Blog Posts

BAAAD Bill up this week - SHARE THE BEAR + ROAR!

3/23/2019

Unfortunately, the really bad Voucher bill (aka: "Education Savings Account") passed out of the Education subcommittee last week. It is scheduled to be heard this WEDNESDAY. This is bad news, folks. This bill would devastate our already underfunded public schools. It most certainly would not help the poor, minority students it is claiming to help. In fact, it would harm them and their schools even more.

Our legislators are being repeatedly bombarded with lobbyists paid for with out-of-state money. It is difficult to ignore generous campaign contributions from those who are eager to get their greedy hands on public tax dollars by privatizing public education. Not only that, the new Governor is really pressuring the newer legislators to support his bills. These legislators need to hear from the people who elected them! Would you please take a few minutes to contact the legislators below, especially if you are in their district? Your voice CAN make a difference! The message below has what you need to know and do...

The following is re-posted from Pastors for TN Children:

Friends, we need your help!

A voucher bill (HB939/ SB795) will be heard at 8 am this Wednesday, March 27th, in the full House Education Committee, and this is our best chance to stop vouchers in Tennessee. Vouchers will destroy public education in our fair state!

Please contact the legislators who will vote on the bill. Also, for those who can attend, we need as many pastors and supporters as possible to be there for the vote on Wednesday. The vote will be held in House Hearing Room 1 of the Cordell Hull Building.

Here is information on the bill: HB 939/SB 795 would create a new form of vouchers in Tennessee called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs have been described as “vouchers on steroids.” This proposed legislation is targeted not toward “children trapped in failing schools,” but toward wealthier families, with virtually no regulation or public accountability. Vouchers would be available in any district containing at least three schools in the bottom 10% of schools in the state, but vouchers would be made available to ALL students in that district, including those enrolled in high-performing schools and private schools. Families making up to around $100,000 per year would be eligible for the voucher, and private schools would not be required to accept the voucher as payment in full. This means that more affluent families with children already enrolled in private schools could use the voucher to help offset their current payments for private school. It will also allow students to cross county lines with their vouchers, which could wreak havoc on many rural school districts. Local school districts will have to pay for the bulk of these vouchers. (For example, in Davidson County, the state would pay only about $3,600 toward the cost of the voucher, while Davidson County would be required to pay about $8,100 per voucher.) On top of this, the state would withhold a 6% management fee for the voucher program. The governor has claimed that a limited amount of funding will be available to school districts to help offset the cost of the vouchers for three years, but this money could be revoked at any time- and worse, vouchers will create ongoing recurring costs that school districts will be unable to cover for an indefinite period of time.

Once the door to vouchers has been opened, it cannot be shut. Under this legislation, vouchers would become an entitlement for upper middle class private school parents and homeschool parents.

Below is a list of the legislators who will vote on the bill:
Thank you for your help!

Mark White, Chair 615-741-4415
rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov

Kirk Haston, Vice Chair 615-741-0750
rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov

Debra Moody 615-741-3774
rep.debra.moody@capitol.tn.gov

Charlie Baum 615-741-6849
rep.charlie.baum@capitol.tn.gov

David Byrd 615-741-2190
rep.david.byrd@capitol.tn.gov

Scott Cepicky 615-741-3005
rep.scott.cepicky@capitol.tn.gov

Mark Cochran 615-741-1725
rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov

Jim Coley 615-741-8201
rep.jim.coley@capitol.tn.gov

John DeBerry, Jr. 615-741-2239
rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov

Vincent Dixie 615-741-1997
rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov

Jason Hodges 615-741-2043
rep.jason.hodges@capitol.tn.gov

Chris Hurt 615-741-2134
rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov

Tom Leatherwood 615-741-7084
rep.tom.leatherwood@capitol.tn.gov

Bill Dunn 615-741-1721
rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov

Harold Love, Jr. 615-741-3831
rep.harold.love@capitol.tn.gov

Antonio Parkinson 615-741-4575
rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov

John Ragan 615-741-4400
rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov

Iris Rudder 615-741-8695
rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov

Jerry Sexton 615-741-2534
rep.jerry.sexton@capitol.tn.gov

Kevin Vaughan 615-741-1866
rep.kevin.vaughan@capitol.tn.gov

Terri Lynn Weaver 615-741-2192
rep.terri.lynn.weaver@capitol.tn.gov

Ryan Williams 615-741-1875
rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov

John Mark Windle 716-741-1260
rep.john.windle@capitol.tn.gov

Share the Bear! Thank you for sharing this information with your friends and family!

Bad bills!!! Momma Bears, please help!

3/16/2019

Info below shared from a great public school organization called Pastors for Tennessee Children

ALERT: We need your help!!!

Two bills are up for vote this week that comprise a clear and present danger to public education in Tennessee. These two bills would eviscerate local control of schools in Tennessee and hijack local taxpayer dollars to drain the coffers of school districts across the state.

VOUCHER BILL:
First, HB 939/SB 795 would create a new form of vouchers in Tennessee called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs have been described as “vouchers on steroids.” This proposed legislation is targeted not toward “children trapped in failing schools,” but toward wealthier families, with virtually no regulation or public accountability. Vouchers would be available in any district containing at least three schools in the bottom 10% of schools in the state, but vouchers would be made available to ALL students in that district, including those enrolled in high-performing schools and private schools. Families making up to around $100,000 per year would be eligible for the voucher, and private schools would not be required to accept the full voucher as payment in full. This means that more affluent families with children already enrolled in private schools could use the voucher to help offset their current payments for private school. It will also allow students to cross county lines with their vouchers, which could wreak havoc on many rural school districts. Local school districts will have to pay for the bulk of these vouchers. (For example, in Davidson County, the state would pay only about $3,600 toward the cost of the voucher, while Davidson County would be required to pay about $8,100 per voucher.) On top of this, the state would withhold a 6% management fee for the voucher program. The governor has claimed that a limited amount of funding will be available to school districts to help offset the cost of the vouchers for three years, but this money could be revoked at any time- and worse, vouchers will create ongoing recurring cost that school districts will be unable to cover for an indefinite period of time. Once the door to vouchers has been opened, it cannot be shut. Under this legislation, vouchers would become an entitlement for upper middle class private school parents and homeschool parents.

CHARTER SCHOOLS BILL:
Second, HB 940/SB 796 would remove local control of schools by creating a new government bureaucracy in the form of an appointed nine-member charter school authorizing commission, to be known as the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. The new Commission will be allowed to place charter schools all over the state without local approval, and local school districts will then be required to pay for the new unwanted schools. This would create uncovered fixed costs in school district budgets that would drain funding from local neighborhood schools. The Commission would likely be comprised of all pro-charter school appointees, including lobbyists for the charter industry and those already serving on charter school boards, which would create an obvious conflict of interest.

These two bills are being driven by out-of-state special interests seeking to profit from Tennessee’s most vulnerable children. You can help by contacting the legislators listed below who will vote on the bills to tell them that you support local control of schools and that you would like to see investment in our existing schools!

939 HB / SB 795 (VOUCHERS) will be heard in the House Education Curriculum, Testing, and Innovation Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 19th, at noon (House Hearing Room IV):
Debra Moody, Chair 615-741-3774 rep.debra.moody@capitol.tn.gov
Charlie Baum 615-741-6849 rep.charlie.baum@capitol.tn.gov
John DeBerry, Jr. 615-741-2239 rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov
Vincent Dixie 615-741-1997 rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov
Bill Dunn 615-741-1721 rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Tom Leatherwood 615-741-7084 rep.tom.leatherwood@capitol.tn.gov
Mark White 615-741-4115 rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov

HB 940 / SB 796 (VOUCHERS) will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 20th, at 2:30 pm (Senate Hearing Room I):
Delores Gresham, Chair (901) 465-9433 sen.delores.gresham@capitol.tn.gov
Brian Kelsey, 1st Vice Chair (615) 741-3036 sen.brian.kelsey@capitol.tn.gov
Raumesh Akbari, 2nd Vice Chair (615) 741-1767 sen.raumesh.akbari@capitol.tn.gov
Mike Bell (615) 741-1946 sen.mike.bell@capitol.tn.gov
Rusty Crowe (615) 741-2468 sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov
Steven Dickerson (615) 741-6679 sen.steven.dickerson@capitol.tn.gov
Ferrell Haile 615-741-1999 sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov
Joey Hensley 615-741-3100 sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov
Jon Lundberg (615) 741-5761 sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov

We Need Your Help…

1/22/2019

Please, Please SHARE THE BEAR on Social Media

It seems like Momma Bears have been in hibernation for a while waiting to see what our new Governor has planned for our public schools. Sad to say, it looks like we are back to fighting the same old fights against Common Core Standards and her evil twin, Common Core Standardized Testing. As we were gearing up to bring you informative blogs on education reform issues that are impacting our children's well being, we discovered that FaceBook has classified our page as being political. This makes it impossible for us to boost our posts which limits our audience.

We want to make sure you stay informed on matter involving public education in Tennessee. So, please help us out. Please sign up for our blogs to be e-mailed directly to you. You can sign-up here at this link. Then, remember to forward our blogs to interested friends so they can stay informed too. And every time, you see our blog posted on FaceBook, please SHARE the BEAR!!

Meet Lee's Screwy Choice for Education Commissioner

1/17/2019

She Will Fight for Charters & Choice...

Governor Bill Lee recently named Penny Schwinn as Tennessee's Education Commissioner.

Never heard of her?

Well, she has been around and around and around…from Baltimore to Sacramento to Delaware to Texas to almost Massachusetts, she's been everywhere, man. At only 36 years old, she's a TFA'er, a Broad Academy grad, and held a litany of jobs.

Schwinn, who has a B.A. in History from UC Berkley, began her career in education as a Teach for America corp member in Baltimore City Public Schools. But the classroom gig didn't last long before she landed back in her home state of California where she took a job working for a screw supply company, McMaster-Carr.

