“If they are encouraged to opt out of the Standardized Testing because it is what is best for the child then why not opt out of all testing because it is stressful and there is not reliability or validity in subject matter testing? ” Attributed to Mike Barbieri…

It is the rolling argument syndrome…. which is effective since the human brain is only capable of hearing the first and last of each sentence…. So when received by the human ear it comes across as something like this:

“If they are encouraged to opt out………………………… no validity in subject matter testing…..”

“What?”, say ill informed legislators.  “No validity in testing?  We can’t have that.”…

But that is not the point of opting out… In fact, the entire reason for opting out is based on one single test, (since there are two versions, PAARC and the Smarter Balanced we should now simplify our language and start calling them the “Common Core tests”. For that is what they are.).

The entire reason for opting out of this test as you yourself allude, is because has been deemed to be harmful to children…..  That is it.  This test is harmful to children….  it impinges upon their educational time; it creates stress at ages where college-level stress should not be felt; it punishes Blacks, Hispanics, and hillbillies… all of which speak an accepted version of English, but none of who learned from birth the Germanic roots upon which this entire test is based…… it draws a line between success and failure, that mirrors exactly the income levels of each child’s parents.  It fails to test what each child has learned.  It is inferior to tests given by teachers in each class which are now no longer given because all energy must be spent on these tests.  It steals scarce dollar resources away from education budgets everywhere, which could be used to better education if we’d just allow teachers to give out our child’s tests, and not pay some Corporation having their hand out…..

So as to the Honorable Barbieri’s motives for completely dismissing the entire problems this test can cause for children, wiping those away with the sweep of a hand, pretending they don’t exist,, and focus on some spurious argument saying that sometimes you have to do really bad things to kids so the greater good is enhanced… (that apparent good solely being money funneled back into politicians pockets next election cycle; there is no other.)…. well you can decide for yourselves if they are based on ignorance…(Barbieri: read this! (it’s grown so nobody reads it anymore; they just scroll down to the very bottom and go “DAAAMMMNNN” under their breath)) or based on some other ill tendency of human beings whenever they get their hands on power…  The motives should not be a concern, but the results should….

Allow me to put Barbieri’s comments in perspective…

A>  If we encourage Jews to opt out of being shoveled into railroad cars headed for Buchenwald because it is what is best for them, why not opt out all passenger service because it is stressful and there is not reliability or validity  anymore in rail travel.

B>  If we encourage teen age children to opt out of being  forced to join suicide packs to maintain their social status because it is what is best for them, why not opt out all contracts or agreements that are both enjoined by business and legal departments, just because it is stressful and there is no reliability or validity in any legal arrangement anymore.

C>  If we encourage Blacks and Hispanics to opt out of their legal right to a trial by jury, in order to cut down on court time and wear and tear on the Judicial system, why not opt everyone out of court dates and just decide all justice by flipping a coin?

Each of these ridiculous examples has the same form, structure, and most of the same words as Barbieri’s rather bizarre statement… All have very harmful effects as are those being suffered by children taking this one single test….. All of them make no more sense than what Barbieri is alleged to have written.

There are two questions that should have  popped into everyone’s head upon reading this…..

The first, should be (and probably isn’t):

What is the Honorable Barbieri going to do about this? (Only he can answer that on Thursday).

The second:

How could anyone make such an irrational assertion?  🙂

I don’t mean to be too hard on him… on non educational issues Mike is a good guy… So it HAS to come from ignorance I must assume…. He really thinks this test is just… “a test”. and that we, the people have our hoop skirts up over our heads in a dizzy over it…   just like jews in cattle cars are just another train passenger.  just like a teen suicide pack is just another contract, just like a trial by jury of ones peers is just a waste of time….

But you can see that none of those are true, and certainly as a result, his cannot be as well…..

And the answer for such an ill-founded opinion, is simple:  he has not taken the test... He does not know what it is; he does not know what it does; he does not know how stupid the questions are; he does not know how imprecise the scoring will be; he does not know how Kafkaesque the entire testing process is in that no one can talk about it, no once can question it, no one can counter it, and he certainly does not know how it breaks a mothers heart to have her A+ daughter fail a test designed specifically to make people fail… He simply lives in a bubble we must assume…..

Had he lived in Germany 70 years ago, he’d probably be one of those saying…. so what’s wrong with Jews going to summer camp? Fresh air, fields of flowers, trees, animals…..

But ITTS, it’s the test, stupid. (Line borrowed from Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign)

Mike, it is time you took the test…… (before embarrassing yourself in public any further….)

“If they are encouraged to opt out of the Standardized Testing because it is what is best for the child then why not opt out of all testing because it is stressful and there is not reliability or validity in subject matter testing……” Attributed to Mike Barbieri…

What he really means:

They should not opt out of the Standardized Testing simply because there would then be no reliability or validity in the subject matter testing……

That is morally wrong.  Protecting the reliability or validity of testing, over each and every child’s welfare?…. Maybe you don’t have a clue (yet)(take the tests) but you cannot force those parents who do (who have taken this test), from doing what every one of them thinks is best for their child… which is backed up by 100% of child psychologists!  Opt all of them out of the Smarter Balanced Assessments….

Everyone knows why. The test needs scrapped… Ka-put, into the trash bin.  Barring that, parents need this option to protect their child… One child, is more important than any test’s validity….. especially when that test is so horrible, so horrific, so inane, and so stupid, as this one… Once you take the test, you will know.