A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CIVIL LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST KEVIN HUFFMAN, CHRIS BARBIC, TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TENNESSEE ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZERS AND YES PREPARATORY ACADEMY

Rodney O. Ursery, J.D. and Clara D. West, Ph.D. are the Plaintiffs Who Filed the Lawsuit In Pro Se

Memphis, TN (September 8, 2014) – Rodney O. Ursery and Clara D. West, two former applicants for a charter operator’s authorization for the 2014/2015 school year, have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Kevin Huffman, Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Education (“TDOE”); Chris Barbic, Superintendent of the Tennessee Achievement School District (“TASD”); as well as the TDOE and TASD; along with two other defendants: the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (“NACSA”) and YES Preparatory Academy (“YES Prep”).

Among the thirteen causes of action, the complaint alleges unfair business practices, violations of Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, civil conspiracy, and violations of constitutionally protected rights. The lawsuit seeks a court order prohibiting YES Prep, a charter school enterprise headquartered in Texas, from opening schools that it illegally obtained in Memphis, Tennessee. The civil action, which also requests a jury trial, was filed in the 30th Judicial District Chancery Court, Shelby County, Tennessee.

Ursery states, “For far too long, it has been recognized and stated in the court of public opinion that Huffman and Barbic have utterly abused the power of their positions when it comes to regulating the Tennessee's school system. Now, I’m confident that their reign of terror, which has been plagued with conspiracies among crooks and cronies, will finally be revealed in a court of law, that is, if justice prevails.” West added, “It's as if we have to fight Brown v. Topeka Board of Education again. Our proposal offered equity in education through student-centered learning using individualized learning plans and iPads, just like the countries that consistently outrank the U.S. in education. We were unfairly denied the opportunity to help educate the lowest-performing students, who the system has already left behind and identified as the future prison population. It's all about leveling the playing field.”

According to the complaint, the defendants deliberately designed and implemented discriminatory selection and approval practices, customs and procedures to deny Plaintiffs’ application. The lawsuit further alleges that during the time when TASD solicited Requests for Qualification to apply for a charter operator’s authorization for the 2014/2015 school year, Barbic, TASD and NACSA conspired to approve charter operator’s authorization(s) for the 2015/2016 school year, an opportunity, which was made available only to YES Prep. It is alleged that Barbic, founder and former Chief Executive Officer of YES Prep, illegally authorized YES Prep to seize nearly 6,000 elementary school students in Memphis, TN.

Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that NACSA, who “partnered with” TASD to provide support and management services for the application process, is not a “professional” organization. NACSA does not have any government-approved, professional standards of operations; nor state licensing or certification; and it is not subject to any government agency, review board or code of ethics to govern its acts. Finally, the lawsuit states that Huffman and TDOE enacted a regulation which granted Barbic and TASD carte blanche to deny due process to applicants who are denied charter operator’s authorizations as there is absolutely no redress, grievance or appeal process to review any of the defendants’ actions.

For more information, contact the plaintiffs at: ru4justice@facebook.com or 901.300.0162.

This lawsuit is brought by two individuals claiming $10 million in damages because they were denied charter operator authorization by the ASD. $10 million dollars!!!  Those damages are a clear-cut case for how profitable a charter operator authorization can be.

Interesting how a potential charter school is suing some big guns in TN over unfair business practices, isn't it?

We've heard for years how there is a severe case of the good ol' boys club, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine," nepotism within the TN DOE between other self-serving high-dollar organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and SCORE.  