Well…there might be a bit of foreshadowing here.

Her words: "When I relocated to California, I recognized that in order to be more effective on behalf of the students currently being served in our nation's public schools, I would need to become better versed in the skills that I saw as essential for true district leadership. This prompted my transition to a company called McMaster-Carr."

Nuts & Bolts, We Got Screwed!!

After, she learned everything she needed to know from the screw company, Schwinn left Los Angeles and moved back to her hometown of Sacramento to start a new charter school.

Sacramento is home to another Teach for America alum, Michelle Rhee. For those who need a reform refresher, Rhee is the past Chancellor of DC Public Schools who got caught in a test cheating scandal. She also claims to have eaten a bee but that's another story. Her husband, Kevin "KJ" Johnson is the former mayor of Sacramento who has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct towards young girls. Johnson endorsed Schwinn in 2012 when she ran for a seat on the Sacramento County school board. And that's not all in this Peyton Place of education reform. Rhee's first husband is none other than former Tennessee Education Commissioner, Kevin Huffman.

The year before Schwinn narrowly won her seat on the school board, she founded a new charter school called Capitol Collegiate Academy where she served as school principal. In addition to being a charter school principal, she managed to find time to also be the Director of Student Achievement for St. Hope Public Schools. Later, she became Assistant Superintendent for Sacramento City Unified School District while still serving on the County School Board.

In 2014, Schwinn relocated to Delaware when she accepted a job as the Chief of Accountability at the Delaware Department of Education. Just two months on the job and her actions prompted this criticism:

It is obvious Schwinn, who has been in her role for two months after leaving Sacramento, CA, needs to do a bit more research on Delaware. To think the issues of crime in Wilmington won't have an impact on the classroom is foolish and naive. To insult issues of poverty, crime and discrimination show an apparent lack of true reality in Wilmington. This is definitely a hurdle to overcome Penny Schwinn, and to continue to ignore this reality will only make the problem worse. As the Chief Of Accountability and Performance in Delaware, you need to look at ALL aspects of environment and how they impact the classroom.

For students with disabilities, Schwinn needs to recognize why special education teachers are leaving the profession, and that is mainly due to forced compliance with Common Core standards being shoved down their throats. Children are more than test scores, and the sooner the DOE realizes that, the better education and special education in Delaware will be. Litigation is rising in Delaware because of this education reform, not in spite of it.

The fact that charter schools in Delaware were not included in this presentation speaks volumes. To not include them ignores the impact charter schools have had on students with disabilities and minorities in Delaware, especially in the Wilmington area. Certain charter schools in our state have specific enrollment requirements that discriminates against low-income minorities and special needs children. The easy excuse for this by ignorant people is that children with disabilities are “low performers”. I think the Exceptional Children Group in the DOE is on the right track in correcting this position, but they need to realign their priorities in how to go about this.

And that wasn't the end of Schwinn's problems in Delaware. There were accusations of a conflict of interest involving the hiring of Schwinn's husband, Paul.

Thanks to anonymous for getting this to me! Our schools and DOE in Delaware have been slowly invaded by pro education reform individuals. This is all backed by The Rodel Foundation of Delaware and The Vision Network. Last Spring, the Delaware DOE hired Mrs. Penny Schwinn, a charter school leader from Sacramento, as the Chief Accountability and Performance Officer. Months later, Mr. Paul Schwinn, her husband, has been hired as the Director of Leadership Development for the Delaware Leadership Project, which is funded by the Delaware DOE, Rodel and Vision. I know the Delaware DOE wants family involvement, but this is a clear conflict of interest. The wheels on the Schwinn go round and round.

By the end of 2014, Schwinn was being told to leave town. "She rode into town like a bat out of hell, and she has yet to prove us wrong of our initial impression. She has insulted and denigrated professionals throughout the six priority schools and the students of Wilmington. Ms. Penny Schwinn, these are our gifts for you this holiday season. A new bike for you to ride out of town with, but please don’t wait until you are her age."

When 2015 rolled around, Schwinn was looking for a new job. She applied to be Superintendent of Osceola County Public Schools in Florida but wasn't successful. She continued her job search and in 2016, she was named as Texas Education Association's Deputy Commissioner of Academics.

Okay, back up. We need to explain that the Texas Education Association known as TEA is not the same thing as the Tennessee Education Association also known as TEA. The Texas TEA is their state body that oversees their public system of education like our TDOE, Tennessee Department of Education. The Tennessee TEA is an association of teachers like a teacher's union—only we don't have teacher unions in Tennessee. Which might explain why we have perhaps the most controversial pick for Education Commissioner.

Things didn't go so well for Schwinn in Texas.

The Texas Tribune reports, "As deputy commissioner of academics, Schwinn oversees the agency's policies on testing and academic programs, including special education. Hired in April 2016, Schwinn spearheaded a no-bid contract with a Georgia-based company last year to mine data from thousands of students receiving special education services and to help create a long-term plan to help kids with disabilities. When advocates protested, the TEA terminated that contract in December, after spending $2.2 million for services rendered, and vowed to review its contracting processes."

Mercedes Schneider has details here and here and here of the Texas SPED scandal and how it spilled over into Louisiana.

Last year, Schwinn went looking for a job again. This time she found an opening in Massachusetts where she was one of three finalists for Commissioner of Education. Unlike, Tennessee where the Governor appoints the Commissioner, in Massachusetts, the State Board of Education votes on who will serve as Commissioner. And when all was said and done, Schwinn did not receive a single vote from any of the Massachusetts Board members.

Schwinn's job hunt came to an end today when Bill Lee selected her to be Tennessee's Commissioner of Education. We have no doubt that she will keep her promise to fight for charters & choice.

But Momma Bears will continue the fight for our kids especially our most vulnerable children who need special education services, who live in poverty, and who desperately need public education.

We Are Counting On Our New Governor to Represent Momma Bears, Not Special Interests

11/29/2018

Bill Lee, photo credit AP News

Some Momma Bears voted for our governor-elect, Bill Lee. We are filled with hope and promise as he takes office at the beginning of the legislative session in January. What will be in store for our public schools? Momma Bears are hoping for a resounding effort of support for ALL of our children and ALL of our schools.

Tennessee is filled with great school districts doing their best to serve every student that walks through their door. Public schools don't turn children away. They are a public institution that our state constitution requires for us to support with our tax dollars to create Tennessee citizens that contribute to our productive society. In some counties, public schools are the largest employer, the greatest asset, an engine for the economy. Public schools are the center of the community for "Friday Night Lights” football games, a Tennessee tradition and a resource people value.

Governor-elect, we need to let you know we are watching closely. So closely we noticed that folks you are picking for your cabinet or who might be advising you about public ed are anchored to an organization that we question: American Federation for Children (AFC).

We have written about them before. We talk about AFC's role in trying to bring vouchers to the Memphis Jubilee schools. “They’re ready,” said Carra Powell, a lobbyist for Tennessee Federation for Children, and parent of two in Jubilee Schools and one recent graduate. “As soon as the voucher bill is passed, we’re rolling them in.”

That legislation was JUST for those schools — a money grab. Laws to change an entire segment of government, ignoring a valued American principle of the separation of church and state, to siphon off tax dollars to private religious schools. When the voucher legislation died, what happened to those schools? They had to close or become charter schools to stay open. Which means we were going to take tax dollars to prop up financially unstable private schools. Is that the real point of vouchers? To financially prop up private religious schools in Memphis?

We wrote about AFC here as a warning that outside national interests are looking to remove the voices of public education from lobbying, silencing our voices in the halls of the legislature. Because a lot of this rule-making that includes or excludes is carried on in back rooms out of the public ear. So, if school systems don't have lobbyists listening for us, all laws will only be made by well-moneyed special interest groups and business lobbyists.

Citizens, "The People," use public schools. The people need a voice in those decisions. Because many times good decisions on paper don’t do so well in practice (cough... testing...) but are kept because someone in power has to save political face or make money or get re-elected. Lobbying is the way the "game is played." Those who would like to block education advocates and school districts from listening in on negotiated law and policy changes are only changing the rules to shift all the power and public money away from the public schools and into the pockets of the 1% business elite.

Please remember who these powerful business lobbyists represent. It is not teachers’ associations, but testing companies, textbook and computer software companies like Pearson, charter schools, voucher lobbyists like American Federation for Children, consultants for scripted curriculum businesses, student loan companies, all the entities who aim to profit off of tax dollars going to public schools. Do not be fooled.

It is not news that The American Federation for Children (AFC) is a 501(c)(4) lobbying and advocacy group that was founded by the billionaire family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. And DeVos was chairman of the lobbying group for years until she was nominated to be education secretary. So, Momma Bears want to know why this anti-public education lobbying group is so cozy with our incoming governor?

Momma Bears, would you respectfully write our new governor-elect a nice email and encourage him to support our public schools FIRST and foremost? We don't need privatization schemes. We need fully-funded public education that can deliver quality, engaging curriculum, arts, and enrichment, support our teachers in the classroom and pay them professional wages so we can eliminate the teacher shortage and high teacher turnover, provide schools that care and build a world-class public school system that can serve all students. Let Governor-Elect Lee know Momma Bears value strong public schools. Email him at: bill@billlee.com

90% of all school-aged children attend public school in Tennessee. We need a governor to understand that he represents us — not The American Federation for Children (AFC).

Beware of the promise that choice is the answer. AFC’s version of school choice really represents creating several systems that may or may not choose your family (charter, public, private) for access. These systems are fighting over the same pot of public dollars. This type of competition creates winners and losers. Nationally, many times all of those systems, an most of all students, get shortchanged as these school choice systems fight over funding crumbs. How is that choice? And who is this AFC cabinet choice for education?

Momma Bears think all children should win by creating a winning public school system for EVERY child in the State of Tennessee. There should never be losers. The American Federation for Children and Betsy DeVos do not support your neighborhood public school choice.

