I remember when my son pledged his college fraternity. Would he “make it”? More importantly, would he survive “it”? The rituals, the abuse, the antics….um, I’m thinking hazing is….illegal.

This ritual that we are putting our children through, mandated, promoted and endorsed by the state…should be illegal! Put 20 or more 8-10 year olds in a room (well-ventilated, of course) for 90 minutes plus 20 minutes of test directions (really now) and set-up and what do you get? A situation equivalent to hazing on college campuses.

Third graders have the honor of first year initiation rites. Is this the rite of passage we want our children to remember? To have to endure? Or do we want them to treasure reading, steeped in places with people far, far away from test-prep land?

Clearly, as educators, we value genuine and authentic assessment, though that is another issue altogether. Perhaps, if our governor, education commissioner, and other elected officials sat in any of our classrooms during “the test” they would see another perspective.

As a veteran teacher in a well-respected, high-achieving public school district, my colleagues and administrators strive to provide rigorous instruction and meaningful feedback. We meet constantly to share ideas, enhance instruction, incorporate technology, communicate effectively and provide an environment where children learn, grow and succeed on all levels. We are dedicated, professional and compassionate, to children and each other.

We know that “the test” goes against everything we stand for. We do not engage in hazing rituals or tolerating them. Yet, in the past 3 days (just this year) there have been episodes of crying, sobbing uncontrollably, panic attacks and more. Students used to producing highly organized and thorough writing were watching the clock, biting their nails and twiddling their hair incessantly while anxiously writing and hoping they would finish in time. Some were so exhausted that they needed inspiring references to the 2014 Olympic games to continue and cross the “finish line.” Where are their gold medals? Is this what we want for OUR children? Parents do not send their children to school to be initiated into this twisted turmoil.

The examples cited above are just a few of those witnessed in the past few days. More specific details and examples (with quotes) won’t be cited, to protect the children we teach. I will mention, however, that the introduction to the first story in the fifth grade “essay booklet” might have captured the interest of a college level marine biology student. I wondered how the test-crafter who composed the “blurb” about an oceanographer thought this might grab his fifth grade audience. What a way to begin the day….I mean, Day 3 of “the test”.

By tomorrow the dust will have settled. Sick children will, once again, stay home. Real stories and books will be read. Thoughtful responses will be written. Informative Assessments will be given. Hazing, in the name of assessment will be halted.Everyday, we try to keep all of our children safe. Today we may have failed.

- A teacher who administered the PARCC in another state
 

My 4th grader was distraught over the PARCC interface and editing tools. She is an A student and a good writer. She complained about the test saying it was frustrating to express herself and be able to type as well as she could write on paper. “Why doesn’t this edit like Microsoft Word? That is how we are learning to type and edit. This is nothing like that. I could have written three times as much if I had paper and a pencil. Instead I gave up after only writing one paragraph. It was awful.”

- A TN parent whose child took the PARCC Writing Assessment


To see the above comments and many others made by parents, teachers, & administrators across the nation about the new Common Core testing, click HERE to visit www.testingtalk.org

Legislators: please vote to get rid of the Common Core PARCC test in TN.  Children deserve better than this.  Our scarce tax dollars should be spent in more meaningful ways to help students.

While I agree that standards are a good thing, I cannot support these standards that were developed in secret, and without a single expert in the area of Early Childhood Development. As a result my own young children are being submitted to participate in a "rigorous" curriculum that is DEVELOPMENTALLY INAPPROPRIATE and being forced to sit for hours at a time and take computerized assessments. Kindergarten and Elementary schools should be fun places that spark creativity and love of learning… this has not been our experience. My kids attend MNPS and they are miserable!
- A mother in Nashville, TN

CCSS is not what fits Tennessee! It is experimental and unsound, especially in K-2. I am one of Tennessee's 2 National Teachers Hall of Fame inductees. I vote NO!
- a teacher in Murfreesboro, TN

I am a teacher. I am very familiar with Common Core and its deficiencies. It is the worst idea in education in history. It is nothing but a political football and a cash cow for testing and textbook companies.
- A teacher in Shelbyville, TN

As an educator and a parent of school-age children, I am opposed to so much corporate testing. My children deserve better: less testing, teachers who can spend time teaching valuable skills and concepts rather than teaching to the test, and an environment that values the love of learning over data. I certainly hope that my students and my own children survive this "educational" scam. It is so disheartening to see the looks of frustration and disappointment on my students' faces because they continue to subjected to more and more meaningless tests. I hope that by the time my own children are in high school, that this madness will be a thing of the past.
- A Mother & Teacher in Memphis, TN