It is hard to ignore the evidence of that nepotism when you read how:

• TN pays more than any other state for Teach for America temporary teachers through a $6+million NO-BID contract signed by Kevin Huffman, who formerly had a cushy job at Teach For America.  
• Our public schools are strangled, teachers and administrators are cut, and then the students, buildings, and tax dollars are handed over on silver platters along with generous grant dollars and tax incentives to their buddies' charter chains (like YES Prep, where ASD Superintendent Chris Barbic has very close ties and has richly profited from).
• The ASD schools have worse results than the public schools they killed ever did, but the ASD schools aren't feeling the wrath of the TNDOE's micromanaging and bullying like the public schools.
• Charter schools are making some people very, very rich. 
• Charter schools get preferential treatment within districts and the state:
• charters are exempt and/or given waivers from TCAP score accountability (especially if they are friends and/or donors to politicians)
• charters are exempt from giving the expensive and time-consuming benchmark RTI2 assessment tests that public schools are now being forced to do by the TNDOE.

When we allow corporate greed to infect public education, it is to be expected that profiteers will attack each other over business practices. We hope that this lawsuit will shine a light on these shady practices.

Perhaps this isn't "dog eat dog" but more like a pack of dogs attacking public schools.  If the plaintiffs win, where will that $10 million come from?  Public school funding???

Public schools can be extremely political places, especially when combined with the weight of the legal system.  In fact, when combined, politics and the law can take an ideological turn that may even thwart the will of its own citizens. This can both be positive and negative, depending upon your view the particular issue.  Nonetheless, placing the responsibility of political decisions upon the representation of another person or group is indeed uncertain, and perhaps dangerous.  
 
This is a major reason we must pay close attention to our elections, and must ensure the people we trust hold elected offices. This is also why our US and Tennessee Constitution include numerous checks and balances. If a person is elected or appointed that did not represent the public, other officials could and are able to impede various actions.
 
Recently, our General Assembly has begun to identify that Tennessee is lacking some checks and balances. Apparently, Tennessee is the only state where the attorney general is appointed by the Supreme Court.   This is further complicated by the fact that the Supreme Court is appointed by the Governor. In forty-three states, the attorney general is elected, and the remaining six states have some combination of legislative, executive, and judicial input. Normally, this may have little bearing on public education, if any. However, Tennessee again is an anomaly.
 
Recently, Attorney General Robert Cooper released a statement upholding the actions of Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman, (also appointed by the Governor) about whether he had the legal authority to waive regulatory or statutory requirements related to federal and state student assessment and accountability.  Cooper cites TCA 49-1-201(d)(1), which states that the commissioner of education may waive some state laws that impede the department’s goals or missions if districts request a waiver. There were also specific prohibitions that were mentioned.
 
Many legislators, analysts, and citizens questioned the Attorney General’s ruling. Cooper uses the very language in the Federal “No Child Left Behind” law and calls them “terms of art” in order to reach the conclusion that the waiver by Huffman does not affect or involve evaluations at the State and Federal levels.  The use of the words “terms of art” by the Attorney General in his ruling was interesting, as was failure to mention that Tennessee has been issued a waiver of many of the No Child Left Behind requirements.  Tennessee is among 34 states that were granted exemptions from punitive measures of that law.
 
This is a subject that is expected to continue to be scrutinized and perhaps further debated.  If the Tennessee General Assembly feels the Cooper ruling is in error, as do many people that work within education law, and realize the contradiction by the Attorney General in his ruling, expect state legislators to recognize the necessity for tweaks to existing state law for clarification. 
 
Essentially, the AG Ruling and his legal opinion allowed appointed - not elected - officials the opportunity to bypass legislation - created by elected officials - if the commissioner deems it more efficient to do so. In this case, the cost for efficiency is public input, and legislative intent is muted. Little consideration was apparently given to the fact that the delay in receiving TCAP scores by districts impacted individual schools and district closing operations and interrupted the decision-making process they utilized in planning for the upcoming school year.  There is a danger that by silencing the public through the legal hammer at the disposal of the state and utilization of appointed officials becomes a much more progressive force than the will of parents, educators and even legislators in shaping public education policy in Tennessee. 
 