More reading:

DEVOS DANGER
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2017/01/26/devos-and-alliance-for-school-choice-where-the-ultimate-choice-means-vouchers-to-private-schools/

HIGHER TAXES DUE TO VOUCHERS (Private schools increase tuition every year!).
https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/education/2015/07/29/wisconsin-school-vouchers-boost-property-taxes/30839409/

Sticks & Stones May Break Your Bones, but TNREADY Can't Hurt You (this year)

4/26/2018

What a whirlwind the past 24 hours have been at the Capitol! Legislators were eager to go home. Generally, legislative sessions last from mid-January through late April or May of each year. Bless their hearts, all this complaining about TNReady has really TESTED their patience. They wanted this testing problem off their plate so they could go home and not be bombarded with complaining constituents.

Without going into a whole government lesson, here's what happened last night: The House of Representative (99 members) were pissed. They tacked some amendments onto a bill to take away the power from TNReady. One of those amendments was an Opt-Out Amendment that would have let parents legally refuse the test for their children without penalty just like so many other states have. Oh, it was beautiful! Behold its splendor!

Oh, what could be!

Alas, that amendment was not meant to be, because the meany-pants Senate members rejected it, plus they rejected some other fantastic amendments that would have gotten rid of TVAAS, forced paper & pencil only tests in the future, and done an investigation into testing problems. The House members kinda backed the Senate into a corner with, "well, if you're not gonna approve this TNReady fix-it bill, then we won't approve some stuff that you need us to approve like the state budget." So, the Senate (33 members) had to compromise. Unfortnately, one of the things that got cut was the Opt-Out bill.

But, here's what did get approved: TNReady will not harm any student, teacher, or school for 2017-18. Yay!

I'm pretty, too

Day 9 of TN READY testing and guess what????
We have YET another excuse as to why the computers crashed almost state wide.
TODAY it was a fiber optic cable that was cut somewhere between Atlanta and Nashville. ONE. FIBER. OPTIC. CABLE. That is one important cable that has all of the important TN Ready tests floating along inside of it.
We're pretty good at geography, but we just don't see how ONE FIBER OPTIC CABLE running from Atlanta to Nashville would interrupt testing in Memphis or Bristol.
That's one important cable. And might we add, that's one wonderful dump truck!!!

Momma bears have searched the internet today to see how many other people and businesses have been affected by this one important cable. Nope, nothing. We haven't seen any other news on it.

Every single article says what happened according to telecommunications experts but not one has pinpointed the name of the company or the area the "cutting" happened. Not one person who is posting on all the social media sites we follow has commented about their internet being down.

But maybe......it's because their internet is out? Hahaha!

But surely if there was such a wide spread internet outage in our state someone other than the TDOE would be reporting it? So obviously this is just the important standardized testing cable and magically no one else was affected. It almost feels like the Department of Education has a magic test excuse wheel.

DOE Person 1: "Oh no! The reports are coming in from parts of the state, we are in crash mode again!"
DOE Person 2: "We can't tell the tax paying public that this testing company is incompetent we must bring out the wheel."
All the DOE People Together: "THE WHEEL???"
DOE Person 2: " Yes, The wheel of Excuses!"

Momma Bear side bar: WHAT?? HUH???? You unknowing Momma Bears might ask, What is the wheel of excuses? It's how they come up with today's excuse. --- spin the wheel and find out what today's excuse will be!
Doe Person 1: Gives the Wheel a big spin
All the DOE People watch in total amazement.
Doe Person 1: "What will it be today: Hacking? The Eclipse? Russians?, a hurricane? (in Tennessee, in April???{probably not but at this point I think the DOE thinks we will believe ANYTHING) no none of those it is slowing down and today excuse is a cut cable!!!!"
DOE Person 2: "Yes that's it a cut cable. Hurry tweet it out. Blame it on some poor cable guy who obviously didn't call 811 and he didn't know he was supposed to look before he dug:

Things that make you go HMMMMM??????
Why would Questar be utilizing a cable between Atlanta and Nashville when their computer servers are in Minnesota? It seems as if the magic time for all these test crashing reports is about 10 am eastern time. That is about the time that the central time zone students start logging on. As someone posted this week, maybe the eastern Tennesseans' would be able to finish if all the central time zone people just waited a couple hours!

The question of the day today from all across the state is this????
If we aren't counting any of these tests against any of our kids, or our teachers, or our schools then why the heck are our kids still being tested? That my dear momma bears is the million dollar question.

More mess...
We also got an alarming report that around 900 middle schoolers were given the wrong grade level tests. How frustrating.

We've continued to receive reports of weary over-tested students wasting time in empty classrooms or gyms while other students test, of students shown movies because there was no lessons planned because they were supposed to be testing, testing codes not working, high school rosters being wiped out by a Questar software update, and sadly, reports of children crying in frustration.

The best thing you can do is to contact your weary legislator and complain. Complain loudly. They have to listen. Election time will soon be here.

We'll leave you with this fantastic tweet from a candidate for Governor, Representative Craig Fitzhugh:

Headed home for a much needed haircut.I may pull my hair out first. More problems with TN Ready. Don’t make me turn around Gov Haslam, Commish McQueen: Stop this craziness! Our students,teachers,schools,and State deserve better.#studentsteachersschoolsmatter
— Rep. Craig Fitzhugh (@craigfitzhugh) April 26, 2018

Testy Times

4/24/2018

Parents and teachers continue to send us messages about how the testing is going. What a headache for students and teachers!

Let's start with the online tests that the TN Department of Education is now claiming is working smoothly. Hmmm... Then why did the Questar backlog time increase over the weekend when no testing was happening? One tech-savvy school employee who needs to be anonymous to keep her job told us this:

"The time now given by Questar for the recovery of student data from a local machine is 72 hours. I get that they are swamped but if it takes intervention by an actual Questar technician to compare / apply the sent cache file, and if you have that many cache files sent, Questar should be adding staff to allow for timely processing. Do they really think asking a student to wait 72 hours to complete a test is acceptable? If their selling point is that the test can run without constant connection to the testing server (except for students requiring a read-aloud accommodation, of course), they must have a more efficient way to deal with recovery file processing. A student should not have to pause and come back at another time to finish (except in extreme cases that are well documented). That's not allowed on a paper test; it shouldn't be allowed on an online test. And by the way, if these problems were as limited as they are trying to make people believe in the media, why would the backlog be that deep? They are so quick to share stats on numbers of test sessions completed, let's see stats on the number of recovery files submitted and processed and how many of those recoveries were successful."

We heard that one school's online testing was so messed up that after their faculty meeting, all the teachers had to manually enter the recovery login and student login for all of their computers and students... over 900 machines. One frustrated teacher said, "It took forever!" Here's the kicker: Those tests they were trying to recover? Yep, you guessed it... teachers had to re-administer those tests to students again this week.

One mom sadly reported that her youngest child who has been sick with Crohns, and had to have part of his colon removed this year, still had to take the EOC. He missed 42 days of class and got an incomplete. But he still had to take the EOC!

One teacher who has to remain anonymous said the testing directions alone are a "huge cause for concern!! They are written poorly, have mistakes, and some of them make no sense.... If they can’t get the test directions right, there is no telling what the test is like!"

Pity the poor 5th graders in this school: "Yesterday, at least 75 fifth grade students only had five minutes to get and eat their lunch because they had issues administering the test."

We've received quite a few messages from parents who are getting push-back from opting-out/refusing. Homeschool parents, in particular, are really frustrated with this system. Having to bring their child to test, only to find out that the testing dates have been rescheduled due to the testing problems. Homeschool parents want to know how to opt-out of these unhelpful tests, too. Honestly, it is the same way as public school parents. You just refuse. We have a section on our website about Refusing. (Click the "Choose To Refuse" tab).

What's going on at the Capitol? I heard scores aren't going to count?
There is much misinformation going around, but here's what we understand to be the case: The conferencing committee between the House and Senate are working on a compromise. The Governor still has to sign it. Once approved and signed, your local public school boards will get to determine if the TNReady scores will be used on your child's report cards (so yes, that won't happen until after the testing is over). Unfortunately, the scores will still count for teachers. TnEdReport has a great analogy with fruit and pie that will help you understand the crazy way these tests are being used to evaluate teachers with a secret formula called TVAAS. We highly suggest you read that blog and follow Andy Spears for insightful, accurate education news.

TVAAAAASHIT*#&!#^#%$@!^*
Pardon our French. That just plain sucks. Those poor teachers seem to take all the blame and get no respect. Legislators are eager to go home, since legislative session is ending. This is throwing a bone to the loudest dog and escaping through the gate. Hey, it is tough being a legislator and working from January to April and earning about the same salary as a teacher does! If we sound passive-aggressive with that last comment, then you get our drift. We're fed up with politicians treating teachers poorly. We are hopeful that election-time will be a rude awakening for them.

So what can I do?
We generally end our blogs with a call to action. This week's action: VOTE.
Or even better: RUN for political office.
If you're not that brave: SUPPORT candidates who support public schools, students, and teachers.

TN Teacher Ready to Tell All

4/22/2018

“TNReady’s not ready and it ain’t never gonna be ready"
—Amy Cate, Retired Knox County Teacher

When Amy Cate retired last year from Knox County Schools, she told reporter Betty Bean , "I thought that we were the civil rights movement for teachers and students in Knox County.” “We all walked into the meeting together, holding hands. We were scared to death – would we lose our jobs? But we were thrilled at all the red. It was a movement. It was a time when teachers were fed up. We knew we were being used and abused in a way that was not right. Given my experience with sales and management, I knew that you don’t treat people that way, not in the real world, and certainly not in government, financed with state and local and federal taxpayers’ money.”

A year later and Cate is right. TNReady still ain't ready and teachers are growing more and more frustrated at being used by TDOE to inflict tortuous testing on children.

More Spilled Beans...

Back in 2016, teachers spilled the beans on TNReady testing and urged the State to #TrashTNReady. After teachers spoke out, TDOE had no choice but to call off testing. Two years later, the movement continues as teachers are once again spilling the beans and urging lawmakers to #TrashTNReady.

