Momma Bears
  • Blog
  • CHOOSE to REFUSE TESTING (OPT OUT)
    • #ChooseToRefuse
    • How to Refuse
    • Resources
    • For Students
    • Advocate!
    • Memes & Graphics
    • FAQ

This Mom is a Momma Bear

7/19/2013

 

Check out this blog written by a smart Mom & Teacher in Louisiana who sensed danger and is protecting her children.  Her blog is a message to other Momma Bears to be aware:

http://northshoreparent.com/one-moms-opinion-why-were-homeschooling-this-year/

Momma Bears CALL TO ACTION:  Let your GROWLS be heard!!!

7/9/2013

 

Phone Blitz to Gov. Haslam

Picture
July 8-12, 2013
Contact Governor Haslam's Office and ask him to remove Commissioner Huffman (who he appointed as our TN Commissioner of Education). Ask Governor Haslam to put a REAL educator in charge of our children's education... one with an education degree and experience in a Tennessee classroom, one with a commitment to public education, and one who supports our teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Call, email, write a letter, send a fax, visit the state office:

Office of Governor Bill Haslam
1st Floor, State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243
PHONE: (615) 741-2001
FAX: (615) 532-9711
EMAIL: Bill.Haslam@tn.gov
Twitter: "@BillHaslam" 

Use any of these hashtags on Twitter & Facebook:
‎#GetRidofHuffman
‎#ListenToUsGovHaslam‎
#OurPublicSchoolsAreNotForSale ‎
#StrongPublicSchools


Picture
It is VERY EASY to call!  Here's how one person said her experience calling the Governor went on Monday:
      
     I jotted down what I wanted to say, in case I got nervous.  Then I dialed 1(615)741-2001.  It rang twice, and then a very nice receptionist answered, "Governor Haslam's office, how may I help you?"  (Her voice reminded me of Vanna White's from Wheel of Fortune).
     I said, "I am a Mom in TN who voted for Governor Haslam.  I am calling to ask him to get rid of Kevin Huffman as our TN Commissioner of Education, and fill that position with a qualified and experienced educator.  Huffman is hurting our public schools."

     The receptionist kindly said, "Thank you very much.  I will give your message to the governor.  Have a nice day."  That was it.  Done.
     It took less than 2 minutes of my time, and was really easy to do.  In hindsight, I wish I'd said something about all the expensive and excessive Standardized Testing, but I might just call back today and tell them how those tests are stressful and harmful for our children, not to mention a huge waste of our tax money that could be spent on more teachers and smaller class sizes.  (Our school district is desperately starved for money right now... teachers and staff have been cut to the bone, and teachers will have too many students in their class to teach next year... but yet they are spending even more money and class time on testing our children next year!)  No, sir, priorities are not in order in TN.  We need a Commissioner of Education who will prioritize our children over profit!



Something smells fi$hy with our schools

7/7/2013

 
Picture
We smell something awful 
FI$HY 
with our public school system when...

...when we notice that teachers & support staff are cut from our public schools, 
but yet more money is spent on Standardized Testing.

...when Art & Music programs are unfunded or cut from public schools, 
but yet more money is spent on Standardized Testing.

...when class sizes are too large to effectively teach,
but yet more money is spent on Standardized Testing.

...when our kids tell us they took a survey at school 
that asked them personal questions, 
and parents ask to see these surveys, 
but we are told that we cannot view them.  
Why did they ask our children:
How many TV's do you have in your home? 
Do you have a TV in your bedroom?
Who lives with you? 
(mark all that apply: parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, other)
How many books are in your home?
How much exercise do you get every day?
What is your parent's highest education level?


...when our kids are stressed over Standardized Testing so much that they:
have headaches and/or stomach aches around TCAP time,
show signs of stress or anxiety related to these tests,
throw up on the test at school,
cry because they didn't think they did well on the End of Course exams, 
or their college options are affected 
because of their scores which count toward their final grades on their report cards.

...when our children are confused 
by a "new Common Core way" 
of doing fuzzy math 
that doesn't make logical sense to educated adults.

...when we notice our children's reading assignments 
are biased toward certain political, social, or global views.

...when we can't see what our children are learning 
because it is all done on computers at school 
and there are no papers or books sent home to see.

...when our locally elected school boards tell us 
they cannot control or change: 
the Common Core Standards, 
State mandated over-testing, 
or state approved textbooks.