The remedy of course, is to change the method of selecting the Attorney General, and or the Commissioner of Education.  This of course will require much more debate and discussion, and perhaps legislative action.  We expect this matter will continue to be questioned among educators and policymakers.  Cooper’s ruling raised more questions than it answered. 
 
##

Kyle Mallory is a classroom teacher in Stewart County.  She was VFW Middle School Teacher of the Year.  
Samantha Bates is Director of Member Services for Professional Educators of Tennessee.   
 

In state after state, charter schools are proving that it is downright risky to turn public money over to deregulated corporations and unqualified individuals to run schools. The Detroit Free Press series on the scams, frauds, and corruption in many Michigan charters was an eye-opener for all those who are not part of the charter movement. The exposé of similar frauds in Florida by the League of Women Voters in Florida was enlightening to anyone other than free market ideologues. The same level of corruption–actually, even worse–exists in Ohio’s charter sector, where a small number of charter founders have become multi-millionaires, run low-performing schools, and are never held accountable.

One of the most colorful charter scandals occurred when a Cleveland charter operator was tried for funneling over $1million to his church and other businesses. The charter founder was a pastor, not an educator. His attorney said ““his client had good intentions when opening the school on East 55th Street but then got greedy when he saw easy opportunities to make money….”

The leader of California’s most celebrated charter school, with outstanding test scores, stepped down when an audit revealed that nearly $4 million had been diverted to his other businesses.

In Arizona, the Arizona Republic exposed charters that were family businesses, giving contracts to family members and board members.

In Chicago, the head of the city’s largest charter chain resigned after the media reported large contracts given to family members of school leaders and other conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds.

Last week, one of Connecticut’s most celebrated charter organizations was at the center of the latest scandal. Its CEO was revealed to have a criminal past and a falsified résumé. Two top executives immediately resigned, and legislators and journalists began to ask questions. No background checks? Accountability? Transparency?

Colin McEnroe wrote in the Hartford Courant’s blog that hustlers were cashing in on the charter school craze. Not just in Connecticut, but in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, California, Ohio, Arizona, on and on.

McEnroe wrote:

“The message is always the same: The essential concept behind the charter school movement is that, freed from the three Rs — restraints, rules and regulations — these schools could innovate and get the kinds of results that calcified, logy public schools could only dream about. And they do … sometimes.

“But handing out uncountable millions to operators who would be given a free hand was also like putting a big sign out by the highway that says “Welcome Charlatans, Grifters, Credential-Fakers, Cherry-Pickers, Stat-Jukers, Cult of Personality Freaks and People Who Have No Business Running a Dairy Queen, Much Less a School.” And they’ve all showed up. This is the Promised Land: lots of cash and a mission statement that implicitly rejects the notion of oversight…..

“What else goes with those big bubbling pots of money? A new layer of lobbyists and donation-bundlers. The Free Press documented the way a lawmaker who dared to make a peep of protest against charter schools getting whatever they want suddenly found himself in a race against a challenger heavily funded by the Great Lakes Education Project, the “powerhouse lobby” of the Michigan charter movement. Jon Lender of The Courant recently showed how one family of charter school advocates had crammed $90,000 into Connecticut Democratic Party coffers.”

If there were more investigations, more charter scandals would be disclosed.

When will public officials call a halt to the scams, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, nepotism, and corruption?

There is one defensible role for charter schools and that is to do what public schools can’t do. There is no reason to create a dual school system, with one free to choose its students and to cherry pick the best students, while the other must take all students. There is no reason to give charters to non-educators. There is no reason to allow charter operators to pocket taxpayer dollars for their own enrichment while refusing to be fully accountable for how public money is spent. Where public money goes, public accountability must follow.


- written by Diane Ravitch, originally posted at www.DianeRavitch.net

The above law was violated by a person appointed to a position of authority over our public schools, Commissioner Kevin Huffman.  The law is clear: he did not have the power to grant TCAP waivers to over 100 school districts.