Recently, a Tennessee Teacher had this to say about TNReady

I just read your post from Momma Bears. My biggest issue has been with the half truths and blatant lies coming from TDOE. I've questioned several of them. They are no longer responding to my emails or posts during the daily webinars. I can barely watch the daily webinars anymore.

Mistakes happen. Own them. I can't stand the lies and half truths.

Under McQueen's guidance, TDOE has become masters at deception and half truths. Here’s a great example. Have someone ask for a crosswalk between common core and the new TN standards. The state refused to do a crosswalk saying they wanted teachers to learn by doing it themselves. It took many, many days but when I was finished with K-5, there was no difference. It was a shell game that only resulted in time wasted and confusion.

My problem isn’t with the standards but with the way TDOE tricked lawmakers. I happen to like the Common Core standards but despised the way they are being assessed as a result of unqualified individuals not knowing the content well enough to understand the standards. I have a feeling if Momma Bears across the state will ask district and school leaders, as well as teachers and students, specific questions, you might get some very useful information.

Friday's testing may have been uneventful and TDOE may have acted like they had fixed everything. But what they didn't mention was that during the daily webinar, McQueen encouraged schools not to test on Friday because of the scheduled student walkouts. The only tests submitted yesterday were cleanups or makeups for the week. TDOE can say what they want, but there were no testing issues for us in the fall. The platform simply can't handle the number of users accessing the test so, I have no idea why they decided to add to the number of users by allowing grades 5-8 to test this spring online as well.

The crazy part is we have done three rounds of Case assessments with little disruption to teaching at a very reasonable price. The data was received quickly and our scores on final benchmarks last year were spot on with the scores we received on TNReady. That's appropriate testing. Instead of it being used to penalize a student or teacher, it provided guidance on where to spend instructional minutes.

So, why are we having to invest millions and countless hours on TNReady testing that yields data months later after students have moved on to another grade level and another teacher? It is of little value. At that point, it only serves as a gotcha against teachers. But, if students don't participate, the state penalizes the district through participation rates. This rating can affect the overall score given to a district. A lower score has an effect not just on schools but on the community as a whole. It's a ridiculous cycle.

Also, the legislation passed this week prohibits these scores from being grounds for dismissal of teachers this year; however, TDOE is still planning on generating TVAAS scores. (More about that here) That means this year's scores will factor into a teacher's overall rating for years to come. And even though districts/schools will not get an A-F rating, we were told last week we will still generate a participation rate, which potentially can be an issue since so many students /parents have rightfully so lost confidence in the test. Potentially districts/schools could be penalized because of TDOE/Questar's mistakes.

I have always supported the state and am excited about some of the changes we have made, but when I read what is and is not allowed for medical exemptions to the test, I was done. There is a student with an IEP who has severe anxiety. This student was making himself bleed to the point there was blood on his clothes. According to TDOE, he must still test. Pretty much the only students exempt are those who are receiving chemo or are in a coma. Even a student who is in a residential facility after attempting suicide is not exempt.

This teacher warns that testing protocols were breached

Tuesday's online testing was definitely a breach of security and provided some students a possible advantage by being able to come back the next day and continue working. It didn't affect those who could complete test but just couldn't submit; however, there were many students who simply couldn't test anymore. Because no one knew how long the outage would last, those students, at least in theory, could have had far more time than their peers who completed their work the day before.

Others agree that procedures were not followed

Another one of our readers told us: There is NO WAY under the sun that what happened yesterday did not violate multiple assessment protocols. Ask for a copy of the state's assessment protocols that they send to districts. Then merge that with what you know. At the very least dozens oftesting irregularities occurred as students could not submit tests. There is no way that every assessment will be checked to make sure that it is in its original form. I simply laugh at the spin. The problem is that teachers are not allowed to comment on the test as they risk immediate termination. And kids likely don't have the entire story. The gag order on teachers is a convenient way to prevent the story from being told. State legislatures need to have an independent audit of what happened....

So, we tried to get a copy of this year's state testing manual which is normally online for public view. At least, it has been on the TDOE website in past years. But this year, the test manual comes with a warning to educators not to share with the public. It is now considered to be a secure document.

Well, we got the testing protocols anyway—thanks to a lawyer friend in Nashville.

So, the question remains…

Were some students allowed to take the same subpart twice in violation of TNReady security protocols?

We think so.

During her testimony to the Joint Committee, Dr. McQueen explained that the test downloaded onto each computer so students were not interrupted when the "deliberate attack" occurred. The only time students should have realized there was a problem was at the end of the test period when they were unable to submit their answers. She said that all students were given the same 85 minute time frame to complete their test. They simply were unable to submit it. She further stated that when the system was back up & running, students or THEIR TEACHERS should have just hit submit. Say What???? Since when are teachers allowed to touch a student's computer and hit submit?

In any event, our readers are reporting that when students were locked out of submitting their essay test online, they were dismissed from the testing room and allowed to return either later that day or the next day. After returning to the testing environment, a variety of scenarios took place as laid out below. And from what we can tell, these different scenarios could have happened to students at the same school in the same testing room.

Some students found their essays saved but the computer would only allow them to submit their answer.
Others found their essays saved and could make edits but they were told not to change their answers.
Others found part of their essays missing and were given time to finish and make edits to their answers.
Others found their essays saved and were given another full 85 minutes to review & edit their answers

From my 9th grader “we were told not to make changes but the system would have allowed it if kids wanted to” The whole test is tainted, imo, and the scores are meaningless at this point.

They left the testing area for several hours including lunch so yes I’d say kids could definitely research and ask friends for help if they really wanted to.

My daughter's essay was halfway completed on Monday, and then the test was cancelled. Yesterday, her work from the day before had been saved and she wrote the second half. Then, she could not submit it. So what McQueen is saying is false.

Collierville parents reported that not all their students took the test yesterday, so kids who took it today heard the prompt from the students who took it (but could not turn it in) the day before

My 9th grader finished his essay and was not able to submit it. However 4 kids in his room were able to submit theirs. But no one else’s would go through and they did not return to the testing area.

My 8th grader said that when they tried to submit it showed as not submitted. When they got to school today some of the essays showed a status of completed and those students could only hit the submit button. Other students the essay did not have completed as a status and technically they could have made changes but were told not to and told to submit it just like it was.

That is true for my daughter, they could only return to hit 'submit'. I do wonder though, what if someone else hit a key or something blanked out or timed out...

My 9th grade son answered a couple of multiple choice questions then wrote an essay. He could not submit his answers so his class was dismissed from testing. The next day, he was given the test over again. His essay had saved to his laptop so he had another 85 minutes the next day to review it and make changes. He said some of his classmates could not change their answers but others could.

And there are problems with the paper test too

We also received several messages from educators about the younger grade's TNReady test this year. TDOE requires Grades 3-5 be administered TNReady test this year in writing. Grades 5-8 have the choice of online or written test. While we know all about the online issues, teachers want you to know that the written test has been problematic too.

I am a 4th grade TN educator and I am so worried and overworked all year long over THIS. I would be FIRED for my incompetence so long ago if this were me or any other teacher yet that woman and many others are making SIX figures of OUR tax money to TORTURE us and our students. I would allow you to use my name but please please don’t. I want to help and be an advocate and I will help you but I would be fired. I feel like our district leaders are on Candice’s side in this and they are data/accountability lovers. If it were another county that isn’t that way I would be taking out a newspaper article but I have to feed my family. Thank you! PLEASE check into the Paper testing issues. It is being overlooked.

I prefer my name not be mentioned please. I am a teacher. It’s too scary these days to say anything. But I wanted you to check into something. It is not just a problem with the online testing, even though that is the highlight of the issues right now with testing. The paper tests have had issues. Please look into that. I know for a fact 3rd and 4th grade Paper tests were supposed to have a “listening” part and I’m pretty sure the printing or something was done incorrectly. Something went wrong with the script portion of the listening portion leaving students to skip from say #20 to suddenly 29. Believe me when I say, that throws a kid for a loop! No joke. That may seem like no big deal to some but it is to a 8-10 year old. It confuses them and throws them so way off in their thinking.

I thought I would share some feedback I received from a 3rd grade teacher: First Writing Prompt - At the end of the directions, it says, "Take as much space as you need." At the end of the second page of lined paper where the students must right, it says, "Go On." When you turn the page there is no more room to write and a new passage starts. Directions for the first passage of subpart 2 states, "Place your finger on the word Directions at the top of the page." The only problem is there is no word Directions at the top of the page in the student book. Subpart 2 - sample question 4, part B states, 'For part B of sample question 2, you should have filled in circle S." It was part B of sample question 4, not 2. Time limit was off for subparts 2 and 3. Skipping complete sections in the book. Paragraph 4 of the second writing prompt on form C had a misprint in the passage that was read aloud to children.

For 3-8, TDOE created 2 forms of each test with multiple versions. It has been a logistical and scheduling nightmare for our schools. The reason for so many forms/versions is because TDOE is field testing additional items as they seek to stockpile items.

I wish they would stop pretending that these tests are for anything more than data-mining our children and funding...

Testing can't be suspended without requesting a waiver. I've heard no mention of that happening, but that is truly what needs to happen.

Call For Action

Right now, the General Assembly is still in session meaning, we have a chance for a legislative remedy for the problems with the TNReady testing. It is possible to submit last-minute amendments to existing education bills moving through the House and Senate to lessen the damage of standardized testing to our students.

Here is our primer on legislation so you will know what to ask for when you contact your state legislators:

A piece of legislation has two sides. The House version and the Senate version. These bills must match. So when a change is made in the house, it must then be reflected and passed in the Senate. And vice-versa. And NONE of this is final until the governor signs it into law. So Momma Bears can jump up and down when some good ideas are introduced via amendment and passed. And you should thank lawmakers who are working hard to introduce these amendments. And who are speaking out, questioning the TDOE based on what they hear from constituents. But, remember that nothing has passed to the governor's desk yet. So don't get too excited.

