-ed shill who wants to push parents right out of the decision-making process. 

When the PTA says testing is best for EVERY child, they mean EVERY child. That includes our most vulnerable children with special needs. Oh, yes!! The Chamber wants data points for SPED students too. 

In 2012, when, once again, Tennessee's own Betsy Landers was NPTA President; the National PTA testified before Congress that SPED students should be subjected to the same standardized testing regime as students without disabilities. That's right. PTA wants students with IEPs and 504 plans to throw them out the window and endure nine hours of testing just like every other child. The PTA actually went on record as opposing a provision in federal law which would allow an increase in the number of students permitted to take an alternative assessment—a test or portfolio more suited to their abilities.

Instead of supporting differentiated testing, the PTA argued that only the most severely disabled children should be given a reprieve from state standardized testing. ​​Everybody else must take the exact same test regardless of learning disabilities, fluency in English, behavioral problems, mental disorders, functional skills, etc.

​WTG PTA!!! That's how you shove equality down a child's throat. Yay, You!!

Ya, Baby!! National PTA has seriously been a long-time supporter of Common Core and its abusive testing regime. They are almost militant in their support, sending strong signals to any local PTA that even thinks about defying NPTA's position. Any PTA leader caught speaking out against Common Core standards or assessments will be in serious trouble.

"NPTA feels so strongly that it will not stand any dissension in its ranks. It has moved to bar their affiliates at the state and local levels from continuing their efforts for the changes they believe are needed. In late February, the Delaware PTA informed its membership that it was being forced to change its position in support of the opt-out movement and that it would have to insist that all of its local chapters do the same."

So, how did all this get started? When did the PTA decide to side with corporate reformers against its own membership??? Who made the deal with the Devil? 

Well, just one year after Betsy Landers was elected as National President-Elect, PTA took the now infamous Gates money to push common core. Also, that same year, PTA left its Chicago headquarters to purchase some fancy new digs in D.C.— closer to the political action.

It wasn't long until National PTA in its new D.C. headquarters became a major Common Core pusher with Landers as its number one cheerleader. She hit the PTA circuit, lauding the benefits of Common Core while cutting off any criticisms. Upset parents were dismissed as ill informed. Landers told them, "We understand that any change in education can seem scary. But before you push back, we urge all parents to become familiar with the standards and the new state assessments under development in order to fully understand how the standards will improve education for all students."

Then, she issued the PTA directive that all local PTA leaders "should work to educate other parents, regardless of PTA membership, on the benefits of Common Core State Standards and academic benchmarking." And just in case, there were any PTA leaders thinking about opposing Common Core, the TNPTA sent out a sternly worded warning to its local leaders advising them not to speak out against Common Core or any other PTA directive. ​

As a PTA leader, you represent PTA wherever you go.  It does not matter where you are - on Facebook, the grocery store, your church or your school - people look at you and think “PTA.”  

Likely, if someone asks you what you think of an education issue, whatever you answer will be thought of as the official position of PTA.Because you are a PTA leader, it is important that you only make statements that represent Board approved PTA position statements. 

Your opinion may differ from the PTA's official position statement ... and we encourage our members to vote as they see fit.  However, if this is the case, you are asked to excuse yourself from making any public and official comments on behalf of the PTA. 

We are still waiting to understand how the standards will improve education for all students. So far, Common Core seems like a dismal failure. Too bad, PTA silenced parents at a time when they stood a chance of saving their children from the frustration of yet another failed education experiment. 

It's little wonder PTA is struggling to advocate for the needs of public school children. Many of their leaders are not even public school parents. Several years ago, Felisha Battle, (now former) NPTA Director of Membership Marketing spoke at the Tennessee PTA convention. In addition, to advocating for Common Core, Battle also advised local PTA leaders on how to run a successful membership campaign.

When asked what her child's school did for its PTA Membership drive, Battle sheepishly replied that her children attended a private school that did not have a PTA. No doubt, her kids' private school probably didn't teach Common Core standards or administer Common Core assessments either. 

Just another typical example of PTA preaching about what's best for other people's children. 

We can't even remember the last time we've had a Tennessee PTA president with children who are actually enrolled in public school. By the time they are elected as State PTA President, their children are way too old for school— meaning our most important PTA leaders are out of touch with the monumental reforms currently happening in public education. 

And that's a problem. A really big one. PTA leaders can't empathize with today's parents if their children have never been subjected to Eureka math or weeks & weeks of state testing. Out-of-touch PTA leadership can also become susceptible to being manipulated and duped by those with a political agenda or a profit motive. And that's exactly what happened to Betsy Landers. 

If you don't stand for something, you fall for anything….

During the beginnings of the Corp Ed PTA takeover, NPTA President Betsy Landers pushed hard for technology in the class room even becoming a member of the Bammy Ed-Tech Academy. She implemented a Kindle e-book sponsorship program with Amazon which drew criticism from the National Federation of the Blind for not being inclusive of students with print disabilities. Landers also advocated school districts should spend their minimal resources on computer devices in an article commissioned by Amplify Education. 