I am opposed to Common Core and do not want my children exposed to it nor do I want them to participate in it.
- A mother in Bartlett, TN

I am a licensed teacher and administrator. Common Core is causing teachers to have to get away from teaching and making them have to teach to the test.
- a teacher & administrator in Murfreesboro, TN

Children do not learn from being tested, they learn from being taught. Teachers do not have the time to teach what children need to know because they have to teach to the test.
- A teacher in Fayetteville, TN

My children are NOT learning with these new "higher standards". Instead they are being untaught the simple steps they've built upon since starting school which enabled them to learn and grow throughout their educational career. In short, Common Core is only working against our kids, effectively dumbing them down.
- A Mom from Roan Mountain, TN

This is vital to me as a teacher. I am tired of using valuable class time to teach "to the test," and to teach how to take a test. My students want to learn real material--not how to take tests. They are burned out from the constant testing & assessing, as are we. Literally, there has not been a single day in February or during the month of March (except for spring break) when our students have not been testing or assessing for something. Methinks Pearson and perhaps some state government folks are making a fat bundle of money from this--at the mental and educational expense of our children. Stop this now!! Let our students really learn! Let us teach!
- A teacher in Memphis, TN

After reading the course and what it teaches in history it scares me that they are trying to teach this craziness to my kids. It's another government failure.
- A father in Mount Juliet, TN

Dollars should be used to make SMALLER class sizes, Pre-K for every child (it proven unlike common core), libraries fully stocked, Vocational Training (not all students are headed to corporate america) not putting it into the pockets of wealthy corporations who don't care about the students.
- A teacher in Knoxville, TN

I have 4 grandchildren in school and I disagree with the text books used for Common Core.
- a Grandmother in Lebanon, TN

I would like to protect my child's personal information as well as let our individual state and school district decide what's best for our curriculum. A "one size fits all" approach never works, especially when children are involved.
- A Mother in Germantown, TN

I am a mother of 3 and a public school employee. Common Core is a violation of the 10th Amendment and several federal laws. It is a curriculum of empty skill sets written by non educators and used to make money for corporations. My children deserve better. Their education is NOT FOR SALE!
- a mother in Hendersonville, TN

The Federal Government and for profit revisionist history companies are killing education in the USA. It should be up to the individual States as to the core standards that are applied. Also, I completely reject the data mining that is attached to Common Core. Furthermore, testing has become the only thing teachers have time for. They no longer teach for academic excellence, they teach for the test. This will continue to stifle creativity and dumb down our nation. Students are not robots, they are humans. Hence they need to be treated as humans with dignity and respect. 
- Collierville, TN

First, Common Core was not state-led, it was only state implemented. It was done in secret, without research-based evidence of improved outcomes, and to be frank - I remember no out-cry that our kids were not learning! I believe this has been in the making for decades, comes from the United Nations to bring the US into the global economy, and in order to do this, a non-existent crisis was manufactured.
My children's teachers cannot speak out, so I will. They believe it is a watered-down set of standards with no research or teacher input, too much instruction time used for teachers to give formative tests on Mondays and summative tests on Fridays, and the H.S. EOC raw test scores (published by Pearson) "are hugely inflated and do not match the scores given on report cards" - done in an effort to pass students who otherwise failed the test to make it "appear" that Common Core is wonderful. I pray parents in TN wake up to the real Agenda!
- A Mother in Old Hickory, TN

I'm a teacher who sees the constant testing in our schools. We are testing so much students are not getting enough instruction time. The CC standards are not helping. A student can not teach themselves after only 5 minutes of teacher instruction time. These tests are also asking personal questions that are no one's business but the family's.
- A teacher in Memphis, TN

I teach; I see the children losing their love for learning. EVERYTHING they do is for the purpose of data. Learning has lost it's lure. When I actually get to do something with my children that is a little off kilter from common core, they LOVE it and in turn, they LEARN from it. We are raising a whole generation of test takers so they can all go to college. NOT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD GO TO COLLEGE!
- a teacher in Knoxville, TN

I disagree with the lack of quality instruction, spelling, grammar, science. I think it's ridiculous to label a teacher as "failing" because last years' bright kids scored a 98 percentile and this years equally bright kids score a 97 percent. I also wish the social ethics issues were left for parents to teach at home. My child has learned very little this year. I'm moving to private school as fast as I can. The data mining and cameras in the classroom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funding of pushing this agenda is sickening. We need to take control of our educational system in TN!!
- A father in Gray, TN

The 1% created this financial crisis with their greed and mismanagement, flogging schoolchildren is not the way out of it.
- Sewannee, TN

I work for Head Start and I am seeing kids going to Kindergarten who are doing great developmentally according to the Head Start standard but still failing. I see parents who cannot help their kids because they have no idea how to do the work the way it has to be done. I see kids who can get the right answer in the way their parents showed them or kids who can just think for themselves but getting it wrong because it was not done the "right way." There are also kids who cannot get the right answer even thought they are doing it the way they are taught, but still getting more credit than those who actually get the right answer. I see teachers who don't want to be teachers anymore.
- Johnson City, TN
 

These are just a handful of comments Tennessee Parents & Teachers wrote as to why they are against Common Core.  You can read them, and hundreds more just like them, by clicking HERE.
 