We are aware of two amended bills:

HB1981 / SB1623
This bill has a conference committee report added to it. Both the House and Senate agreed to following:

The assessment provider shall reimburse the LEA or LEAs in which the misadministration occurred for any exam that does not result in a reportable score for the student

The assessment provider shall provide an opportunity for any student impacted by the misadministration to take the assessment again at no charge.

Each local board of education may choose the percentage within the range of zero percent (0%) to fifteen percent (15%) that scores from the TNReady assessments administered in the 2017-2018 school year shall count on a student's final grade for the spring semester.

Student performance and student growth data from the TNReady assessments administered in the 2017-2018 school year shall not be used to assign a letter grade to a school pursuant to this section.

Student performance and student growth data from the TNReady assessments administered in the 2017-2018 school year shall not be used to identify a school as a priority school or to assign a school to the achievement school district.

For the 2017-2018 school year, LEAs shall not base employment termination and compensation decisions for teachers on data generated by statewide assessments administered in the 2017-2018 school year.

HB1109 / SB0987
This bill contains amendments to try and stop the test from being given online. It allows LEA's to choose online or paper tests. It also tries to remove scores from grades, GPA's or teacher evaluations by giving teachers, students and school districts a choice to use the scores. And it states "The Commissioner of Education shall pursue all legal remedies available to the state pursuant to the terms of any contract for the administration of state assessments for any problems that occur in the administration of state assessments that prevent students from taking, completing, or receiving scores from a state assessment."

What You Can Do NOW!!!!!!

Neither of these amendments will stop testing for this year or address the invalidity or the harm to our students. Nor will they call for an investigation into testing irregularity.

If you want those things, you need to

Contact your state legislators and demand they pass legislation this week that includes everything!!

Contact the State Board of Education & Blow up their Facebook page!!

Email the Governor at bill.haslam@tn.gov & Hit him up on Facebook too!!

Call McQueen at (615) 741-8457

Day 2 of Testing Insanity in Tennessee

4/17/2018

Yesterday, we told you how the first day launch of the new online TNReady failed miserably with districts statewide canceling testing for the day. But at the end of the day, Commissioner McQueen was assuring people that the fix was in and Questar was back up and running without any problems. Districts said they would try again in the morning and were assured that it would be a better testing day for students.

Soooooo, what do you think happened?????? Did it work?

OF COURSE, NOT!!!!

Today, the new online version of TNReady failed miserably again. We received reports from all over the state that students were again unable to log on or were unable to submit their answers at the end of the testing session.

What does this mean?

It means that our students, schools, and LEAs have wasted their precious resources on a foolish venture that fails every single year!!!

Students are sitting in school cafeterias waiting on the state to fix test glitches; going nowhere just like Tennessee's flat NAEP scores this year.

Students are reporting they are not allowed to use their chromebooks and laptops until this testing issue has been resolved. They are locked out of online assignments and unable to access their online class materials.

Students are giving up three weeks of meaningful instruction time because teachers are not allowed to introduce any new curriculum once testing has begun.

Students are spending their class time learning a carefully choreographed routine called "we have to share computers" instead of learning their lessons.

And let's not forget the teachers and school administrators who have spent late nights and weekends preparing for TNReady. How much time was wasted on copious, often confusing instructions for a test that never happened?

All this effort, year after year, and the same results—another testing failure from TDOE.

TDOE sure knows how to pass the buck. Last time, they blamed Measurement, Inc. for the testing failure. This time, TDOE Commissioner Candice McQueen is blaming an outside attack. She sent out the following message to Tennessee's school district superintendents.

Make it Stop, please… end this torture of our kids

In response to the testing insanity, Representatives Lamberth and Faison are expected to bring emergency proposals to the house floor this afternoon at 3:00pm CST. The House Chamber erupted in applause as they vowed this session will not end until the legislature addressed TNReady. Look for HB1109 on today's consent calendar in the House floor session. It is expected to have several amendments that will consider eliminating all online testing, canceling this year's testing, defunding TNReady, and prohibiting the use of scores in student grades, teacher evaluations & the new letter grade ratings for LEAs. You can watch at this link.

Thank You...

On behalf of Momma Bears everywhere, we would like to thank Rep. Lamberth and Rep. Faison for their efforts to hold the TDOE accountable for this testing fiasco. We hope all of State Legislators are supportive of their actions. We are also excited to see Rep. Zachary's video update where he announces his sponsorship of the new amendments. And we would like to thank the first Gubernatorial candidate to speak out on the issue, Diane Black for her support of Tennessee teachers & students.

TAKE ACTION NOW!!!!!

Contact your legislators now and support these amendments.

Then, spread the word and ask other to support these amendments. Let's end this once & for all. Our kids deserve an education that is not wasted on inept and abusive testing regimes.

Then, call Commissioner McQueen and tell her what you think about TNReady (615) 741-8457

Stop the Insanity!!!

4/16/2018

2012-2013 Problems with a misalignment between curriculum and testing. Teachers were told to teach Common Core State Standards but their students were administered TCAP tests based on the old Student Performance Indicators.

2013-2014 TDOE's integrity on testing was called into question when Commissioner Huffman was widely criticized for a lack of transparency in testing, failing to release TCAP quick scores, and his controversial decision to waive scores from being calculated into the final semester grades.

2014-2015 McQueen's first year starts off as a cheerleader for the new upcoming TNReady online test and ends with magical TCAP scores due to an unexpected change in the post equating formula.

2015-2016 TNReady's Epic Failure. After two years of promoting the new TNReady online platform, it failed miserably. To make matters worse, Measurement, Inc., the testing company was unable to send out a paper & pencil replacement to schools so TDOE was forced to cancel testing for that year.

2016-2017 It was back to paper & pencil testing but the problems didn't disappear.

What's the definition of insanity?

We know!! It's insane to expect that this year's TNReady testing would be any different from past years. But Commissioner McQueen PROMISED that this year's test would be different. We have a new testing vendor, better preparations, yada yada yada...

Yeah, well, it looks like Questar's technical glitches in New York last week were a foreboding prediction of what was to come this week in Tennessee. Sure enough, Tennessee students also experienced log-on issues when the new online TNReady testing came to a screeching halt this morning.

TDOE downplayed the problem claiming that there were just some technical glitches and not a statewide crash. TDOE also claimed that glitches were resolved and testing resumed. However, several school districts were notifying parents and the public that TNReady testing would not continue today.

We received reports from our readers all over the state:

"Haywood County Schools suspended State Testing today at HHS, SHILC, & ESIS due to issues with state online testing."

"Lakeland’s 'indefinitely suspended' because of internet problems with the host."

"Shelby County. Problems logging in. Some students waited an hour for log in to work."

"Williamson County didn’t test. Fiasco!"

"'system crash' no testing in Cheatham county."

"Wilson CO. Down. Paper test begin tomorrow."

"Sumner County-received an email stating that testing was canceled today due to a “glitch” in the system. Testing will now start tomorrow and Wednesday instead."

"Rutherford County...all testing cancelled for today due to system issues"

"Knox county - kids at the middle school were to start today. 'Due to technical difficulties beyond our control, we have postponed tcap testing. We are awaiting direction from the state on how to proceed.'”

"No testing at the L&N STEM Academy today in Knox Cty"

From Gresham Middle School in Knox County: "Due to technical difficulties beyond our control, we have postponed TCAP testing. We are awaiting direction from the state on how to proceed."

And Williamson Strong is reporting:

"We've heard that at least 36 districts including WCS, MNPS, Knox County, Sumner County, Rutherford County, Cumberland County, Cannon County, Washington County, Wilson County, Franklin County, Chester County, and Bartlett have had problems with online testing today."

News of the testing debacle even reached Capitol Hill. During the Joint Committee on Government Operations hearing, Rep. Hardaway mentioned that Commissioner McQueen has been absent from the University of Tennessee Trustee Board meetings.

This prompted Rep. Bo Mitchell to bring up that TNReady testing has once again been shut down across the state. He referred to TNReady as TNUnready and noted that this is strike 3, maybe strike 4 against the TNDOE. He told his colleagues that "It's time for us to act."

Time to Act!!

It is indeed time for us to act.

While TDOE and Commissioner McQueen will no doubt shrug off the failure to launch as a minor glitch that was quickly fixed, we know better. We know from our readers that

—A big red message popped up on screens saying that the server crashed.

—Some kids spent 30 minutes trying to log on and only had 10 minutes to complete the test. We know those scores will be used against our teachers and our schools next year.

—At least one student was able to log on at a middle Tennessee high school to complete the Chemistry EOC. But his classmates were not. The Chemistry EOC is scheduled to be administered to them in two weeks. So, what's to stop him from telling his classmates what was on the test?

—It was pandemonium in one classroom as proctors struggled to time each student starting with when their log in was successful. Multiple timers, multiple starts & stops meant craziness affecting performance.

And finally, we know that teachers have been threatened up one side and down the other that they could lose their license, be fired, or something else equally horrible if they so much as make one little mistake while proctoring TNReady. We know that because they signed forms acknowledging what would happen to them.

But Questar, TDOE's testing company, makes a mistake that disrupts testing statewide and it is no big deal. Until the scores are used in teacher evaluations and to grade our school systems. Then, it will be a big deal. A big deal for teachers and a big deal for school districts.

Rep. Mitchell is right. It's time to act. And the time is now.

And you can start by contacting your state representative and Commissioner Candice McQueen.

How to Refuse TNReady & Live Happily Ever After This Semester

3/26/2018

Parents just recently received last year's TNReady scores back for their children, and in the next few weeks their children will be given the TNReady test again. If you think that's wonky, then you're correct.