Teachers are being unfairly held accountable for test scores on tests they are not allowed to see and whose cut scores are admittedly manipulated....  Students are being held accountable for grades on tests that their parents are not allowed to ever see.... but....

Who is holding Kevin Huffman accountable? Certainly not Governor Haslam who appointed him.

Legislators:  All of the laws you pass are worthless if they can be blatantly ignored without any penalty by those at the top.  Not a single legislator voted against this law in the House or Senate.  Beth Harwell, Ron Ramsey, & Bill Haslam all signed it.  Is it okay for the Commissioner of Education to break the laws you pass?

Superintendents & School Board members:  This is a case of "Do as I say, not as I do" by Commissioner Huffman.  Speak up for your districts and demand an end to all of this excessive testing and top-down control.  Talk to your legislators.  Your voices are important.  Do what you know is best for your students.

Media:  Publish facts, not what they want you to believe and print. 

 

1) This bill, as written, does not apply to charter schools; therefore, county commissions will not have the authority to control lobbying expenditures by charter schools. This seems extremely unfair because charter schools use public money just like zoned schools. This is just another example of how charter schools are treated differently than traditional, zoned schools in our state. 

2) There are actually 59 registered lobbyists (not 31 as we originally reported) that are pushing privatization and/or testing agendas that, in our opinion, are undermining public schools in Tennessee.  

Here is an UPDATED list of all of these groups and the number of lobbyists they employ:
1. Tennessee Federation of Children (charters, vouchers): 5 lobbyists
2. Tennessee Charter Center: 8 lobbyists
3. Stand for Children (charters, vouchers): 2 lobbyists
4. Beacon Center of TN (vouchers): 2 lobbyists
5. Pearson, Inc. (high-stakes testing): 1 lobbyist
6. K-12, Inc. (for-profit virtual charter schools): 5 lobbyists
7. Aspire Charter Schools: 1 lobbyist (They've had as many as 3.) 
8. National Heritage Academies (for-profit charter company): 3 lobbyists
9. Charter Schools USA (for-profit charter company): 3 lobbyists
10. Education 2020 (K-12, Inc. competitor): 2 lobbyists
11. Connections Education (for-profit virtual charter school): 1 lobbyist
12. SCORE (charters): 2 lobbyists 
13. Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (They support this bill and lobby for charters.): 5 lobbyists
14. Rennaissance Learning (testing): 4 lobbyists
15. Parent Power Fund (parent-trigger bill): 1 lobbyists 
16. Public Consulting Group: 1 lobbyist 
17. Americans for Prosperity (They support vouchers, charters, and HB 2293): 2 lobbyists
18. Catholic Public Policy Commission of TN (vouchers): 3 lobbyists 

     And last, but definitely not least, 

19. StudentsFirst (charters, vouchers, and Michelle Rhee!): 8 lobbyists

Final Score:
PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION = 6 lobbyists
PRIVATIZATION/TESTING = 59 lobbyists

3) We have heard from some Tennesseans in a particular county that they asked the current sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Durham, to introduce the bill because they are upset with a particular lobbyist their school district is using to lobby for them. We agree on many issues with them, so we hope to not offend them, but we also hope that they understand that this bill, which is a reaction to something that is happening at a local level has serious repercussions for the rest of our state. And the fact that a group such as StudentsFirst supports this bill should set off alarm bells because this organization has made no effort to hide their belief that elected school boards should be bypassed and handed over to other elected officials, including mayors and governors. 

How this bill could be devastating for other districts across Tennessee:

This bill could really hurt the newly formed municipal public school districts in Shelby County and Memphis.  Over the past 2 years, the Shelby County Commission sued the municipal districts.  There is no doubt that the animosity that the Commission has towards these districts will result in them cutting lobbying out of their budgets. (Please note that the bill is not clear in how it relates to municipal districts and commissions, but based on the overriding theme of the bill, it appears that the Shelby County Commission would likely have the authority to veto municipal-district lobbying monies.) 

