Blog Archives

Oh, no... Somebody woke up the bears!

10/19/2013

Did you hear that roar??? If internet blog traffic could make a sound, we heard it!!!

In the past 24 hours, over 6,000 people read our blog from yesterday about "Wake Up, Momma!" And the number is still climbing! Thanks to all you Momma Bears & Daddy Bears for helping it to spread like wildfire on Facebook, Twitter, & email. Thanks also to those who contacted us with comments and support. Our network is growing stronger every day. We will win this for our children!

This video clip shows the awesome power of a Momma Bear when her baby bear cub is hunted by a hungry predator:

That's what we're talking about...
Don't mess with Momma Bears and their cubs!

Wake Up, Momma!!

10/17/2013

Hibernation is over. Time to wake-up. Our baby bears are venturing out into a whole new data-driven world and they need their Momma Bears to protect them. You know who you are...you're the room mom, the school volunteer, the Girl Scout leader, you are the mom who drives car pool.

But you are not the lunatic who rants about longitudinal data and believes all those scary posts on Facebook.

You trust your child's teacher and your school's principal. If something was really bad for your child, they would have no part of it. So, what's all the fuss about a little survey?

Google: "Data Quality Campaign"

Google search for "Data Quality Campaign"

In March 2011, the Data Quality Campaign partnered with some other organizations to produce a research paper for AT&T. I know, you are busy and don't have time to read the whole thing so here is the Executive Summary verbatim:
"Education is on the road to a transformation into a data-driven enterprise. With better information shared with the appropriate stakeholders, individuals at all levels--teachers and parents, principals and superintendents, business and nonprofit leaders, and policymakers and practitioners--can accelerate their efforts to boost student achievement and to put in place the reforms, policies, and practices that strengthen education for all children. Although the U.S. education system increasingly produces and collects more data, that information often is not shared, or comes too late to prompt appropriate interventions and supports. Moreover, educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders such as parents, students, and community partners, lack the training and capacity to use that information to inform their decisionmaking.

Three developments in education data are positive signs that the education sector is in the midst of this transformation into a data-driven enterprise: longitudinal data that connects information about students from the time they start school until they enter their careers; early-warning data that predicts dropping out, such as poor attendance, bad behavior, and course failure, and prompt the appropriate supports; and college- and career-readiness indicators that demonstrate whether students are well prepared to advance their postsecondary education and successfully enter the workplace.

The next frontier is to ensure educators, policymakers, and external stakeholders are maximizing these new tools to improve decisionmaking and student achievement, and there is still much work to be done. First, data must be linked across states, districts, and multiple agencies, and among educational institutions and employers. Second, stakeholders must have access to relevant, timely, appropriate data, consistent with student privacy. Third, the capacity of all stakeholders must be built so they can use longitudinal data to improve decisionmaking and student achievement.

Leaders in business, philanthropy, and education must continue to play a key role in ensuring the success of the remainder of this transition and ensure that technology and data are used efficiently and effectively. These leaders can support the transition from snapshot data to longitudinal data, early-warning systems, and college- and career-ready indicators; support continued efforts to link data across systems; and help build capacity for data use while protecting privacy. With advances in research, technology, and assessments, and with a focused effort, the U.S. education system can lead the world in becoming a data-driven enterprise."

Data Trackers? In Tennessee? Coming After our Kids?
Forget about the scary Facebook posts and the crazy websites. Look at the government's official website and read Tennessee's 2010 Race to the Top Application:

"Tennessee was also one of only 11 states in the nation to have all ten essential elements of statewide data systems as measured by the non-profit Data Quality Campaign – an important external validation of the state’s efforts. Please see Appendix C-1-2 for Tennessee’s report card issued by the Data Quality Campaign."--Page 63 TN Race To The Top Application

"The state’s application to the U.S. Department of Education to expand its statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) in groundbreaking and thoughtful ways will enable Tennessee to collect and report data using methods that are second to none."--Page 66 TN RTTT Application

But it's all anonymous data, right???
Don't be fooled by the camouflage, Momma Bears!! Keep reading the Race to the Top Application, it's all on pages 63 & 64. The trackers have your child in their cross-hairs.