Have you heard the latest lie from the TDOE that testing times are shorter?
If you believe it, we have some ocean-front property right here in TN that we want to sell you... Take a look at this chart below that doesn't lie. Testing times have increased every year, and will increase even more this year:

Elementary students in grades 3-5 will sit nearly 9 hours answering test questions for TNReady. Middle school grades 6-8 will spend over 9 hours testing. Is this acceptable or abusive? By comparison, here are some testing times for tests that high-schoolers and professional adults might take:

GRE minutes: 225
ACT+Writing minutes: 215
SAT+essay minutes: 230
LSAT minutes: 175
Bar Exam minutes: 720

Parents, if you're fed up with the testing in Tennessee, there's something you can do about it. You can refuse to allow your child to take the test. We have a whole section of our Momma Bear website with the steps you can take to opt-out, as well as answers to questions you might have. Other parents in TN have refused/opted-out over the past few years with no consequences. It can be done. These are YOUR children, and you are their parents, right?

Is it your lucky day?
Because the TN Department of Education just can't get TNReady scores ya know, READY, in a timely manner, districts in TN are able to use a little loophole that keeps TNReady scores from counting against student report cards. That's good news! Congratulations if you are in one of those districts!

The bad news is that districts must still give that waste-of-time-and-money test to every student. Boo! And the TNReady scores must still count against teacher evaluations, even for teachers who don't teach that subject. Double Boo!

But which districts will count it on report cards?
Some school districts, knowing that scores will not be back in time, have already determined that they will not be counting TNReady on student report cards. Hooray for those districts! Jason Gonzalez, a reporter for the Tennesseean, wrote an article about it with a handy-dandy list of what some districts planned to do. We can't guarantee the accuracy of his research, so you should verify this with your district if you're concerned about TNReady counting on your child's report cards, especially at the high school level where GPAs are important. Here's what the Tennesseean published:

Knoxville-area school districts
Alcoa City: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Anderson County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Blount County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Knox County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Maryville City: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Oak Ridge: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Sevier County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Memphis-area school districts
Achievement School District: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Arlington City: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Bartlett City: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Collierville: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Millington Municipal: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Shelby County: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Middle Tennessee school districts
Cheatham County: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Clarksville-Montgomery: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Dickson County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school and grades 3-8 report cards.
Franklin Special: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Lebanon City: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Metro Nashville: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on either high school or grades 3-8 report cards.
Murfreesboro City: Does not plan to include TNReady scores on grades 3-8 report cards.
Robertson County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Rutherford County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Sumner County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Williamson County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.
Wilson County: Plans to include TNReady scores on high school report cards. Doesn't plan to use grades 3-8 scores on report cards.

Is your district one of the nice ones that doesn't plan to use scores on report cards? If so, then send your locally elected school board members a heartfelt thank you card because they just made your life easier. Bless their hearts!

If your district still plans to use those wonky scores, then contact your locally elected school board members and ask them what the heck they're thinking. They need to get their acts together and vote for that waiver like the other smart districts have already done!

While you're at it, give your State Representative and Senator a call. Ask them to proctor TNReady for your child's school so they can see how crazy this testing has become. Attempts at making TNReady less high-stakes have failed in committees. Maybe if legislators saw firsthand that these tests are a farce, then they would take action and fix the problem they've created? And maybe TNReady will be ready in time this year, too. Haha!

Another Testing Task Farce

11/28/2017

3rd time is the harm uh, charm

Meme courtesy of Tennessee Education Reports

State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen (that's Candace spelled with "ice" as in The Ice Queen or in this case The Ice McQueen) has appointed yet another Testing Task Farce, uh Task Force.

Okay, okay okay, we'll stop with the puns and get down to business.

This year's task force is a lot bigger than previous years. The original 17 member group expanded to 21 last year and has now grown to 30. Several statewide organizations are represented. We noticed that TEA, PET, and SCORE have gone from ex-officio members (that means you can listen but you have no rights to vote or speak) to having a real seat at the table this year. SCORE has been included in the task force since its beginnings three years ago but TEA and PET were added just last year.

Markedly absent are any representatives from a statewide parent group. Even Tennessee PTA was left off the task force while statewide teacher groups, Tennessee Organization for School Superintendents, the Tennessee School Board Association, and of course, SCORE were all included. The only PTA representative on the task force comes from Knox County and we are not even sure of her position on the PTA.

Virginia Babb's tagline says Knox County PTA but when we checked the Knox County Council PTA website, she is not listed as a member of the board. So, we are unsure if she has any current connection to the PTA or any other parent group. But we do know that this is her third year to serve on the testing task force and she is a big time cheerleader for Common Core. We told you all about that in one of our prior blogs. Babb is now showing political aspirations, running for Knox County school board. She posted on Face Book that she is being endorsed by current Knox County school board member, Lynne Fugate.

The other parent on the task force is also from east Tennessee. Jennifer Frazier is a Morristown mom who currently serves on Candice McQueen's Parent Advisory Council. Take a look below about what she said on being selected for the testing task force:

Frazier said she sees her role on the body as being a mediator for Hamblen County and the state. She said she first joined in two years ago on a state advisory council after being encouraged by Chuck Carter, the superintendent of Career & Technical Education and former principal of Union Heights Elementary School.

She said she received a letter from the commissioner asking her to serve last week and was honored.

“I want to be a voice for Hamblen County,” she said.

Uh, what about the rest of the state? Our kids need advocacy too!!!

We want to know why McQueen chose moms who have little to no connection to statewide parent groups?

Oh, we know. McQueen is afraid of parent advocates because they just might speak out against her plans to continue spending MILLIONS on tests with serious problems producing reliable data. So, she just picked a couple of sycophants who seem more focused on their own school districts than the wider issue of testing. Well, Commissioner McQueen, you should know that testing is a BIG issue for ALL parents so we would like to see more parent advocates on this task force from all over the state.

Less Moms Means More Astro Turf Groups

McQueen is probably thinking that a shortage of parents at the table means extra spots for the astro turf groups. This year, she added Gini Pupo-Walker from the Tennessee Education Equity Coalition who is also the Senior Director of Education Policy and Programs with Conexion Americas. Unfamiliar with those groups? We'll catch you up.

Check out the list below of the their Mosaic Fellows.

See any familiar astro turf groups in the list?

We do!!

West Tennessee
Mendell Grinter, executive director, Campaign for School Equity
Keji Kujjo, teacher, Kate Bond Middle School
Natalie McKinney, executive director, Whole Child Strategies, Inc.
Cardell Orrin, Memphis director, Stand for Children
Marcos Villa, community engagement coordinator, Latino Memphis
Bobby White, founder and CEO, Frayser Community Schools
Middle Tennessee
Diarese George, recruiting director, Nashville Teacher Residency
Martel Graham, school director, Knowledge Academies High School
Alicia Hunker, teacher, Valor Collegiate Academy
Vanessa Lazón, director of community inclusion, Mayor Megan Barry’s office of new Americans
Jon Robertson, founding high school director, STEM Prep High School
Peter Tang, Tennessee educator fellowship coordinator, SCORE
East Tennessee
Claudia Caballero, executive director of Centro Hispano de East Tennessee
Cassandra “KC” Curberson-Alvarado, career success coordinator, Hamblen County Schools
Quineka Moten, director of education and youth services, Knoxville Area Urban League
Gladys Pineda-Loher, director of international community outreach, Chattanooga State Community College

The Tennessee Education Equity Coalition was created last year by Conexion Americas. According to this article, these groups and their pet projects receive heavy funding from George Soros and Tennessee's own Gubernatorial candidate, Randy Boyd. And Gini Pupo-Walker seems more entrenched with education deformers than with ELL students. Take a look at her involvement with reform groups such as Bellwether Educational Partners and SCORE.

Joining Pupo-Walker in this year's task force is Lisa Wiltshire, Policy Director for Tennesseans for Quality Early Education. Wiltshire previously served on McQueen's staff at the Tennessee Department of Education as the director of early learning. Oh Dear!!! We hope this isn't a sign that our pre-school babies are now going to be tested. But with the state expansion into pre-schools, we are afraid this could be the case. We're gonna keep an eye on this one.

Rounding out the task force are five teachers, four principals, a mish-mash of school district administrators, representatives from state organizations, the usual politicians: Dolores Gresham, John Forgety, Harry Brooks, and newly appointed, Mark White; and perennial task force member, Executive Director of the appointed State Board of Education, Sara Heyburn Morrison.

But before you get too excited about teachers being on the task force, you should know something. Just like the TNReady Hearings this Fall where most of the teachers testifying before the Tennessee House Education Committees were connected to SCORE, the same has happened with this testing task force. Four out of five teachers have connections to SCORE. Take a look:

Jolinea Pegues, a 2016-2017 SCORE Educator Fellow
Josh Rutherford
Stacey Travis, a 2017-2018 SCORE Educator Fellow
Kim Herring, a 2017-2018 SCORE Educator Fellow
Cicely Woodard, headed up the SCORE Educator Fellowship program in 2014

The original testing task force produced a report in 2015. The next year, the task force revamped to learn of the progress on prior recommendations, address items requiring further analysis from the first task force, review and assess tests implemented in the 2015-16 school year, and provide additional recommendations on testing. And here we are in 2017 with the appointment of yet another task force.

You can see the evolution of the Tennessee Testing Task Force in our spread sheet below and how it has grown from 17 members to 30.

test_task_force.pdf
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It's time to turn this task farce into a force to reckoned with….OPT OUT!!! McQueen has chosen to opt parents out of the decision-making when it comes to testing our children. So, it's time we opt our children out of the testing!! Stop wasting your child's time on tests that have been problematic year after year.

IT'S TIME FOR THIS FARCE TO END. OPT OUT!!!

More information on the ACT Blunder of 2017

11/20/2017

This was just sent to us from one of our Bearden High Momma Bears:

Bearden High momma bear here!

We have some breaking news in Knoxville.
Thank you for sharing our story!!!

This is all of the information we have right now and it is certainly not complete or satisfactory.

The KCS administration continues working diligently to do whatever they can.

The Knox County Schools Director of Assessment, Laurie Driver, attended the press conference Friday, on behalf of the KCS administration. She has been at Bearden for several days, working on this issue and the administration was still investigating the situation on Friday.