Amplify, backed by Rupert Murdoch, leased tablets similar to iPads to public schools. Landers was quoted in the Amplify spin-piece, as being somewhat of an expert on classroom technology, claiming that students were "more apt to perform better in the classroom because of this engagement [with Amplify devices] and innovation." The article even gave helpful suggestions for fundraisers to purchase the Amplify tablets if the school district did not have money in the budget. Parents could raise funds for the tablets with bike rides, scavenger hunts, and recycling. 

It seems that Landers got herself involved in a sales pitch for what turned out to be an expensive piece of junk. It wasn't long before school systems began reporting that the Amplify tablets were malfunctioning, screens were breaking, and their chargers had melted. Even with tablets that supposedly worked, the Amplify system was soooo slow, it wasted valuable instruction time. By 2015, the New York Times was reporting on the "inglorious end" to Amplify. 

So, there you have it… PTA supports common core, standardized testing, and junk technology. Is there any wonder why more and more schools like the ones in Germantown are making a break from PTA? 

Elizabeth MacTavish, a professor at UT-K, has some words of advice to parents on the fence about TNReady testing. We think you should pay attention to her. This is an important decision for parents and one that should be made after hearing from experts, not radio ads. 

If you listen to the radio, you may have heard the commercials geared at making this sound like the best two weeks of your child's life. As a parent, you may have also been privy to the glossy, tri-fold sent home with your child outlining the seven steps of "success" your child will receive as a result of participating in these tests. As both parents of elementary aged children and teachers (with 39 combined years of experience), my husband and I are very proudly refusing our children's participation in these tests. 

So, as a parent and teacher, I implore you to ask yourself...."why is my child taking these tests?" If you cannot come up with an answer beyond "because the state says he has to take it," then I ask you to consider my reasons. And, then, I ask you to reflect on your role as a voice and an advocate for your child. You have every right to REFUSE testing for your child. Your child also has every right to attend school and be treated respectfully if your family chooses to refuse testing.

As I reminded my husband this morning, sometimes doing the right thing is uncomfortable. But, if we as parents, continue to accept what is presented to us at face value, then politicians will continue to make decisions about our children's education. 
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I will invite you to ask me questions, privately or publicly. Admittedly, it has taken a few years of reading research....lots of it...before I felt comfortable making the right decision. But, it's important to remember, the problem is not that people are uneducated. The problem is that people are just educated enough to believe what is being said, but not educated enough to question what is being said.

For those of you wondering what's the harm in having your children take these tests? I applaud you for asking. So, I feel like it is my role to provide you with my reasons. 

AAh, springtime is in the air in Tennessee...  The birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, fancy postcards with zombie testing children are arriving in everyone's mailboxes, radio stations are playing happy commercials about the magical TNReady test during prime-time rush hour, and our children will be expected to sit still for a high-stakes rigorrrrous test that is 7-9 hours long.  Everyone is READY for TNReady, right???  (imagine cynical looking picture of parents, teachers, and students here)

Nope, not us.  We're not fooled by the targeted advertising.  We know better.  If anything, it makes parents more upset that money is being wasted on propaganda to trick us into trusting them.  This test is a rush-job to get done. Just because this new test is given on paper instead of computer (for most districts, but some are going the computer test route. Click HERE to see the list), it doesn't mean that it will be any better than previous years.  We can't ever see the test, but it may have poorly written questions like previous years.  We know for a fact that this year's TNReady test is NOT shorter than previous years.  Click HERE to read our blog with previous years' testing times compared to this year.   ​Yes, this is still a very high-stakes, high-pressure test for children and teachers.
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So what are informed parents to do?  
The TN Department of Education has made it even more difficult for parents to opt-out (aka "refuse") this year by extending the testing window to 3 weeks long (April 17 - May 3).  That's an awful lot of school days to keep a child home.  They know that, and they're betting that the money spent on marketing and advertisements will pay off. 

The #1 question we get on our website and on social media:  How the heck do I opt my child out of this test that I don't agree with because (fill in the blank):

• It causes my child test anxiety (stomach aches, throwing up, sore tight throat, pulling hair, hates school,  hives, etc). 
• I don't want my child's teacher evaluated by my child's performance on a test. 
• Testing takes too much time from my child's school day. 
• Test prep has consumed my child's school days lately. 
• I don't ever get to see the test or my child's right/wrong answers on it. 
• I don't want my child being a guinea pig for a testing company by piloting possible future test questions. 
• I don't want my child filling out any more surveys that are embedded in the tests. 

Whatever your reason for not wanting your child to take this 7-9 hour test, you should be able to make this decision as their parent.  Oh, but the TN Department of Education neeeeeeeeds that data so they are the boss of your kids, not you.

That data can help them prove (fill in the blank):

• your child's school is failing. 
• your child's teachers are worthless. 
• the only solutions are to privatize public education through charter schools, vouchers, new untrained cheaper teachers, etc. 
• there needs to be MORE testing. (cha-ching for testing companies that donate to politicians!)  
• your school district needs to spend more money and time on test prep and expensive curriculum so that their test scores improve. (cha-ching for the testing companies, again)  

Okay enough filling in the blanks.  Just tell me:  

          Is it possible to REFUSE  testing this year?

The news doesn't look good.  To opt out, you basically have 2 options:

1. Keep your child home during the testing.
   OR
2. Have your child refuse to take the test.  

If you go the absent route, some parents have had luck with notes from their child's doctor stating that their child suffers from test anxiety, thus giving them excused absences.  Might be worth a try?

If your child refuses, he/she may have to sit for 7-9 hours with nothing to do but stare at the test (unless you live in a nice school district where they will let students read a book or do an alternative educational activity like the TNReady testing manual specifically says on p.22 is allowed.  Click HERE to read and/or download the manual).  

DISCLAIMER:  Not taking the test means your child's final report card will be impacted by 10% IF the state gets them graded and back to districts before final report cards.  (Don't hold your breath on that one).  High school scores may come back in time.

How will the scores be factored in if the state does get the scores back?  
Every district seems to have a different way of factoring the TNReady scores into report cards.  Some average it as 10% of the 4th quarter grade which is minimal, others use it as part of the final yearly average, which is more substantial.  Some districts (like Metro Nashville) have a no zero policy, so the lowest grade they can get on the TNReady is a 50%. So you see, districts do have some flexibility on how much the tests impact report cards.  If you don't like the way your district handles it, you should talk to your local school board and let them know you want your district's policy changed for future years.

Good luck, parents!  
Even attempting to opt-out sends a strong message to teachers, administrators, school boards, and the TN Department of Education.  In the meantime, contact your legislator to tell them this high-stakes testing is absurd.  You can point out that:

• The test is a rush job to create.
• The test is not aligned to TN's standards which are in limbo.
• The state is predicting lower scores due to the rollout of this new test.  In the end, will outcomes improve? Or is the point for the outcomes to never improve? To always be churning, updating, going too fast so teachers are never really perfecting their ability to teach?
• The test is not transparent or helpful.  Parents never see the test questions.  Teachers never see the test questions.  Legislators never see the test questions.

Parents must be doing something right because they are spending a ton of money on all these slick postcards, sponsored facebook posts, and prime time rush hour radio spots.  Keep up the great work advocating for your children!!!

If you have more questions about refusing testing, check out our website:
​http://www.mommabears.org/choose-to-refuse-testing.html 

Good Morning Supporters of Geography Education -

The State Board of Education has reached another milestone in the latest revision of the Social Studies standards and geography is taking it in the shorts once again despite our best efforts to educate stakeholders and get representatives to serve on the standards writing and evaluation committees.  The powers that be continue to value history over geography and that is reflected in the final draft standards that are to have their first reading by the voting members of the State Board of Education on April 21.

I implore you to write to your representative on the State Board of Education before April 21 and ask that they vote NO on accepting these standards.  Here are the reasons:

• In 2013 the 7th grade stand-alone World Geography course was eliminated and some of the content in that course was pushed down to 3rd grade.  In the final draft standards up for adoption in 2017, what little world geography that was there has been minimized even further.  For example, this school year, students will learn about 24 countries.  If the new standards are adopted, next year students will learn about 10.
• The world geography that students learn in 3rd grade is the last required cohesive geography instruction they will receive throughout their K-12 experience.
• From grades 6 – 12, students will take five required “History and Geography” courses.  However, the vast majority of the content in those courses is history and not geography.  Physical geography is almost nonexistent.  Students will take zero required geography courses.
• A subject whose structure should be based on themes and topics is now taught meagerly intertwined in a chronological progression, which it is not at the college level.  No college or university in Tennessee teaches geography in hybrid history/geography courses.  These standards will not best prepare students for college or careers.
• Geospatial technologies (the marriage of geography and technology) are one of the three fastest growing segments of the high tech sector, yet we are graduating students who have no clue that geography and geospatial technologies are viable career paths. 

Ask your representative on the State Board of Education to visit the employment segment of the American Association of Geographers website at: http://www.aag.org/cs/salarydata   There they will see a vast array of jobs for people with geography-related skills and data on the rapid growth in most of those jobs.

Following and attached is information on how to contact your representative on the State Board of Education.
I have a digital copy of the final draft standards if you would like to see them.

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PLEASE take the time out of your busy schedules to write your member of the State Board of Education who represents your Congressional district (instructions on how to find out who that person is are included in the attached Board of Ed Members document). 

Draft language for your letter can be pulled from the information in the first part of this email.   However, please attempt to personalize your communications to include your experience as a teacher, user of GIS, in higher education, etc.

You should not feel obligated to state for whom you work if that puts you in a compromising position.  I completely understand that as many of you work for the state or for private employers who have state contracts.  However, you have every right as a private citizen to advocate for a cause.

I greatly appreciate your attention to this request. 
If you no longer wish to receive emails from me about geography education issues, please don’t hesitate to email me and ask to be removed from my contact list(s). 
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Kurt Butefish
Coordinator
Tennessee Geographic Alliance
865.974.4841
http://www.tngeographicalliance.org
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