They may not use names, but Element 1 makes it clear, children have been individually identified using "unique student identifier" since 2002. And they are looking for a better rifle scope:

Advancements in the SLDS application: "Tennessee will improve its unique student identifier by creating a master person identifier that will be used to match individuals across data sets where the unique identifiers do not match."--Page 63 & 64 TN RTTT Application

And under Element 8, they are linking your child to their teachers using "a teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students." --See Page 66, RTTT Application

The government will protect your children, right???
Think again. In 2011, the US Department of Education, without Congressional authorization, changed the regulations governing the release of student data to the private sector. Changes were made to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which allows the release of student records for non-academic purposes and undercuts your parental consent. Why did the USDOE weaken the FERPA law to allow entrepreneurs in the private sector to legally get our children's data? The education industry is insanely profitable, with many paid lobbyists.

Hold Tight, Momma!!
After the tracking, comes the capture... The official explanation for matching teachers with student data is that P-12 Longitudinal Data System will be used to capture data on effective teaching and showcase effective teaching techniques statewide.

In the case of the Tripod Survey, that captured data will go into "...a rich, national database." Students in 1,851 schools across the US completed Tripod surveys including every school in Memphis, TN; Pittsburgh, PA; Grand Rapids, MI and Hawaii."

It's a Decoy!
Momma Bears are not fooled by DECOYS which might explain why the Tripod Survey is so secretive about asking children to answer all kinds of nosy demographic questions about our educational levels and the number of bedrooms in our homes.

Tripod Survey Questions

Momma Bears know teacher effectiveness is just a decoy being used to gather demographic data.

Take a look at Element 2 of the Race to the Top Application where the state's goal is to use recent student data and past TVASS scores to create a 20 year retrospective on student demographics: "Merging historic value-added assessment data with more recent Tennessee Department of Education data will yield 20 years of retrospective data on student demographics." --See Page 64, Race to the Top Application.

Old TVASS scores and current student data combined to help teachers be more effective in the future? Hmmm...That's the thing about decoys, they just don't look right and they don't pass the smell test.

Decoy Dynasty...
The Tripod Survey cost Memphis City Schools $185,000 in 2010 and according to the contract, "The Memphis City Schools will allow Ron Ferguson to embed the MCS data into his large national data set, but all teacher and student names will be purged from these data."

By 2011, the cost of the Tripod Survey went up to $475,000. In 2012 when the Memphis City Schools merged with Shelby County Schools, the cost rose again to $867,700. In 2013, the cost is a whopping $945,000! That's a whole lot of money to be spending with education dollars.

Wake up, Momma!!

While you've been sleeping, Momma Bears have been standing watch. We have been ridiculed and demeaned for trying to wake you up. But it's open season on our kids. Time for you to wake up, pay attention to deceptive camouflage & decoys, and protect your children from those who hunt their information.

Opt your children out.
Send a note to your child's teacher and principal saying your child is not to be given any surveys, including the Tripod Survey. (NOTE: Discuss this with your child first so they know why and are not surprised.)

Alternate assignment for your child to do while other students are doing the Tripod:
"Your Mom and Dad have taught you to only say nice things about others. Write as many kind and positive things as you can about your teacher, and then give your great list to your hardworking teacher."

Now, THAT is how a Momma Bear raises her children to respect others!!!

Brave, tired teacher tells the truth...

10/14/2013

This teacher from Knoxville, Tennessee speaks bravely and honestly to the Knox County School Board.

She is tired. Tired of...

trying to plan 5 different lessons a day that hit 61 different indicators on a rubric (and that's just to score a rock solid "3")
having to waste instructional time to give tests every week, whether needed or not, just to have data to discuss at PLC meetings
5, 6, & 7 year olds who don't understand the language of a mandated test or survey
teachers being blamed for test scores, when teachers cannot retain students or get students much-needed resource help
money wasted on programs that take away teacher's professional judgement
money wasted on teaching coaches that have less experience than the teachers they coach
money wasted on pet projects that look good on the surface
professional development training that wastes teacher's time (a whole day talking about what kind of penguins teachers are?)
witnessing great, experienced teachers (with great evaluation scores) quit mid-year due to stress
the mystery behind the TVAAS scores that are used to evaluate teachers, but nobody can explain how it is computed

Momma Bears, we must stand up not only for our children, but for their teachers. We know that teachers would protect our children from bullets, but in reality, teachers are taking constant bullets from the TN Department of Education.