In Metro Nashville the Mayor is very much in favor of charters and vouchers and there is little doubt that he will attempt to pressure the City Council to cut lobbying out of the school board budget as well. (It should be noted that the lobbyists that represent Metro Nashville Public Schools lobby against vouchers, for-profit charters, and the state charter authorizer.) 

Some claim that, in the state of Tennessee, county commissions currently have line item veto power over every other county department except for school districts and this would just allow commissions to exercise that same authority over them. But, and this is a very big BUT, the departments over which they exert this authority are appointed by the commissions--they are not elected by voters. School boards, which oversee the development of budgets, are elected by their constituents for the sole purpose of overseeing the function of their schools. County commissions were not elected for this purpose and, thereby, should not have the authority to override the will of the voters who selected, by virtue of their votes, the members of  a  school board.

Some Knox County residents and teachers have been very unhappy with the actions of their school board and school superintendent. But instead of pushing for legislation that could override the will of every elected school board in the state, they are clearly expressing their disapproval for the school board's actions and will this year elect school board candidates who will support their agenda. It seems that this approach would be effective for the county in question because it will help resolve their concerns and it will continue to give elected school boards the right to determine if they need to pay for lobbyists. And it will protect the county if, in the future, a pro-privatization commission is elected and denies money for lobbying, which will leave the county district with little defense against a variety of destructive bills such as for-profit charters, a state-level charter authorizer, and vouchers that will interject Common Core into private schools. And, believe us, the costs of these lobbyists is far cheaper than the costs taxpayers will incur if the lobbyists for "privatizers" have free reign at Legislative Plaza! 

With all due respect for some of the supporters of this bill, this seems to be the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to kill a fly when a simple fly swatter would do. We respectfully urge you to attempt to work out your concerns with your locally elected school board rather than pushing this bill onto the entire state. This will have very serious repercussions for many counties and, ironically, could very well end up backfiring and creating problems for those in the very county who support it. 

We urge those of you reading this to contact Rep. Jeremy Durham and ask him to pull HB 2293. If you are in Williamson County and/or are one of his constituents, it is vitally important that you contact him and let him know that you feel it is a very dangerous bill that sets a terrible precedent. His phone number is 615-741-1864 and his email is rep.jeremy.durham@capitol.tn.gov. You can also contact the members of the Local Government Committee that is meeting on Tuesday and ask them to vote against the bill:

Good grief... with all those lobbyists, legislators must be worn out!  As one parent said, "it must be like a swarm of mosquitoes at the Capitol, all hungry for our children's education dollars." 

It is no wonder our legislators think our public schools are failing and that the only way to fix it is with the magic charter school or voucher recipes they've been sold by well-paid, professional lobbyists with PR staff who are masters at manipulating data and creating glossy pamphlets.

Legislators, our schools are NOT what you've been told.  Believe US, the parents.  We're in these public schools daily.  We talk to teachers.  Trust us, we know.  We are public school parents from across the Tennessee.  (note from this TNParent author: My kids proudly attend Title 1 schools)

• Yes, our children are bombarded with too many tests.
• Yes, our children's hard-working teachers are beaten down from the testing mandates and unfair evaluation systems.
• Yes, Common Core is making it all much, much worse.
• Yes, our schools need more funding because they've been doing miracles with the meager dollars they've had to work with.

But, NO... we do not need charter schools, not vouchers, not Common Core, not more standardized tests or testing products, and certainly not more oversight or micromanaging by the TN DOE.  Let teachers teach.  

Please, listen to parents.  We are telling the truth.  We are not paid one penny for writing these emails.  Honestly, we have no clue what we are doing, no lobbying experience among any of us, but it seems that our voices ARE being heard by some of you.  We greatly appreciate your responses and questions.  We will continue to share our voices because our children are worth it.
   