Information regarding the press conference was sent to Board members around noon that same day and most members may not have seen it in time to be there or to make arrangements to leave work so quickly.

Knox County Board of Education members received the following information late Friday:
(Superfluous information has been left out where not relevant. Quoted information is in quotation marks.)

"An Internal Review of the [ACT] situation has been conducted. The process of ordering, monitoring and administering ACT tests involves three entities: ACT, Knox County Schools and TDOE [the Tennessee Department of Education]. While certainly human error could have played a part in this situation, we have full confidence in the process followed and oversight provided by the administration at Bearden High School and our accountability team."

Below is a timeline that supports the position that all efforts were made to ensure the ACT retake was handled in accordance with ACT protocols:

• "August 21-23 – Correspondence took place between the BHS assistant principal, the KCS assessment specialist and ACT project coordinator to verify the materials order for the ACT test was done correctly. After another review at the request of the assistant principal, the assessment specialist determined the order looked identical to all of the other schools. No one from ACT or TDOE contacted Bearden High School or the district office again to say the order was not completed."

• "September 19 – Test materials for the October 17 ACT retake test were delivered to all KCS high schools. This was at odds with previous communication saying the materials would be delivered the week of October 9".

• "October 4 – FedEx showed up at five KCS high schools, but NOT Bearden High School, to pick up ACT tests thought to have been completed October 3. However, no KCS high schools were taking the test on that day. All KCS high schools were scheduled to take the ACT retake test on October 17." Logically... "if Bearden High School was given the October 3 ACT test materials, then FedEx would have scheduled a pick-up of the completed tests on October 4 as ACT schedules the pickup and delivery of ACT materials."

• "October 18 – The day after the October 17 ACT retake test, FedEx showed up at all KCS high schools, including Bearden High School, to pick up completed tests."

• "October 27 – ACT sent notification of the test misadministration; however, this email communication was not sent to the current ACT test coordinator at Bearden High School, but rather, someone who no longer works at the school. This was despite the fact the current ACT test coordinator had previously received multiple correspondence from ACT."

"Our main focus continues to be on the students and making sure everything is being done to limit any adverse impact on college entrance and scholarships. We are also working to make sure any student interested is registered for the ACT test in December at no cost. The district has provided and continues to provide additional supports to Bearden High School."

Thank you, Bearden High Momma Bear! Keep letting us know of any more updates to this story.

Please note they have updated their hashtags
#ACTGiveUsOurScores #ACTblunder2017

Calling All Momma Bears

11/20/2017

Hey Betsy!! Don't "DeVostate Tennessee Schools!!!

Betsy DeVos is coming to Nashville!! Momma Bears will joining education advocates from across the state in hosting a RALLY at the Riverfront Park by the Music City Star Train Station. DeVos will be speaking at the National Summit on Education Reform held at the Omni Hotel with ew… hold your nose, Jeb Bush. And we want to make sure Betsy and Jeb get a BIG Momma Bear welcome to Tennessee!!

We will gather at the Riverfront for a rally. MNEA & TEA are arranging for speakers and performing artists. After the rally, look for a march from Riverfront to the Omni around 6:30 on public sidewalks. Check for further details as more groups get involved. Join parents, teachers and public school supporters as we assemble to ask DeVos to not “DeVostate Tennessee Schools”.

Here is the Facebook Event Link. https://www.facebook.com/events/940…

If your organization is interested in co-hosting this DeVos action, please email:
rosa@socm.org or michelesheriff@bellsouth.net

Interested in some anti-DeVos rally poster art? Click Here.

Thank You to TREE for providing details of the event.

ACT blunder in TN

11/17/2017

Momma bears, in case you haven’t heard, we have some serious ACT problems in Knoxville and Jamestown.
From Wednesday, November 15, in the Knox News:

October ACT tests at Bearden High School won't be scored due to error

Bearden High School has announced the latest round of ACT tests will not be scored due to an error.

ACT told school officials that it "cannot guarantee the validity of" the tests taken by seniors on Oct. 17 because the wrong tests were sent to the school, according to a letter sent to parents and students.

Seniors will be able to take the ACT for free on Dec. 9.

"I understand how disappointing this news is, I personally apologize for this issue," reads the letter from Bearden High School Principal John C. Bartlett.

Here's the letter in full:

"Dear Bearden Parent and Senior Student,
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the October 17, 2017 ACT will not be scored. ACT has decided that they cannot guarantee the validity of the test given at Bearden High School on this state testing day because the wrong tests were sent to Bearden High School and administered to BHS students. Because of this, ACT is offering senior students vouchers for any ACT National Test Day. To take advantage of these vouchers, the BHS Senior Counselors will have the vouchers available as soon as we receive them from ACT. The counselors will be in the West Mall during lunch next week as soon as we receive the vouchers. Students may still sign up for the ACT test given on December 9, 2017; however, students need to sign up as soon as possible. They will be allowed to use the voucher for this test date without having to pay a late fee.’

This information came weeks before most college's scholarship deadline. These kids have worked hard and invested time and their parents invested money into this test and the preparations for it. This is the final ACT they can take before scholarships deadlines for schools across the country. This non-scoring of the test is due to a failure by ACT to send the correct test to these two schools. These kids did nothing wrong and yet they are the ones who will be penalized in missed scholarship deadlines and less money to pay for college.

ACT has offered to give them a free test on December 9 but for a lot of schools and scholarships that testing date is too late.

Momma Bears let’s hear you

We are asking ALL of you (regardless of where you live) to take a second and do the following:

1) Contact ACT and express your support for the release of the Bearden High School and Alvin C. York Agricultural Institutes students' scores from the October 17th test in Knoxville and Jamestown, TN.
ACT CEO: Marten Roorda
ACT Chief Commercial Officer: Suzana Delanghe
Admin assistant: Sandy Serbousek
Direct line: 319-337-1079
Sandy.serbousek@act.org

2) Share the videos linked below regarding the Knox County Council PTA press conference. Tweet them... Facebook them... or whatever else you do socially. Please use the hashtags: #ACTBlunder2017 #GiveUsOurScores

ACT Decision Derails BHS Student/#1 Athlete/Teacher’s Son’s Dream: Give up your dreams to go to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy or Duke University— or give up your #1 Ranking as best wrestler in the state.... That’s the question facing Kathy McCoy’s son ever since the ACT organization decided not to release the test scores for hundreds of Bearden High School students. Kathy’s also a BHS teacher and says the ACT decision is very impactful and harming her son and the other Bearden seniors. #ACTblunders2017 #GiveUsOurScores

3) If you live in Iowa or have any relatives in Iowa (especially if you live in the Iowa City area where ACT is headquartered) express your disappointment over their handling of this situation. That's NOT the Mid-West way!!!

Stop and think about if YOUR child/niece/nephew/godchild/grandchild/etc studied for MONTHS. Spent money in test preparation. Were committed to raise their ACT scores to get into college, to receive scholarships, or get into specialized programs, and ACT pulled the rug out from under them. Wouldn't you want the world to hear your story?!?

Make your voices heard. 💗

#ACTBlunder2017 #GiveUsOurScores

Old Pick-Up Trucks and Bumper Stickers

9/4/2017

Y’all know….Momma Bears love us some Diane Ravitch. Even when she is controversial and we don’t exactly see eye-to-eye, she still makes us think.

In her recent blog, Diane writes about an old pick-up truck at the gas station with a bunch of bumper stickers. She has something to say about the grizzled old man driving the truck, his house, his yard, his bumper stickers, and his choice of political candidates. Then, she asks what we think about it.

This is what one Momma Bear from Tennessee thinks…

In Tennessee, we see lots of grizzled old men driving beat-up old trucks. A few of us Momma Bears may even be related to them. Heck, we might even be driving our own pick-ups with Trump stickers. Or we might be protesting Trump and bashing him on social media. Momma Bears are universal. We’re from all different walks of life. We’re moms, dads, grandparents, activists, pacifists, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, TEA party, Green party, no party. We are teachers. We are black. We are white. We are all races and nationalities. We are loved. We are hated. We are praised and we are castigated. But above all else, we fight for our children!!

Until you advocate for children, you never truly realize how many people put aside their personal beliefs and politics to join together on issues affecting children. It doesn't take long to realize that when we join together to fight for our children, it is a powerful thing. We have stopped voucher legislation for years in Tennessee because Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, and Liberals have all joined efforts to protect public education. TEA Party Conservatives and Left-Wing Liberals have all stood shoulder to shoulder against Common Core and its abusive testing regime. We are still fighting that fight and we expect to win it.

Remember what you told us, Diane?

You said: "We are many, they are few. …Let us strive for excellence and insist on equity….We shall persist and we shall prevail."

You taught us that if we stood together against rich, powerful people then we could beat them and save our schools.

There are lots of people in Tennessee who live in tumble-down houses with over grown lawns and dirty windows. We have lots of momma bears who can tell you that it’s hard to keep the grass mowed and windows clean when you are struggling to put food on the table. With almost a quarter of our children living below the poverty line, plenty of Tennesseans depend on public assistance to feed and educate their children.

We know that causes resentment. Some resent paying for it, other resent having to live on it. And maybe, there are even a few of us who resent the opinions of those in poverty. We dismiss them as ignorant or mislead when they do not agree with us. We'll be the first to admit that it hurts and frustrates us as Momma Bears to devote so much of our time to fighting for public education only to be pitted against other moms who think we are somehow against them. They fight us thinking that we are trying to take away their rights for school choice when we oppose vouchers and other privatization efforts.

But in this country, everyone gets a vote regardless of their socio-economic level or education. No matter where we live or what we drive, we all get an opportunity to vote. And everyone’s vote counts the same whether they are rich, poor, or somewhere in the middle. It doesn’t matter if you graduated from a public school, private prep school, or dropped out of school because we all have the same right to vote. And we not only have the ability to vote for our choice of candidate but we can let the world know who we support through our political speech be it on a bumper sticker or a blog.

