The law is set in stone. Parents have first rights to their children’s education. Their child is not a test subject for Pearson or any other corporate entity. Their child is not a test subject for the U.S. Department of Education. Their child is their child.
The principle problem with the entire Common Core Doctrine, is their test. Their test is the weak link. Their test is their undoing. If one has a child who goes through the curriculum, they can emerge unscathed as long as they don’t get stuck in taking the test.
We know that the tests are made so children fail… That is such an odd concept to grasp, isn’t it?. Growing up we were never given tests we’d have no choice but to fail. We may have failed them, but back then, it was our fault; not the fault of a major American corporation. Today, It is different.
Very different.
In New York a movement is growing among parents to send the tests back. In Delaware, any parent can opt out their child from taking the test.
Critical mass is to get 51% of children opting out of the Delaware test; that should be every parent’s goal. Acknowledge these tests are designed by the test makers to fail children like yours. Time to start spreading the word. Delaware’s parents can opt out of the test and your child will not feel the negative effects of common core…. If a whole class opts out, I guess the teachers can’t be evaluated either? nor the administrators? nor the districts?
“Tis a consumation devoutly to be wished…” to not hurt Delaware’s children… as someone who was NOT Common Core educated, once said…..
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October 3, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Elizabeth
Kavips – Critical Mass is not 51%. It’s 6%. DOE cannot calculate AYP for any school that tests less than 95% of their enrollment. Their rules, not mine. But, I’ll take them.
Additionally, Delawareans have limited avenues through which they appropriately opt out. And if one doesn’t fit the criteria, such opt out is an unsanctioned act of civil disobedience.
October 3, 2013 at 4:32 pm
kavips
Thanks for the info. My 51% goal was politically motivated. a goal set to steer policy quickly.
We may need a court challenge on the opt out designations…. Parents should be in control, and somewhere up the appeal’s process, there would be judge, either conservative or progressive who would agree..
October 3, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Elizabeth
hah, there is no appeal process. If the Department of Education fails to recognize the educational parental directive of opting out, the onus of hiring a lawyer and suing for a right that is otherwise constitutionally guaranteed and has already been affirmed in case law and which should supersede any state-enacted law/code/regulation will be upon the parents. The prevailing mentality is that ACLU may be a source of representation but until we push it and really become the 6% we can only guess at the Delaware chapter’s interest.
If we can reach 6% in even one school, it will force the legislative hand to address the issue, if it doesn’t land in the judicial arena first. Of note – In NY, if a parent opts out the test receives a handwritten code and score of 999. NY has acknowledged parent directive.
October 3, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Peggy Robertson
We have written a Delaware opt out guide – find it at our website under the “opt out guides by state” at http://www.unitedoptout.com . Refuse the test!
Peggy Robertson
http://www.pegwithpen.com
http://www.unitedoptout.com
October 3, 2013 at 11:03 pm
kavips
Thanks… will check it out. Thanks for the link to your blog.
As a coach, do you get access to Common Core teaching materials?
October 3, 2013 at 11:06 pm
John Young
Elizabeth, the DOE CAN calculate AYP with 6% opt-out. It will fail AYP even if every child in the school who takes the test answer 100% questions 100% correctly.
October 5, 2013 at 11:08 am
Elizabeth
You are correct, John, that AYP could be calculated and if it is, the school will likely be branded a failure. But, how can the DOE rebut the message – the school failed not b/c of the test scores, but b/c the parents of the students refused the test. that is the proper narrative.
October 5, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Joanne Christian
Not to mention, before it even hits 6% one CELL of instructional class designation can tank an entire school–that cell is often a collection of outliers to a school’s bell-shaped demographic, often an abberancy of enrollment that year. Great way to demoralize a building, polarize a district and feeding patterns, AND promulgate misleading propaganda to what are rather high performing smaller schools in relation to our northern neighbors, enjoying the exodus of “our sky is falling” mentality…..where the sky isn’t any different up there…..just statistically embedded and cloaked.
But hey, CC is here for now. At least let’s get in front of the game w/ the capability of data mining, and recent changes to FERPA. Talk about NSA?That’s for the adults kavips….it will be working backwards now w/ our kids’ school info. etc. (oh sure right now they say of course not……they would never……) Three times this year my child came home and asked how much money do we make? And three times I asked where/who’s asking?Everytime–it was another test–or survey–or interest inventory. Since when? New FERPA changes, CC, third party privilege w/o consent, etc…
Oh great, a kid by the time they are 12 will be practically tattooed w/ informatic DNA–ruling out who knows what chance of anything “recessive” to bloom? No surprise.
Meanwhile, I’m going to go listen to Beverley Eakman on the data mining potential (cough, cough)–she’s here October 15th. From there, maybe then “opt out” may look a little more furtive in my little corner. Anybody want a link for her October speaking engagement? It’s free.
October 5, 2013 at 2:57 pm
kavips
I’m curious. How does one cell of outliers tank an entire school. How much of a score drop, or non-attendance are we discussing here? Perhaps you have a link?
October 5, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Elizabeth
Peggy Robertson, I’ve read your work and I am already speaking with one of your colleagues.
Joanne, I find that Common Core exists independently from high stakes testing. Yes, one can feed the other. But, one also presents a battle that could be fought and won on behalf of those who do not want to subject their children to the damage incurred in a high-stakes testing environment – a mechanism for parental directive similar to New York and PA – while the other is war for which the majority-minority has not yet devised a winning strategy/campaign.
Today, I’ll fight for what I think I can win.
October 6, 2013 at 10:47 am
Elizabeth
Kavips, It’s official. Our family informed our schools of our personal decision to protect our children from high stakes testing. The mechanics are in the letter here, http://elizabethscheinberg.blogspot.com/2013/10/national-opt-out-movement-reaches.html
July 6, 2014 at 5:42 pm
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