BATs Send Letter to Pres. Obama Regarding Testing Action Plan!
The
Badass Teachers Association and the members of the BATs Quality of Work Life
Team would like to thank both the President and the USDOE for acknowledging
that our public education system has a test fixation. Prior to NCLB and RTTT, the public education
system was focused on improvement, reflective practice and classroom
innovation. We do NOT deny a need to address inequities in education most
significantly those that impact poverty stricken communities across our nation,
but the current test fixation policy does not do that. There is enormous
funding inequity which cannot be fixed by imposing high stakes testing. Your
New Testing Plan, though obviously in the planning for many months, does not
tackle the single most significant issue affecting student performance, poverty
and funding inequities. Test scores generated by non practitioners, like
corporations such as Pearson, do not provide a measure of student educational
progress, but do give us a clear indicator of schools struggling with funding
inequity and poverty. It is important to
note that you do not have to label every poverty stricken child in this country
a FAILURE to identify funding inequities in school accountability.
Test
fixation has created a systemic dichotomy that provides profit for corporations
and nothing substantial for teachers and students. The BAT/AFT survey revealed
the catastrophic impact on the work environment of teachers, which is a
student's learning environment. These are a direct result of the RTTT policies
instituted by the Obama administration as over 89% of educators reported their
feelings about their job have changed in the past 5 years. The toxic testing
reported in the USDOE Report does not call for a reduction in testing it calls
for a cease and desist of the current policies. The results of that study in
concert with the BAT/AFT study reveal a national crisis imposed on this
nation's children and teaching profession by those have never taught in public schools and many
who never attended public schools. The fixation of annual testing that is
coupled with teacher accountability continues in the NEW TESTING PLAN.
WHAT
THE NEW TESTING PLAN DOES NOT FIX:
According
to our Quality of Work Life Survey
- 52% of teachers report that they
are not provided autonomy in decision making
- 62% report lack of mentoring
programs
- not allowed to take part in making
decisions that affect our work. 43% report rarely or never another 43%
report sometimes
- do not trust my school
administrator and/or supervisor.49% disagree
- My administrator or supervisor
provides sufficient opportunities for me to be involved in
decision-making, problem solving, and goal setting at school. 57% Disagree
- There are not enough staff members
at my school to get all the necessary work done. 77% agree
- In a typical week, how much time
do you spend on school work before or after normal school hours? More than
5 hours 47%
- After a typical work day, I have
enough time to relax or pursue activities that I enjoy. 72% disagree
- Over the course of your career,
has your time outside normal school hours devoted to school work...? 65%
increased
- 51% say the physical condition of
their schools are Fair to poor only 5% responded excellent. We are the
wealthiest nation on the planet and only 5% of our respondents call their
schools excellent
What is the source of workplace stress for you?
- Uncertain job expectations 47%
- Fear of job loss 32%
- Lack of participation in
decision-making 40%
- Adoption of new initiatives
without proper training or professional development 71%
Academic literature has identified several factors that may
cause stress in the workplace.
- Time pressure 77% most
days/everyday
- Lack of opportunity to use rest
facilities 45%most days/everyday
- Large class size 52%most
days/everyday
- Mandated curriculum 61%most days/everyday
- Standardized testing *59%most
days/everyday
- Data gathering 55%
- During the past 30 days, my mental
health (including stress, depression, and problems with emotions) was not
good for about: 62% 3 or more days (26% 9 or more days)
- 72% of respondents had a Master's
degree or higher
Almost
¾ of public educators have earned advanced degrees in education. This generally
lower paid workforce, wants to do all they can for children. Why wouldn't these
highly qualified, highly educated, classroom practitioners be the perfect
source to create a national education plan? Why can't they create tests? Why
aren't they included in your plan? The answer is simple, they don't make enough
money to get a seat at the political table and they do not have the “political”
clout you need to push through policy.
Yet, they are one of this nation's biggest untapped resources. The plan
calls for a reliance ONCE AGAIN ON NON PRACTITIONERS! Educators across the
country have been devalued by this administration's policies. This is an
opportunity to correct course.
When
public school educators sit down to problem solve they focus on what is best
for the children. Unlike testing companies, we put children before dollars. We
do not focus on what drives profits for corporation. These corporations that
the current administration is relying upon have a conflict of interest! The
American people, especially parents, are well aware of this conflict of
interest and nationwide Opt Out numbers will continue to rise until this
administration recognizes this important fact.
The
“assessment experts” your administration has identified are those connected to
privatization and profiteering. The dismal truth of testing is the tests
themselves are not measuring anything reliable.
Let's
address the States that were made an example of in your release.
Public
Education practitioners have responded from the states that have been
referenced in the Action Plan. Here is their feedback:
In
response to your statements on Florida; Florida BATs had this to say:
“Getting
rid of local final exams merely eliminates individuality in the classroom.