The Rutherford County Board of Education is not dumb.  They know that the Governor and his appointed leaders are stealing control from local school districts and giving them to entrepreneurs to profit from.  They also know that lobbyists funded by out-of-state interests are hounding legislators to pass laws to dismantle our public schools and benefit their wallets.   

Tennessee Parents give a standing ovation to Rutherford County Board of Education for this excellent Resolution:

A bill has been introduced in the TN legislature that would allow city councils/commissions to remove funds for lobbying from school district budgets. (HB 2293/SB 2525). This would set a dangerous precedent because it would allow a municipal-level, elected body to dictate how another municipal-level, elected body uses its money. If some councils/commissions decide to exercise this veto authority, they would effectively silence our voices in the halls of the legislature because these lobbyists represent our elected school boards who, in turn, represent us--the voters.  And once our voices have been silenced, the lobbyists from wealthy groups intent on destroying public education will have free reign in the halls of Legislative Plaza.

If you are wondering why a school district/board might need lobbyists, look no further than what is happening with StudentsFirst (SF), a group founded by Michelle Rhee who also happens to be the ex-wife of Tennessee’s Education Commissioner, Kevin Huffman. The Sacramento.-based organization backs charter schools and vouchers and is funded by donations from extremely wealthy individuals, corporations, and foundations—including the Gates and Waltons. SF currently has an office in Nashville, along with 8 lobbyists. 

There are other similar lobbying groups in TN, (who don't have you or your children's best interests at heart) including the following: 

• Tennessee Federation for Children: Supports charter schools and vouchers. 5 lobbyists. 
• TN Charter Center: Supports proliferation of charter schools. Employs 8 lobbyists. 
• Stand for Children: Supports charter schools and vouchers. Employs 2 lobbyists. 
• Beacon Center of TN: Supports vouchers. Employs 2 lobbyists. 
• Pearson, Inc.: Publishes Common Core materials and tests. Employs 1 lobbyist.
• K12 Inc.: Runs K12 for-profit virtual charter school.  Employs 5 lobbyists. 

(Go to this link https://apps.tn.gov/ilobbysearch-app/search.htm to find documentation of these lobbyists.) 

Why do local school boards need lobbyists?
School board members in TN are part-time positions and these representatives do not have the time to follow all of the bills that are going through the legislature. They need the help of lobbyists to help them keep track of bills that directly affect their schools and constituents. And just in case you are keeping score, here are the lobbyists school boards/districts use in our state:

• Coalition of Large School Systems: Represents Shelby, Nashville, Hamilton, and Knox County school systems. Employs 2 lobbyists
• Tennessee School Board Association: Represents all school boards who pay dues to it. Employs 1 lobbyist.
• Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents: Represents interests of school board directors who pay dues to it. Employs 3 lobbyists. 

Final score: 
StudentsFirst & Company = 31 lobbyists!!!
School boards/districts = 6 at the most. 

As you might suspect, StudentsFirst, Stand for Children, TN Charter Center, and other groups reportedly support these bills. They apparently have no problem suppressing the voices of our elected officials and, subsequently, our voices in the legislative process—especially when the views expressed by these officials run counter to their agendas.  

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:  This law does not apply to Charter Schools.  They can hire as many lobbyists as they want to support them.  

(Note: All Momma Bears are volunteers.  We are concerned parents who do this solely because we care deeply about public education.) 

My children LOVE school. They love it so much they pretend to play school on the weekends and breaks. They both want to be teachers when they grow up they love it so much.

Starting in the spring of her 2nd grade year, my daughter started having stomach aches and throwing up. We didn't know what was causing it, and she missed a lot of school. We took her to her pediatrician many times, and tried modifying her diet. None of that helped, so we were referred to a GI specialist.  We were scared to death that it was ulcers or cancer or worse.  The GI doctor put our 8 year old to sleep and put cameras in her intestines and down her throat.  He checked every inch of her digestive tract.  He came out of the room while she was still sedated and told us that our daughter is perfectly healthy, that she has anxiety.  "Anxiety? She's only 8 years old!"  We later asked her, and she admitted that she was scared of failing the "big TCAP test at school."  (The SAT-10 test for 2nd graders).  By the time we knew what the diagnosis was, the testing was over at school.  She was so sick on the testing days that she missed school.  She had to take the make-up tests in a custodial closet with a teacher's aide for 2 straight days.  By the time we found out her "anxiety," it was the end of the school year. She didn't have another stomach ache all summer long.

The GI doctor told us it is quite common for students who are high-achievers or perfectionists to have anxiety over testing.  He said he diagnoses more and more children with anxiety every year.  But at 8 years old??? It makes me sick, as her Mom, to know my 8 year old child was burdened and stressed by inappropriate tests.

To be clear, it wasn't her teacher's fault.  She's an awesome teacher who loves her students and gives 110%.  She even won outstanding teacher of the year for our district.  We know she didn't pressure students to score high on the test (even though it affects her evaluation and paycheck).  

The entire school atmosphere changed a couple of months before SAT-10 and TCAP testing...  The classroom walls were stripped bare, resembling a prison more than an elementary school.  The music teacher taught songs about "Zapping the TCAP" and "Do the TCAP Rap."  Students spent hours and hours bubbling in answers to trick questions in test-prep workbooks.  Strangers arrived in their classrooms on testing days to "proctor" (sit in the room and stare as students take hours and hours of tests).  How is this good for children???  And now, our district tests kindergartners & 1st graders this way, too!  This is child abuse!!!

Since then, I have opted both of my children out of all testing and pre-testing this year. It was like a weight was lifted off of their shoulders when we told them they didn't have to do any more standardized tests like the CRA, TCAP, PARCC, Thinklink, Discovery Ed Probes, Compass Math Assessments, Tripod Surveys, or do any more TCAP prep-workbooks.  (I honestly didn't realize that my children ever did all of this testing and test-prep until I researched it).  Parents do not see our children's test results to most of these, nor are we allowed to even see the test questions.   Parents do realize that our schools are very, very tight on money.  It is obvious that our children's student:teacher ratios are larger than they have ever been and that the Arts & extra-curricular activities have been cut.  All the money spent on these wasteful assessments is draining dollars that could be better spent on worthwhile things like smaller class sizes, music, art, counselors, librarians, nurses, etc.  

Since we've opted our children out, their teachers and principals have been very understanding and respectful of our wishes.  Even though it may affect their evaluations, their teachers told us they support us and that they think we are doing the right thing as parents.  Two of their teachers even told me privately that they wished they could opt their own children out but are afraid to since they work for the district!

Their Principals said they are still researching what to do about the TCAP.  Because it is state mandated, there is no way to opt out and they are required to give it to students.   I don't want to jeopardize their jobs.  So far, their suggestion is to keep our children home on testing days, and they will receive zero's on their final grades on their report cards. That's okay with us. We don't care about their letter grade. We trust their qualified teachers to teach and grade them fairly without an expensive standardized test full of trick questions we aren't ever allowed to see.  Both of our girls are straight A students and we are very proud of them.  No test in the universe can measure that.

(This was posted anonymously, with permission, to protect the privacy of these children and parents in Shelby County)

• Click HERE to see what a Senator in New Mexico plans to do about excessive testing in his State.
• Click HERE to see what Texas legislators did this past summer to reduce testing 
• Click HERE to see what is currently happening in New York because their students took the PARCC last year (yes, PARCC is the same test that TN students are supposed to take next year) and 70% of their students were rated as failing. Their parents are furious at the NYBOE. 

What’s the real motivation for standardized testing?  It’s clearly a money-making business.  Why are we spending all of this money on these expensive tests? and even more money on test-prep materials from the same companies that make and score the tests???  
Tennessee parents want our tax money spent on students, and not on testing companies.