...when public schools are closed, 
and charter schools pop-up in their place.

...when we find out who is operating these charter schools, 
and where the money comes from (our tax dollars).

...when we find out that charter schools 
have no accountability
to taxpayers or parents of students.

...when we find out that these charter schools 
can expel students
to public schools
before Standardized Test time 
to inflate their charter school's overall score and rating.

...when we find out that these charter schools 
can create their own discipline policies 
and spank students in front of their peers 
to embarrass and humiliate children.

...when we realize that charter schools
are just like private schools for selected public school students,
except paid for with our tax dollars,
and without accountability to taxpayers.

...when we realize and are dumbfounded
 that some charter schools in TN and the USA
are operated by a radical Islamic extremist from Turkey (Gulen),
who receives lucrative tax breaks, incentives, and immigration visas 
to teach our poorest, inner-city students
by male Turkish teachers 
who do not fluently speak English,
paid for with our tax dollars.


...when we find out that politicians
are opening their own charter schools
to make money off of.

...when we find out that "non-profit" education "reform" groups 
(such as Stand For Children, Students First, & Chiefs for Change)
which are generously funded by corporate executives
who give a whole lot of money 
to fund campaigns of elected:
School Board members, 
Mayors,
Representatives,
Senators, 
Governors,
and Presidents

who support their education "reform" 
which generously profits their corporations and organizations.

...when we find out that there are 
uncertified, unqualified, inexperienced "teachers"
in the poorest, underfunded schools of our district 
paid for with our tax dollars
through contracts with Teach For America, TNTP, and Education Pioneers, 
yet meanwhile there are highly effective and qualified teachers 
who are unemployed.

...when we are told that Common Core is not mandatory, 
but we have no control over opting out.

...when we find out that corporations are behind Common Core, 
and not teachers and professional educators.

...when our district spends money on Common Core aligned materials 
instead of funding our public schools.

...when our children's personal information
is collected and shared 
with corporations contracted with the government.

...when we hear of laws being passed 
that revoke and trump
our locally elected 
school board's authority 
to approve charter schools in our area,

...when our public schools are not given our State education $ 
by the TN Commissioner of Education
because our local school board 
did not approve the Charter Schools 
the Commissioner's friends wanted.

...when we realize that statistics are being manipulated 
to create an education crisis that doesn't exist, 
and the solution is to spend more money on 
even more standardized testing, 
unproven and unfair teacher evaluations, 
and expensive contracts with corporations.


...when we find out that our elected and appointed school leaders
don't send their children to public schools, but instead to
elite private schools or magnet schools that have
rich Art & Music programs,
state-of-the art facilities,
nicely paid and fairly evaluated teachers,
small class sizes,
no excessive standardized testing,
and no Common Core.

...when parents and educators are left out of decision-making.


WE SMELL SOMETHING VERY FI$HY 
with our public school systems 
and the officials who are elected and appointed 
to oversee our children's education

AND WE DON'T LIKE IT!!!

We are watching.
We will be voting.
We will elect leaders that support our children and public education.



    Archives

    January 2021
    March 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    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.

    Categories

    All
    ASD
    Barber
    BATs
    Broad
    Candice McQueen
    Chamber Of Commerce
    Charter Corruption Series
    Charter Schools
    Common Core
    Consultants
    Cosmos
    Data
    Data Collection
    Documentary
    Duncan
    Education
    Event
    Faux Parents
    Finland
    Fordham Institute
    Gates
    Governor Haslam
    Governor Haslam
    Grassroots
    Gulen
    Huffman
    Inappropriate-book
    Inappropriate-common-core
    Inc.
    Knox County
    Knoxville
    Legislators
    Legislature
    Liar Liar Pants On Fire Series
    Lobbyists
    Mckinsey
    Nashville
    New Momma Bears
    Opting Out
    Parcc
    Pearson
    Petition
    Poppa Bear
    PR Firm
    Ravitch
    Refusing Tests
    Renaissance Learning
    Rocketship
    RTI2
    School Board
    Score
    SPED
    Student Privacy
    Students
    Studentsfirst
    Survey
    Tcap
    Tea
    Teacher Evaluations
    Teachers
    Teacher Survey
    Tennesseeans For Student Success
    Testing
    Textbooks
    Tndoe
    TNREADY
    TREE
    Treeroots
    Tripod
    TVAAS
    Virus
    Vouchers
    Walton

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from mrsdkrebs