Tying graduation to a statewide or nationwide test, especially one that is not
developed by educational professionals with classroom experience and a deep
understanding of childhood development, denies the validity of some very
specific facts – that instruction should be geared to meet the needs of the
students, that different communities have different needs, that students are
individuals, that there is more to a successful educational career than just
passing a test. the tests that are necessary to drive instruction, tests with
immediate feedback.”
“Don't
fall for these lies. Duval County has reduced MANDATED testing. So far this
year I have already been pressured to give an un-mandated district assessment-
Biology Q1 assessment. There was another one given earlier in the quarter that
the district coaches also tried to pressure me into giving but it was too close
to the deadline to make it happen.
This
is how these conversations go:
(This
is usually in either a PLC meeting or the district-wide monthly science
meeting.)
"We
have created an assessment that covers this unit/topic/quarter. It was created
for our turnaround schools to provide essential data. We think it would be a
very valuable assessment for you as well. We think it will be especially
helpful in regards to developing FCIM lessons."
My
usual response (or the group's response):
"We
have a few concerns. First of all, we would have to be ensured access to a testing
room since this is online. We also do not find data from district assessments
to be particularly useful due to the errors/flaws that have existed almost
every year and the fact that we are not allowed to view the questions EVER. So
we have no clue which questions the students had trouble with, only if they did
poorly on a standard. Additionally, most students do not take district
assessments seriously unless it is an end of course exam."
Reply
from district or school admin:
"We can assure you the questions are valid as they were
written by the district science coaches. (Then why were there flaws in the
past?) I will request that the testing coordinator schedule you all in to
administer this assessment. You can do what some other teachers are doing and count
the assessment as a grade if you think that will motivate students to actually
try on the test."
Rebuttal: "What will happen if we
don't administer this exam?"Response from school admin: "The principal will likely have to explain why the school did not administer the exam. I will be asked to defend the decision for the Biology PLC. Remember the Biology PLC is already viewed as uncooperative."
The outcome of course if that we end up giving the district assessment. So we aren't required to give the assessments anymore but we are bullied. Oh and we are uncooperative because we question everything-like true scientists.”
“In Manatee County I counted 40 days of testing. District mid-term and quarterly benchmarks, twice yearly writing and the invalid FSA. Must stop the madness.
My seventh grade students take the following: either the ReadiStep or a substitute for it, 2 practice essays before the FSA writing test, 2 FAIR tests before the FSA reading test, 3 "highly suggested" formatives in Civics before the EOC in Civics, 3 formatives in math before the math FSA, and 3 formatives in Science. This doesn't include any tests from their electives. If a student has reading as an elective, add four more reading formatives. I'm sorry, did you say "reduce testing?" Haven't seen it.”
The
statements on New Mexico garnered these responses from New Mexico BATs:
“two
years ago I tested third graders in Mountainaire, NM BOY, MOY, EOY tests. Each
round took about two hours for reading / Lang. arts so that is 12 hours. Then
DIBELS twice monthly. Only moments per kid, but times 22 kids...Discovery test
end of year and that was a full week. “This year in another rural district in
NM I am crazy testing 4 th graders. Same B,M, and End of year tests, Bi monthly
test (CSA) in both reading/ language and math ( which we create and the
creation takes us two hours) and these CSA take about two hours for the slowest
to finish. Then we will have SBA science in April and PARCC in March/April. I
figured 11% of my instruction time is spent in testing strategies, prep, and or
the actual test and wait (you know, the everyone sit in the crappy energy
computer lab, absorb all that electronic yuck for two more hours while the
slowest kid finishes the test). I think that is my answer....to my knowledge
11% of the Time in testing”
“This
is a marketing ploy... when someone does a 500% markup, and then takes 5% off,
they claim they're offering a discount. Consumer beware.”
“ a
test takes 45 minutes, but it requires 3 hours to pull that off. During the
PARCC testing last March and April our high school students and teachers
suffered through a crazy schedule with 180-minute periods for weeks at a time.
Field trips were prohibited. We were all held hostage, even students who
weren't tested. Seems to me like we are using more of these tests than ever!”
“I
teach a non testing grade, my students were on basic lock down during the first
round of PARCC testing with lasted 2 weeks. Lunch in our rooms loss of use of
the computer lab, art, PE and recess. The next round was a bit better able to
use the cafeteria and have art but no computer lab and it still lasted 2 weeks.
That was just for PARCC! We test 4 times a year for "short cycle"
which takes nearly 2 weeks each time, then there is the DIBELS testing, which
is every 2 weeks for some, once a month for others and every one 2x between
bench mark windows. Benchmark windows are 4 times a year. Oh and don't forget
the DRA assessments. Does it sound like testing is being reduced?”
“This
is a crock. Learners need consistency and having a month or two of disruptions
to our schedule is harmful to student learning.”
“I am
a first-grade teacher here in Albuquerque. My whole life is basically one big
testing window on a bullshit assessment called the DIBELS. Each and every week
I am "progress-monitoring" students of varying levels, one-on-one, on
a stupid iPad while the rest of my class is left to their own devices. For the
beginning of year assessment, many teachers in the city had to get subs to
cover their classes for two days just so we could test and not ignore kids who
had only been in first grade for a few days! During the PARRC test, children in
grades K-2 are basically told to shut up in the hallways so the older kids can
test. We lose things like PE, music, art, library, technology lab, etc., so
that this test can take center stage! It is DISGUSTING. I have opted my 12-year
old son out of it all. Our secretary of education in this state is LIAR and
she, like the governor, is a corporate plant who wants to privatize education.
I am one of MANY veteran teachers who has been labeled as
"ineffective" based on corporate tests on which impoverished children
do not perform well.”
“Please
show this to the USDOE! It is an image of 2,500+ postcards signed by
Albuquerque teachers in protest of OVERTESTING, underfunding, denigration by an
unfair evaluation system, etc. And of course it didn't make to local news even
though it took place at our state capitol!”
In New
York
The
testing fixation resulted in over 240K parents opting their children out of
testing, a teacher shortage, 140 schools identified to be put in receivership,
massive protests which has caused the NY Governor to convene yet another
commission. The massive uprising in New
York State by parents has also forced the Chancellor of Regents to not seek
another term and the former Commissioner (who will be Acting USDOE Secretary)
to resign.
Here
are Comments from North Carolina BATS
on the USDOE announcement:
“This
let me know deals are / were made to somehow rebrand the former education
state's plummet to the worst state in education status.”
“Have
we actually seen this report? Do we know who the researchers are? Did they tell
us how to alleviate the burdens?”
“And
who is on the Task Force? I certainly haven't seen a reduction of testing time
or the burden of it in third grade. It's the opposite!”
“That
whole thing is BS and if the USDOE is using NC as a model then they have no
intention of making any real changes.”
“I
have no idea about k-3, but I do know in CMS high school students take the
PLAN, PSAT, ACT. They take a state final exam in every course that is used to
evaluate teachers. There is a focus on testing Testing testing in CMS. There is
a push in some schools that all teachers teach the same thing in the same way
on the same day so that the kids get the same instruction in the same format
and score the same scores. We know this doesn't work, but there is a push from
administrators in this direction and that push comes from outside the school
building. I watched a testing admin chasing kids down to get them to take the PLAN
so the school would hit 95%. I do not get that! Why would you want a kid who is
recovering from a concussion to take a standardized test just to meet a
number...but she was following the directions of the state and that is that 95%
of the student body must be tested or you fall below expectations and receive a
or rating by the state. They are going to have to make huge changes to
alleviate the focus of testing here!”
“I
have a medically fragile, nonverbal child with SMA I, very severe and resembles
ALS once all movement is lost. He is in public school homebound services. he
cannot talk, cannot sit up, cannot move his hands. He is learning to talk
through eye gaze on a tobii machine, but has not mastered this yet. We applied
to get him exempted from 3rd grade EOC last year with two letters from doctors.
It got denied. We appealed twice and finally got it approved. Testing my son
would seriously take 3 weeks due to the efforts it takes. Then you have to
think about how are you going to answer easing questions? He can tell you when
to turn the page with a cry and can use eye gaze to point to an answer, but the
amount of time all this takes and then looking back in the text, how was that
going to work. When we got the first denial I asked them if I could just opt
out. Their response, if you do he will fail 3rd grade. Considering we all feel
the grace of God with every day, I almost said okay, but he is a twin and needs
to stay with his sister so that when he does get to go to school he goes to a
class that knows him and he has an friend. So the choice was wait and see if we
get the approval or if not he has to take this test. Very frustrating for
mother and the school staff!”
It is
apparent that there is a disconnect between the information the administration
is spinning and the reality of what is occurring in classrooms across this
nation. Our organization has a strong pulse on the daily reality of what is
occurring in public schools across the nation.
We hope you will provide us a voice in the coming months and bring
members of Badass teachers Association and the Quality of Work Life Team, to
discuss how to affect positive changes in our public schools. We want to be
part of the discussion on the New Testing plan. We are aware that we may not
tell you what you want to hear, but we promise to always be honest and open as
we speak from the very “heart” of teachers, parents and children. These are the
voices missing in your administrations public education policy.
I don't see my family. I am under so much stress that I am getting short of breath and I am starting to have pains in my chest at age 38.
ReplyDeleteI have been placed on the insidiously named, "growth plan," because the NMPED used the same test score from 3 years ago in my VAS multiple times. I have so many obligations through the evaluation system, that I don't know how I will meet them all. I also never seem to have time to teach.
I know that these circumstances are affecting my health, but I don't want to stop teaching and I am not sure what to do. I am concerned about my wife and daughters if something happens to me.