We must use our parent power to tell the TN DOE, Governor, our elected officials, and our local school boards to:
STOP!
Stop bullying teachers! This is a battle worth fighting, and we WILL win.

May I have your attention, please? Will the real SCORE-SHADY... Please stand up, Please stand up?

10/7/2013

May I have your attention, please?

Will the real SCORE-SHADY... Please stand up, Please stand up?

SCORE (State Collaborative On Reforming Education) recently spearheaded the Expect more, Achieve more collaborative effort to promote Common Core in Tennessee. The coalition claims more than 300 members, an impressive list of organizations. But...

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM HERE!

Not all the organizations listed as members of Expect more, Achieve more actually joined the coalition. Several organization leaders say they don't know anything about it, they just filled out a form asking for information on Common Core.

So, will the real SCORE-SHADY... Please stand up? Please stand up?

I'M THE REAL SHADY!

Jared Bigham, Director of College & Career Readiness for SCORE "oversees support for successful implementation of Tennessee’s sweeping reforms focused on preparing students for success beyond high school, specifically through Tennessee’s Common Core State Standards," according to SCORE's website.

Real Shady... Bigham does not have an impressive track record for preparing students to be college ready (see below). In fact, he is the principal of one of the state's lowest achieving high schools. Only 37 of Bigham's students at Copper Basin High actually took the ACT in 2012. Their average composite score was 18.32 and they didn't fare much better the next year with an 18.53 average composite score. He may be a nice principal, but is he really an expert on "college and career readiness"?

I'M THE REAL SHADY!

Laura Moore, Director of Innovation for SCORE works to identify and spread innovative practices in education reform. She also regularly contributes to the SCORE Sheet blog. SCORE's blogs and other propaganda are quick to debunk so-called myths about Common Core being a tool for cradle to career data collection; gathering information on students' families; and data sharing between states to create a comprehensive national database.

Real Shady... As a past policy manager for Civic Enterprises, Moore co-authored a 2010 report clarifying cradle to career data collection, "In 2009, in order to receive stimulus funding, all of the governors and chief state school officers pledged to build statewide longitudinal data systems that not only report graduation rates, but also follow individual students from early childhood through high school, postsecondary education, and into the workforce."

Under the heading, "More Robust Data Systems," the report reveals the US DOE's "Common Core of Data," a federal database has been expanded to include data from the annual American Community Survey "creating a more complete picture of who is in school and who is not." A year later, Civic Enterprises released another report; this time in collaboration with the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Data Quality Campaign on data in education. The new report anticipates, "the U.S. education system can lead the world in becoming a data-driven enterprise." It claims that, "there is still much work to be done...data must be linked across states, districts, and multiple agencies, and among educational institutions and employers."

I REPEAT. WILL THE REAL SCORE-SHADY, PLEASE STAND UP?

SCORE claims its summertime poll shows "overwhelming support for implementing Common Core State Standards" among Tennesseans including 74% support from TEA Party members.

AH, WAIT, NO WAY, YOU'RE KIDDING...

Critics of the poll don't believe it, they want to see the exact questions asked on the survey. But SCORE's memorandum does not disclose any of the questions asked in the survey, leading some to conclude that they were loaded questions designed to provoke a favorable response.

SCORE-SHADY doesn't fool Momma Bears

We know SCORE-SHADY isn't a stand-up organization

Time for Momma Bears to sit SCORE SHADY
in the corner for telling untruths.

Momma Bears are smoking grassroots

10/2/2013

3 Comments

First, let me say that I don't smoke anything. Keep reading, though, you might be surprised...

Quite a few organizations call themselves "grassroots." It sounds so earthy and wholesome, doesn't it? "Grassroots" doesn't mean what you think it does.