Sadly, somewhere along the way, our political free speech stopped being about convincing others to see our point of view and became more of an moniker announcing which side we are on. Some Tennesseans voted for Hillary, most voted for Trump. But the overwhelming majority didn’t vote at all. And therein, lies the problem. We have created a political system where the majority of people either don’t like their voting choices or think their vote doesn't matter. Can you blame us? We live in one of the poorest states in the country, yet we have the richest governor. We see the inequity of power and wealth in our everyday lives. We know the absolute rage of being powerless to stop very wealthy people from hurting our children and pitting mother against mother.

As Momma Bears, we should direct our rage to those in power, not those who voted them into office. We know that the very best ways to express your political views are to run for office, donate your time & money to those candidates who share your beliefs, and above all else—BE AN INFORMED VOTER!!!

It is for our children’s sake that we do not fall into the trap of playing team politics where we divide all our friends, acquaintances, and peers into teams of people who are either “with us or against us.” We can not allow ourselves to slug it out on social media— getting points for insults, and likes for rudeness. We can not play this game where no one wins. A game where most people sit on the sidelines. Some watching for entertainment sake, and others not paying attention at all.

We must continue to unify and educate, not only for the sake of our children but also as an example to them. We need to teach the next generation that sometimes, we must put aside our personal opinions to work together for all the things we need to make our schools great so that every child has access to high quality public education in their neighborhood:

Less emphasis on standardized testing
More opportunities for enrichment
Smaller class sizes
Curriculum driven by teachers
Protections for student data
Public accountability for education funds

Does the "P" in PTA stand for "Peyton Place?"

4/26/2017

Former GA PTA Leaders Tell-All

“The local [PTA] units in good faith are sending their membership dues thinking it is going to children’s programs and it is going to hotel rooms at the Hilton for board meetings, meals at the meetings and sending people to national conventions. The convention has become their summer vacation.”—Former GA PTA Board Member

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.

A former member of the Georgia PTA Board of Directors had this to say about PTA Dues:

“The local [PTA] units in good faith are sending their membership dues thinking it is going to children’s programs and it is going to hotel rooms at the Hilton for board meetings, meals at the meetings and sending people to national conventions. The convention has become their summer vacation.”

GA PTA Partners with Varagesale to Raise $400K

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.

In 2012, NPTA Bullies State PTAs on Charter School Stance

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.

The Incredibly Shrinking PTA

"Any stand we take is decided by membership ... It's not made by staff, not made in Washington. It's made by the grass roots."—Former NPTA President Betsy Landers in 2012

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:

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.

Little Billy Goes to the Doctor

4/19/2017

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

PTA on Testing… how the "P" goes from "Parent" to "Paid"

4/18/2017

Some PTAs Want Out...

Word has gotten out that the schools in Germantown Municipal School District are considering leaving PTA to form PTOs. No big surprise there. Most schools in Tennessee left PTA a long time ago. Even the newly slated PTA President-Elect for Tennessee PTA is a PTO mom from Williamson County.

(Oh, we know, the PTA loyalists will claim she is a PTA Mom because she sits on the State PTA Board and was the State PTA President in Wisconsin but in Tennessee, her kid went to Page High School and that's a PTO school.)

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.

Oh, Honey!! Didn't you know the PTA can be Vicious?

Well, you know those NY PTA Momma Bears were going to protect their children no matter what, with or without a PTA resolution. After all, the Opt-Out movement was born on Long Island. So, the PTA then pulled out some really big guns to use against these moms.

If you take blood pressure medicine...now, would be a good time to take your pills.

A NY PTA official began threatening PTA parents with Child Protective Services if they opted their children out of high stakes testing. It's true. The ultimate in threats. The PTA supported putting children in state custody if their moms didn't force them to endure nine hours of state testing about talking pineapples.

WOW!! We couldn't make this stuff up.

"Many of the locals PTAs have been willing to educate parents on the problems of high-stakes testing. They have been active members in the Opt Out movement. However other local leaders seem fearful to stand up against New York State PTA’s support of high stakes testing and the Common Core. The last straw was when New York State PTA coordinator Bob Aloise went around to local PTAs to tell parents that Opt Out was illegal and that Child Protective Services (CPS) could be called if they kept their children home from the tests. We were flabbergasted that an organization dedicated to the welfare of children would spread such nonsense clearly intended to frighten parents.”

Just in case, you had any doubts: THE PTA OPPOSES OPT-OUT!

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.

National PTA does not believe that opting out is an effective strategy to address the frustration over testing. Mass opt-out comes at a real cost to the goals of educational equity and individual student achievement.

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!!

PTA Pushed the Common Core Agenda All the Way to the Bank

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.

When PTA Leaders Don't have Children in Public Schools...

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?

A Knoxville Teacher Speaks Out on TNReady Testing

4/18/2017

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.

Listen to Dr. MacTavish:

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.

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.

8 Reasons to OPT OUT:

Testing has become a BILLION dollar industry.

As taxpayers, you should be very upset that your taxes are used for the above mentioned radio ads and fancy tri-folds. Your tax dollars have been promised to test companies to write and manufacture tests (and I mean millions of dollars here in TN alone) that may not even align with the curriculum being taught. Just think of how those dollars could be spent if used in our classrooms.

Do you know who is creating these tests?

If you said no, then it's time to invest in a quick Google search to see that the tests are not being designed by educators. As a matter of fact, TN teachers' expertise is not being used to create these assessments because we have outsourced test questions from other states and at the hands of people who have never stepped foot in a classroom.

What's the purpose of the tests? Do you know?

Our legislatures are quick to "sell" the public with the thought that the results of these tests are used to help teachers improve their teaching. According to the Knox County Schools website, this year's assessment results will not be disclosed to teachers until mid-fall semester of next school year. That's 9 weeks into a school year.

Ironically, the current teacher evaluation program in TN (TEAM) requires that teachers provide frequent and immediate feedback to students. It's unfortunate the same idea does not apply regarding feedback for teachers.

We are simply labeling students using a "one size fits all" assessment.

Differentiation is a component of effective teaching. As teachers, it is an expectation that we approach each student individually by adjusting our teaching to meet the student's needs.

But, at the end of the school year, we are being required to assess each student with the same (standardized) tests. The same tests that fail to assess students' creativity, diversity, and socio-economic status.

Teachers are evaluated using test scores. I just can't say enough about how wrong this is for our profession.

Politicians approach this as a method of ensuring accountability, and while I certainly believe that accountability measures are appropriate in education, this is not the responsible approach. Teachers still have to teach the kid who goes home to an empty house, the kid who did not have a meal all weekend, the kid who stays up most the night hearing his parents fight, the kid who is the product of an environment that does not value education. To think, that is it fair that we assess the quality of our teachers based on the results of tests taken by children whose lives outside of the classroom we cannot control, is an avoidance of the very problems our children face day in and out. These tests put a bull's eye on our teachers and teachers are expected to take responsibility for every minute of the child's day. I propose that we refocus our priorities and invest in our children's lives, not just their test scores.

An additional caveat that lends itself to a quick Google search— teacher attrition is being fed by this testing culture. Should our focus not be on keeping the ones who are invested in the classroom with our children? Instead, we are pushing effective teachers out and having a difficult time of recruiting future teachers.

Tests scores from unreliable tests are being used as a percentage of students' grades.

How is it fair for an elementary school child to take a test that results in 10% of their semester grade? This is a more realistic expectation for a high school student earning college credits, but not an 8 year old.

The use of scores for grades is punitive and irresponsible. Our children are exceedingly more than data points of a graph. They have so much more to offer than can be deemed from bubbles filled in on a score sheet.

The planning, preparation and use of high stakes testing takes away valuable instruction time from our teachers and children.

Over the next two weeks, our elementary students will spend 195 minutes taking five tests. While 3.25 hours may not seem like a lot, remember, you are an adult.

These kids are placed in an articifical "learning" environment where they are timed, banned from talking with peers, and not allowed to ask questions. These are the very practices that teachers avoid and now teachers are forced to subject our children to this environment.

Testing shrinks the breadth of the curriculum.

As the spouse of a band director, I have had the pleasure of watching students mentally and emotionally grow as a result of exposure to music. With the current focus on subject specific tests, courses such as music, art, physical education, health, technology, etc. are limited.

Too often, it is those class times that are used to prepare students for test, hold assemblies to discuss testing procedures, and make room for additional time in testing subject classes. As a parent, I can truthfully say that having a well-rounded child who excels in both math and music is my goal.

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Please, Please SHARE THE BEAR on Social Media

She Will Fight for Charters & Choice...

Nuts & Bolts, We Got Screwed!!

“TNReady’s not ready and it ain’t never gonna be ready"—Amy Cate, Retired Knox County Teacher

More Spilled Beans...

Recently, a Tennessee Teacher had this to say about TNReady

This teacher warns that testing protocols were breached

Others agree that procedures were not followed

And there are problems with the paper test too

Call For Action

Make it Stop, please… end this torture of our kids

Thank You...

TAKE ACTION NOW!!!!!

What's the definition of insanity?

Time to Act!!

3rd time is the harm uh, charm

Less Moms Means More Astro Turf Groups

Hey Betsy!! Don't "DeVostate Tennessee Schools!!!

This is what one Momma Bear from Tennessee thinks…

Former GA PTA Leaders Tell-All

​A former member of the Georgia PTA Board of Directors had this to say about PTA Dues:

In 2012, NPTA Bullies State PTAs on Charter School Stance

The Incredibly Shrinking PTA

Some PTAs Want Out...

Oh, Honey!! Didn't you know the PTA can be Vicious?

Just in case, you had any doubts: THE PTA OPPOSES OPT-OUT!

PTA Pushed the Common Core Agenda All the Way to the Bank

When PTA Leaders Don't have Children in Public Schools...

Listen to Dr. MacTavish:

8 Reasons to OPT OUT:

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“TNReady’s not ready and it ain’t never gonna be ready"
—Amy Cate, Retired Knox County Teacher

A former member of the Georgia PTA Board of Directors had this to say about PTA Dues: