The Caucus of Working Educators Opt Out Philly movement is growing with educators, parents and concerned citizens coming together and refusing teaching to a test. August 14th , 2015 Home and School President Shakeda Gaines hosted a table at the school district of philadelphia E Day back to school event. Shakeda mentioned at our meeting that she was printing copies of an opt out letter to give to parents. myself and members of opt out philly volunteered to assist Shakeda during E Day. Parents were informed about their right to opt their youth out of test designed to fail us. We gave the letters to the parents and told them to fill out the letter and give to school principal or take to 440 N. Broad St..
Parents were receptive to the information we were sharing about test scores from May being cut in July because of common core. Our parents felt as if we were being set up to fail and upset that the test means nothing as far as what our students are learning. Parents expressed the need for support when advocating for their families. Support with resources and when dealing with administrators who may try to intimidate parents. We are working on building parent support and hope to have a parent co-op during test week. we can use our access cards to visit museums and create other fun educational activities during test week.
Parents can get more involved by attending our retreat and help plan for shaping what we want to see in public education. i have joined the Nurse Leadership group to advocate for the end of outsourcing our school nurse and return nurses in each school. We are planning to meet
Friday August 28
6200 Block of N. Fairhill Street
(near 5th and Godfrey)
please let me know if you can join us: aliciadorsey2@gmail.com
we need to connect with the Latino community also.
August 20th parents and i are meeting at 1:30 at little jimmies germantown and phil ellena to discuss a parent radio show and next steps for african american parents and educators. be great if you could join us!! we have one parent who will be discussing title 1, another parent who is also an educator and blogs for the examiner.
please attend our retreat on the 23rd of August, please check on facebook for the invite. https://www.facebook.com/events/704141983063617/
you can visit www.workingeducators.org/opt_out for sample opt out letter and you don't have to use religious beliefs, under federal law parents can refuse the test no matter what.
the education revolution is going down, we spoke to several hundred parents at E Day, and they are on board!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/
In Chicago Parents are on a hunger strike to get back their schools!!
Parents were receptive to the information we were sharing about test scores from May being cut in July because of common core. Our parents felt as if we were being set up to fail and upset that the test means nothing as far as what our students are learning. Parents expressed the need for support when advocating for their families. Support with resources and when dealing with administrators who may try to intimidate parents. We are working on building parent support and hope to have a parent co-op during test week. we can use our access cards to visit museums and create other fun educational activities during test week.
Parents can get more involved by attending our retreat and help plan for shaping what we want to see in public education. i have joined the Nurse Leadership group to advocate for the end of outsourcing our school nurse and return nurses in each school. We are planning to meet
Friday August 28
6200 Block of N. Fairhill Street
(near 5th and Godfrey)
please let me know if you can join us: aliciadorsey2@gmail.com
we need to connect with the Latino community also.
August 20th parents and i are meeting at 1:30 at little jimmies germantown and phil ellena to discuss a parent radio show and next steps for african american parents and educators. be great if you could join us!! we have one parent who will be discussing title 1, another parent who is also an educator and blogs for the examiner.
please attend our retreat on the 23rd of August, please check on facebook for the invite. https://www.facebook.com/events/704141983063617/
you can visit www.workingeducators.org/opt_out for sample opt out letter and you don't have to use religious beliefs, under federal law parents can refuse the test no matter what.
the education revolution is going down, we spoke to several hundred parents at E Day, and they are on board!!
Send in opt out letters early in the year and reclaim more time for real teaching and learning!
"But if too few students take the tests, the exams cannot be used in a teacher’s evaluation. In districts like New York Mills, and in large swaths of Long Island, the test-refusal epicenter, that is sure to be an issue.
Ms. Deutermann said that this coming school year, she and other opt-out organizers hoped to harness that, to get parents to commit to refusing the test early in the year so teachers could know in advance that the results were unlikely to affect their evaluations.
“Opting out the week before the test, the teacher still test preps throughout the year,” she said. “From the first day of school, we want teachers to know the test has no bearing on them.”
The whole article here:
This video blows away the notion that Opt Out and Refusal is a middle class, suburban movement. Philly parents know what's going on and they want to protect their kids from tests that narrow the curriculum, waste time, and make special needs kids completely demoralized.
ReplyDeletei don't know where the notion that African and Latino American parents don't care about our youths education. we have been advocating since the beginning and have been ignored. We are working to build platforms that shows the voice of the most vulnerable in our communities!! #parentsunite #stopcommoncore #nationaloptout #phillyoptout #redhenexploring2015
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