If you see a "grassroots" organization with these:

a slick marketing campaign,
professionally-printed signs,
free t-shirts,
glossy pamphlets,
pens with their logo,
squishy balls with their logo,
frisbees with their logo,
beer can cooshies with their logo,
billboards with their logo,
television or radio advertisements,
fancy charter busses full of their supporters,
glowing newspaper articles from their professionally-written press releases,
copy machines that cost more than your minivan,
staff members that make 6-figure salaries,
a rented office located in an office-park,
a lawyer on retainer,
if they pay parents $ and give them a free t-shirt to attend school board meetings,
if they take charter bus-loads of cute children wearing their free t-shirts to legislative events, and drill those children on exactly what to say to the politicians,
if they give campaign contributions to elected officials,
if they host fancy luncheons, dinners, or retreats for elected officials,
if their organization's members are in your Superintendent's cabinet (despite having little or no experience in education or classrooms)
if their organization's members are strangely appointed to positions of authority (despite having little or no experience in education or classrooms),
if they only answer emails and calls about their organization during business hours.

That is NOT grassroots!
You can bet some sugar-daddy company paid for all of it. This is what we Momma Bears call: "astroturf." Some may even go so far as to call those types of groups: "weeds." (Gosh, I hope their lawyer doesn't sue us for saying that.)

True grassroot parent groups don't have that kind of money to spend on marketing. Heck, we spend all our money on our children and on school fundraisers because public schools aren't funded adequately. (Would you like to buy some wrapping paper and chocolate bars so our band can purchase more drums for all the students who want to play percussion?) Instead, we Momma Bears publicize by word-of-mouth, email, Facebook, Twitter, and maybe some photocopies from our little desktop printers (which reminds me: I need to get my ink cartridges refilled at Costco soon).

What does the root of grass look like? Grass roots are really quite shallow so they can quickly suck up nutrients. Grass is a fickle seasonal plant (as my husband can attest to). If it doesn't get enough water, it withers and dies. If it doesn't get enough light, it dies. If it gets too much water in the hot sun, it scorches and dies. Grass has to be fertilized and aerated, and sometimes even needs a layer of sand on top so the roots don't rot. Grass is high-maintenance. Grass is expensive. Somebody has to chop grass heads off every week or two (so code enforcement doesn't come to your house and give you a citation for having an unkempt yard). Also, dogs poop in grass.

Momma Bears is definitely NOT grassroots. We are deeper than that... we are a TREE ROOTS organization. Our roots run deep and wide into the ground to create a strong support system. Even when trees are dormant, they are still full of life. Trees are permanent and unmovable. You can't just dig them up, roll them up, and put them in another yard like you can sod. Trees give cooling shade and are, for the most part, low maintenance. They grow and flourish wherever they take root in many climates. Trees offer protection for birds and animals. Trees offer enjoyment for children who swing and climb in their branches. As pleasant as trees are, you should never underestimate tree roots one bit, because tree roots are strong and expansive. Powerful roots can damage foundations, sidewalks, and sewer lines without anyone even realizing what is happening under ground.

Here is my favorite part:
What doesn't grow under a tree?
Grass.
My husband can tell you this is a truth because he had to add more stinky mulch last year to cover up the areas under our big trees where grass would not grow.

Momma Bears is not grassroots, we are TREEroots. We are growing quickly and meeting other Trees that grow in other parts of the state and country. We can make a difference. The grassroots organizations are terrified of us. They can't outspend our intelligence, and they can't buy our votes. We are smart. We are informed. We are powerful. We will do what is right for our children and their schools.

Coming up in future blogs:
Momma Bears is going to tell you about some of these so-called "grassroots" organizations that claim to be advocating for your children. Parents, you need to know about them, so that your branches can block their light.
Click HERE to read our "Liar, Liar Pants on Fire" series about so-called Grassroots organizations

Join our active Momma Bear group on Facebook

3 Comments

Oh, no... Somebody woke up the bears!

That's what we're talking about...Don't mess with Momma Bears and their cubs!

Wake Up, Momma!!

Brave, tired teacher tells the truth...

May I have your attention, please? Will the real SCORE-SHADY... Please stand up, Please stand up?

Momma Bears are smoking grassroots

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That's what we're talking about...
Don't mess with Momma Bears and their cubs!