In the spring of 2011 I received a receipt for the sale of my children.  It came in the form of a flyer that simply notified me that my state and, thereby, my children’s school would comply with the Common Core. No other details of the transaction were included. The transaction was complete, and I had no say. In fact, it was the very first time I’d heard about it.

I know what you’re thinking. That’s outrageous! Common  Core has nothing to do with selling things, especially not children!

Okay, so the idea that the State School Board and Governor who’d made this decision could be described as “selling” my children is hyperbole. It is an exaggeration intended to convey an emotion regarding who, in this land of the free, has ultimate authority over decisions that directly affect my children’s intellectual development, privacy, and future opportunities. It is not even an accurate representation of my initial reaction to the flyer. I say it to make a point  that I didn’t realize until much, much later… this isn’t just an issue of education, but of money and control. Please allow me to explain.

That first day my husband picked up the flyer and asked me, “What is Common Core?” To be honest, I had no idea. We looked it up online.  We read that they were standards for each grade that would be consistent across a number of states. They were described as higher standards, internationally benchmarked, state-led, and inclusive of parent and teacher in-put. It didn’t sound like a bad thing, but why hadn’t we ever heard about it before? Again, did I miss the parent in-put meeting or questionnaire… the vote in our legislature? Who from my state had helped to write the standards? In consideration of the decades of disagreement on education trends that I’ve observed regarding education, how in the world did that many states settle all their differences enough to agree on the same standards? It must have taken years, right? How could I have missed it?

At first it was really difficult to get answers to all my questions. I started by asking the people who were in charge of implementing the standards at the school district office, and later talked with my representative on the local school board. I made phone calls and I went to public meetings. We talked a lot about the standards themselves. No one seemed to know the answers to, or wanted to talk about my questions about how the decision was made, the cost, or how it influenced my ability as a parent to advocate for my children regarding curriculum. I even had the chance to ask the Governor himself at a couple of local political meetings. I was always given a similar response. It usually went something like this:

Question: “How much will this cost?”

Answer: “These are really good standards.”

Question: “I read that the Algebra that was offered in 8th grade, will now not be offered until 9th grade. How is this a higher standard?”

Answer: “These are better standards. They go deeper into concepts.”

Question: “Was there a public meeting that I missed?”

Answer: “You should really read the standards. This is a good thing.”

Question: “Isn’t it against the Constitution and the law of the land to have a national curriculum under the control of the federal government?’

Answer: “Don’t you want your kids to have the best curriculum?”

It got to the point where I felt like I was talking to Jedi masters who, instead of actually answering my questions, would wave their hand in my face and say, “You will like these standards.”

I stopped asking. I started reading.

I read the standards. I read about who wrote the standards. I read about the timeline of how we adopted the standards (before the standards were written.) I read my state’s Race to the Top grant application, in which we said we were going to adopt the standards. I read the rejection of that grant application and why we wouldn’t be given additional funding to pay for this commitment. I read how standardized national test scores are measured and how states are ranked. I read news articles, blogs, technical documents, legislation, speeches given by the US Education Secretary and other principle players, and even a few international resolutions regarding education.

I learned a lot.

I learned that most other parents didn’t know what the Common Core was either.

I learned that the standards were state accepted, but definitely not “state led.”

I learned that the international benchmark claim is a pretty shaky one and doesn’t mean they are better than or even equal to international standards that are considered high.

I learned that there was NO public input before the standards were adopted. State-level decision makers had very little time themselves and had to agree to them in principle as the actual standards were not yet complete.

I learned that the only content experts on the panel to review the standards had refused to sign off on them, and why they thought the standards were flawed.

I learned that much of the specific standards are not supported by research but are considered experimental.

I learned that in addition to national standards we agreed to new national tests that are funded and controlled by the federal government.

I learned that in my state, a portion of teacher pay is dependent on student test performance.

I learned that not only test scores, but additional personal information about my children and our family would be tracked in a state-wide data collection project for the express purpose of making decisions about their educational path and “aligning” them with the workforce.

I learned that there are fields for tracking home-schooled children in this database too.

I learned that the first step toward getting pre-school age children into this data project is currently underway with new legislation that would start a new state preschool program.

I learned that this data project was federally funded with a stipulation that it be compatible with other state’s data projects. Wouldn’t this feature create a de facto national database of children?

I learned that my parental rights to deny the collection of this data or restrict who has access to it have been changed at the federal level through executive regulation, not the legislative process.

I learned that these rights as protected under state law are currently under review and could also be changed.

I learned that the financing, writing, evaluation, and promotion of the standards had all been done by non-governmental special interest groups with a common agenda.

I learned that their agenda was in direct conflict with what I consider to be the best interests of my children, my family, and even my country.

Yes, I had concerns about the standards themselves, but suddenly that issue seemed small in comparison to the legal, financial, constitutional and representative issues hiding behind the standards and any good intentions to improve the educational experience of my children.

If it was really about the best standards, why did we adopt them before they were even written?

If they are so wonderful that all, or even a majority of parents would jump for joy to have them implemented, why wasn’t there any forum for parental input?

What about the part where I said I felt my children had been sold? I learned that the U.S. market for education is one of the most lucrative – bigger than energy or technology by one account – especially in light of these new national standards that not only create economy of scale for education vendors, but require schools to purchase all new materials, tests and related technology. Almost everything the schools had was suddenly outdated.

When I discovered that the vendors with the biggest market share and in the position to profit the most from this new regulation had actually helped write or finance the standards, the mama bear inside me ROARED!

Could it be that the new standards had more to do with profit than what was best for students? Good thing for their shareholders they were able to avoid a messy process involving parents or their legislative representatives.

As I kept note of the vast sums of money exchanging hands in connection with these standards with none of it going to address the critical needs of my local school – I felt cheated.

When I was told that the end would justify the means, that it was for the common good of our children and our society, and to sit back and trust that they had my children’s best interests at heart – they lost my trust.

As I listened to the Governor and education policy makers on a state and national level speak about my children and their education in terms of tracking, alignment, workforce, and human capital – I was offended.

When I was told that this is a done deal, and there was nothing as a parent or citizen that I could do about it – I was motivated.

Finally, I learned one more very important thing. I am not the only one who feels this way. Across the nation parents grandparents and other concerned citizens are educating themselves, sharing what they have learned and coming together. The problem is, it is not happening fast enough. Digging through all the evidence, as I have done, takes a lot of time – far more time than the most people are able to spend. In order to help, I summarized what I thought was some of the most important information into a flowchart so that others could see at a glance what I was talking about.

I am not asking you to take my word for it. I want people to check the references and question the sources. I am not asking for a vote or for money. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I do believe with all my heart that a decision that affects the children of almost every state in the country should not be made without a much broader discussion, validated research, and much greater input from parents and citizens than it was originally afforded.

If you agree I encourage you to share this information. Post it, pin it, email it, tweet it.

No more decisions behind closed doors! Let’s get everyone talking about Common Core.

Thanks to Alyson Williams for permission to publish her story.

Sources for research: http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/FlowchartSources.pdf

My 4th grade child is a typical 'A' student.  She's a confident writer and story teller. She's even won some poetry contests. Her teacher prepared her class for the PARCC test with assignments that mimicked the way the questions would be asked on PARCC. On the practice assignments using paper, my child felt she did very well comparing and contrasting two stories and writing about them. But when it came time to do the practice PARCC online, my child struggled.

The computer interface was a split screen and the editing tools were unfamiliar. My child came home crying. She was distraught that she only completed one paragraph because it took her too long to edit.

She was angry with the computer testing. "Why can't we just do this on paper so I can show them what I know?"

The anger and frustration at the tool is abusive.  Especially for little kids who are not prepared emotionally for the frustration.  What are we doing to our kids?

My kid is not your lab rat. 

- from a TN parent in Nashville, TN

A Mom in New York (who is actually PRO-Common Core) took a video of her child doing an easy PARCC math sample question on the PARCC website. The Mom wrote:

"The website has a link that allows you to, and I quote: “Try out sample test questions in their intended environment.”

So I did.

And I was frustrated.  Immensely frustrated.

But then I realized that no one is going to care about my descriptions of my frustration with “the sample test questions in their intended environment.”  But maybe someone will care about my daughter’s frustration.  After all, she’s 9.  She’s currently in third grade.  She will be taking these tests a year from now.  And she’s a good kid, she’s a strong student, and she is game to try new things.

So I asked her to try one of the sample questions.  A few minutes in, when I got a sense of how frustrating the process was for her, I asked her permission to video her attempts to get the interface to work.  

Click HERE to see the video of how it went for that Mom & child who had up-to-date technology and more patience than most.

This PARCC test is not rigorous, it is RIDICULOUS.
It is a ridiculous waste of our tax money.
It is a ridiculous waste of our children's time.

This does not show how much a child has learned, it shows how computer literate the child is to figure out this confusing, frustrating format.  Affluent children with a computers in their homes will have a clear advantage over children who do not.  This will widen the achievement gap even more than it already is.
 

Legislators:  If you vote against HB1129/SB1266 and its amendments to allow the TNDOE to give our children this expensive, ridiculous PARCC test, there will be a boatload of frustrated parents and teachers contacting you next year about getting rid of Common Core.  And even though you will try to tell them that Common Core "is just standards," they know better.  They won't believe you.  They will remember you allowed it to happen and they will campaign against you in your next election.  Education is a key issue to parents because our children mean more to us than anything else in this world.   
 

Some brave teachers, who are also Moms & Dads, have made the difficult choice to defy their district administration and the TN Department of Education.  These teachers have REFUSED testing for their OWN children.  Teachers are required by the state and district to administer the tests to students in their classes.  However, the state and district cannot trump their parental rights to do what is best for their own children.


Why did they do it?  One teacher tells why...
As a teacher, I made a decision for my own children, as their parent. I am most fortunate to be very involved in my children's education. I'm sure most parents feel the exact same way. Unless you are a teacher, you really aren't as involved as you think you are. I teach for the same system my children are educated in. I know things that I'm grateful to know, but at the same time the wind is often knocked clean out of me because of what I know. Because of what I know, I chose to opt my children out of unnecessary testing.

• I chose to opt my children out of computerized testing as a means of determining intervention needs.
• I opted my children out of tests that contain material they haven't been taught yet according to the curriculum maps teachers follow.
• I opted my children out of tests written for the sole purpose of assisting the developers of PARCC test which will replace TCAP next school year.
• I opted my children out of feelings of failure when material is placed in front of them that they haven't been exposed to yet, in the form of a test. I opted their teachers out of feelings of betrayal because that's how we feel when we do this to the children we teach.
• I opted my children out of the DEA, given three times per year as a predictive measure to determine how they might perform on TCAP. The DEA is also full of skills not introduced according to the curriculum maps. Test A - 18 of 32 skills not introduced yet. Test B - 19 of 32 skills not introduced yet.  
• I opted my children out of the CRA which is an assessment used for the sole purpose of assisting the developers of PARCC, and is written in a form that children are not capable of being successful on.
• I opted my children out the practice writing assessment for the practice writing assessment which I opted them out of too. Really? Practice for practice? Not to mention, it is computerized and children as young as 8 are expected to sit at a computer for two hours to analyze informational texts and write an essay through typing their responses. Our children do not know how to type.
• I opted my children out of IStation computerized testing to determine if they have a need for intervention.
• I opted my children out of all computerized programs designed to determine their needs. I chose to leave that up to their highly qualified teachers. 

As a teacher, I must endure the guilt and shame I feel each time I test my students on material they haven't been yet exposed. As a parent, I will not tolerate such with my children.
- A teacher and mother in Shelby County
 

How did they do it?
It is simple.  These brave parents simply sent letters and emails of refusal  to their sons' and daughters' teachers and principals stating that they will not allow their child to take the tests. (Note the wording says "refusal" and not "opt-out" since TN does not have an "opt-out" law, yet, and the attorney general seems to be forcing parents into testing their children against their wishes by saying it is not "legal" to "opt-out")

Some states have laws and policies that allow parents to opt their children out.  Tennessee does not.  Yet...  
There is currently a Bill in the Legislature that, if it passes, would allow parents to legally Opt-Out of testing for their children without penalties (HB 1841 / SB 2221) .  The Bill's sponsor, Rep. Gloria Johnson, is also a teacher.  (Unfortunately, a half a BILLION dollar fiscal note has been attached to the bill, and the bill has been rolled to the final calendar to prevent it from passing.  Contact Governor Haslam if you're not happy about that.  His phone # is 615-741-2001 and his email is: bill.haslam@tn.gov). 

What are the repercussions of REFUSING tests?
In TN, refusing or opting a child out of the TCAP test counts as a zero on the child's final report card (state mandated 15%-25%).  In some districts, this means that 10% of a child's final English grade will be a zero, and 10% of a child's final Math grade will be a zero.  (Check with your local school district to find out).  Despite the lower report card grades, having to keep their children at home on testing days, and having unexcused absences on their child's records, parents feel strongly enough that the tests are inappropriate for their children to REFUSE the tests for their children.  
(This could work: Parents in other states have gotten around the testing by un-enrolling their children from school to "homeschool" before the mandated test and then re-enrolling them after the testing window is completed.  This method works to avoid hurting the child's report card grade and attendance, but, gosh, it sure is a hassle!)
 

Links to Opt-Out testing websites & groups:
United Opt-Out website
United Opt-Out in Tennessee website
Stop TN Testing website
Stop TN Testing Madness facebook group
Stop TN Testing facebook page
Knox County Parents Against Testing facebook page
Williamson County Parents Concerned about Common Core & Testing facebook group

 
These brave teachers and parents are sending a clear message that they do not agree with the tests and that their child is more than a test score.

 

It's 12:44 a.m., and I'm lying here stressing about giving my third grade EL students a 2.5 hour writing assessment. My heart is beating fast, and I feel a little shaky. I can't seem to sleep because my brain can't come to a solution on how I can help them succeed. We have spent weeks worth of class time trying to prepare them for TCAP, which is a multiple choice style test. This takes a very different kind of thought process for kids than does a completely constructed response to literature. Now I'm faced with the fact that on Wednesday I will lose 2.5 hours of TCAP prep time. So not only will my kids fail at essay writing, they will more than likely fail their "focus skill" test as well. And seeing how I also have to watch a coach teach my kids a model CRA lesson in math for an hour, they probably won't be able to do TCAP questions on the associative property of multiplication. The way the state of Tennessee is jerking kids and teachers around is making me sick. No really....my stomach hurts. And it just gets worse when I add in the fact that they are also supposed to be doing a research project on ecosystems, and a project based learning unit in our school garden. Ugh. And next week doesn't look much better because I'll be giving the ELDA for a total of 3 hours to the whole class on Mon. - Wed, and have a sub on Thursday to do speaking testing for a whole day. By then, we should have our DEA scores back, so we'll be able to start doing SPI small groups. And then it will be time to do Running Records to see how much progress they've made in reading real stories in the last 9 weeks. Wonder how that will go? Yeah, don't think I'll be sleeping tonight.
- A teacher at a Title 1 school in Shelby County

My older son took the one for 5th grade last week. He said he was unable to finish it. When he went back to modify an answer much of what he had typed would disappear. He had to retype several sections. My third grader is taking it this week. I am so happy teachers are speaking up about this!
- from a parent regarding the TCAP/PARCC Writing Assessment

I am concerned that there is not a parent guide for the writing assessment and no one can answer simple questions about scoring. I even contacted the TN Commission on Education and was told a parent guide would not be available until May and my questions on scoring went unanswered. Don't you think the state should be able to answer basic questions on how the writing assessment will be scored BEFORE it is administered to my child? This is craziness.
- from another parent regarding the TCAP/PARCC Writing Assessment


Why parents don't realize our children are being given so many tests and surveys now in public schools:

• we are not informed about the tests
• we are not informed of demographic questions or surveys asked without our knowledge or permission
• we never see the questions or the results because these tests & surveys are given on computers
• we trust our children's teachers and principals to teach them using appropriate materials and tests, so we didn't know we should ask
• some test assessments have fun names like Discovery, Voyager, and Thinklink, so parents were fooled into believing they were educational enrichment, not assessments used to discriminate and pigeonhole our children, in some cases trumping their teacher's judgement.  

Unfortunately, in some cases teachers are scared to tell parents that these tests are inappropriate and excessive.  Teachers are realizing that Common Core isn't what they were told it would be.  Not only are teachers now expected to teach developmentally inappropriate confusing math methods and/or cut beloved literature from their course to teach magazine articles, they are required to spend precious instruction time on excessive tests with inappropriate demographic questions attached.  

Things are changing, though.  
Teachers ARE bravely speaking out and telling parents the truth because they want what is best for children, and they know these tests and Common Core are not it.

The TN Momma Bears published a blog called "A Teacher Sends a Loud Message. Parents Hear It."  In less than 48 hours, their article has been read by over 165,000 people and it has over 18,000 Facebook "likes."  The Momma Bears say they can't keep up with all the parents and teachers responding to them through their website.  Parents are waking up and are alarmed and concerned.  Read the Momma Bear blog to find out why parents are worried and what some parents are doing about it.   (Click HERE to read the Momma Bear blog)

Do not believe what the TN Department of Education PR staff is spinning, because it is not an accurate view of what is truly going on in our children's classrooms.  Parents are being excluded from the equation, and that is a huge mistake.
 

My son is taking a computer class.  While they are taking tests, he is not able to have class.  They have to use the computers in his classroom to take the writing assessment.  That said, he has not had class this week and looks like next week also.  11th grade writing assessment this week.  9th or 10th next week.  So he could miss three weeks of his computer class.
- A Mom in Shelby County, TN
 
The writing assessment lasted 3 ½ hours and we finished 5 minutes before lunch.   Some kids didn't even get to eat. We had 60 minutes to read each prompt and write an essay on it, and there were two prompts. The first prompt was about 7 pages long and there was way too much information and too many names to remember. I didn't get to finish typing because we were supposed to write about two of the central ideas and explain how the author goes into detail about them. But the entire first prompt was repeating the same thing over and over again. So it was pointless reading most of it. All of our computers froze up at one point so that wasted about 5 minutes. The second prompt had absolutely no information and was very hard to write about and I only finished about three paragraphs on it. After the three and a half hours everybody was brain dead and during lunch most juniors laid their heads down. And because we still had two more class periods that were an hour and a half each, everybody was exhausted and we still had to work. In math something that I could have usually done in thirty minutes took me the entire class and I still have to do it for homework.
- a junior at a Chattanooga High School

I live in TN and tried to opt my son out of the writing assessment test being given to 5th, 8th and 11th graders. He is in the 11th grade.  He called this morning and said that they would make him leave school if he didn't take it. I talked to him and had prayed about it. I told him to take it and to answer honestly and if anything violated his beliefs or convictions then he didn't have to answer or if given the choice to give his opinion. He called back after the test and told me it was horrible. They were supposed to write essays based on some statements and questions. He said one statement said "Explain the futility of happiness." He said that he wrote happiness is not futile. I have happiness. He said I know what you are trying to accomplish. Are you going to retaliate at me and others because we know what you are doing? He said another statement said something to the effect that a person can really only achieve 40% of happiness. He wrote the Declaration of Independence says everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness, not just 40%. He said again I am completely happy. He tried to write down some of the questions but the teacher there said that he'd loose his job if that happened. I told my son to write as many notes as he could remember. He already has information relating to Hitler and how he changed text books and went after the kids through school. He is so upset now. He is putting together a speech for our next school board meeting in March but I want him sharing it everywhere. I told him to send it to state and government Representative, to our Governor and anyone else we can think of.
- a Mom in Sevier County, TN
 

Every day, more and more parents in TN are realizing that our children are being abused with testing.  Please stop this incessant focus on testing!  This is unacceptable.

Note:  Tennessee parents are not opposed to all tests.  We are opposed to the standardized high-stakes testing that are excessive, expensive, and used to hurt our children's teachers.

Click HERE to read a testing Resolution adopted by Shelby County Council PTA and schools in their district.  
  

TN parents received a message from an upset parent of a middle schooler in Dickson County, TN. It seems that some of the teachers at her child's school decided to instruct the students on how to take the Constructed Response Assessment (CRA). The students apparently did not do well on the subsequent practice test and the teachers sent home more practice questions for the kids to work on at home over the weekend. The teachers also sent home a letter along with the extra work and stated that the students will be given after-school detention if they do not answer the questions correctly.

TN Parents want you to hear directly from this mother and to see this letter. We want you to understand that our children are being punished because of the excessive focus on testing in our schools. Some children are punished by having their PE,  related arts classes, and recess replaced by testing preparation. Some children are being punished by having their test scores publicly posted for their classmates to see. Some children are being punished by being told, again and again, how important the tests scores are--creating an undue level of anxiety that should never be forced on our children. And, in this situation, some kids are being punished by being put in detention for not performing well on practice standardized tests. 

From this Dickson Co. mother: 
"This letter is weighing heavy on my mind today, especially the last paragraph. It comes across a little defensive on their part, and somewhat threatening to my child and myself. When the heck did school detention become a consequence for academic performance? I thought "detention" was for behavioral issues. Not for high-stakes practice and performance tests which already delivers a crazy amount of stress on CHILDREN. And we wonder where test anxiety comes from." 

Huffman admits TCAP is not strong:

On September 20, 2013, during a Senate Education Committee hearing on Common Core, TN Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman made a statement that we believe should have been plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the state:

"But TCAP, I think most educators would say is inherently not a very strong test, not as strong as what we're aspiring to do because, ya know, it's a multiple choice test and, um, it doesn't have significant critical thinking or problem solving..."  (Go to this link and forward to 57:50 to hear this quote for yourself.)

So, let us get this straight:

Children are:

• being denied valuable classroom instruction,
• experiencing undue anxiety and stress,
• and receiving little-if any recess time

so they can prepare to take a test that is "not very strong"?

• and teacher job security and licensure depends upon student performance on this very same test?

A test that, by our Commissioner's own admission, does not contain "significant critical thinking or problem solving."

Parents, teachers, and students have known for years that the TCAP is not a "strong test," nor does it accurately predict a child's ability to think critically or problem solve.  Clearly, Mr. Huffman is aware of the limitations of TCAP as well.  Which begs the questions:

1. Why did Mr. Huffman and the Department of Education, in spite of this knowledge, continue to create and endorse misguided policies based on this test?
2. Why does the DOE state that parents must allow children to take the TCAP when it is clearly is not a "strong test"?
3. And why, now that Mr. Huffman has admitted the weaknesses of this test, are we giving the TCAP this school year - especially since the TCAP does not test the Common Core standards that our children are currently being taught?

California recently axed their state standardized test for this school year.  Let's follow in their footsteps and scrap the TCAP!

(This was reposted from www.StopTnTesting.com, an organized, committed, and growing group of Tennessee parents advocating for their children and against high-stakes standardized testing).
 

Huffman claims that PARCC will be better than TCAP, but New York's experience with PARCC last year tells quite a different story:

The PARCC test was given to students in New York state last school year and 70% of students failed the PARCC and are now required to take double math and English courses instead of band, chorus, art, or elective classes.  Parents in New York are outraged!

... but they are not outraged at their children for failing the PAARCC,

... and they are certainly not outraged at teachers,

Parents are angry at the STATE of New York for giving the inappropriate test.

And they are angry at PEARSON Publishing, too, who was paid millions of their tax dollars for the PARCC test.  Even more outrageous, Pearson included brand name products embedded in the PARCC test questions!

In fact, NY parents are so upset that tens of thousands of them have opted their children out of state testing, even if it hurts their child's grades.  (Click HERE to read about the powerful nationwide opt-out movement). 
 

According to the Truth in American Education website,

These States have pulled out of Common Core testing:

• Utah (Smarter Balanced)
• Oklahoma (PARCC)
• Georgia (PARCC)
• Alabama (Smarter Balanced & PARCC - they were an advisory state)
• Indiana (PARCC)
• Kansas (Smarter Balanced)
• Pennsylvania (Smarter Balanced & PARCC)
• Alaska (Smarter Balanced)

States Actively Considering Withdrawing:

• Michigan (Smarter Balanced)
• Kentucky (PARCC)
• North Carolina (Smarter Balanced)
• Iowa (Smarter Balanced)

States that never joined:

• Virginia
• Texas
• Nebraska
• Minnesota

According to the Hechinger Report, PARCC is even MORE expensive than TCAP: 

                          TCAP cost for TN = $20 million
                  PARCC will cost TN = $21-$25 million

...PLUS the cost of TECHNOLOGY and internet capabilities that our schools do not currently have to administer the tests.

...PLUS the cost to train teachers & administrators on the testing technology and also hire technology specialists to keep district computers updated.

...PLUS we will STILL have to pay for TCAP testing for Science & Social Studies because PARCC only tests English & Math!


Legislators:  Please do not make a mistake forcing an unproven test on our children that is an expensive, unfunded mandate to our districts.  Vote to delay or completely pull out of the PARCC testing for our children, like the smart States listed above have wisely done.

We had a meeting this week at my middle school in MNPS regarding the upcoming TN Writing Assessment. We are told we must do the practice online test, which will take our entire class time for a day. Sometime before the practice, we are required to enter the name, student ID, and birth date of each of our students. We are then supposed to score each of these practice tests. The actual assessment will take another full day. These tests don't count toward the students' grades nor the teachers' evaluation. That's a lot of lost time that could have been used for planning and actual teaching.

This link provides some examples of prompts. They are rather complicated for your average 10/11-year-old.
http://tncore.org/english_language_arts/writing_test/fifth_grade_prompts.aspx 

(This post was written by a Metro Nashville middle school teacher. Her name has been withheld to protect her anonymity.)
 

Tennessee Parents are tired of their children missing out on instruction time for seemingly useless testing. Teachers across the state estimate that 30-60 days of instruction are lost each year due to test preparation and administration. 


Please click HERE to read an excellent article about how testing is taking 1/4 of a school year away from students in Hamilton County, TN.  

1/4 year testing x 13 years of school per student = 3 years lost to standardized testing
 
This is unacceptable! 

If you are a school board member or Superintendent: Please talk with your teachers and ask them what tests, if any, they believe actually help guide their instruction. And then mandate only those tests. 

If you are a legislator:  Please consider passing legislation that would reduce the amount of standardized testing forced on our children by the state Department of Education. Please also consider introducing that would allow parents to "opt-out" of testing for their children and force school districts and schools to fully disclose every test that is given to their students throughout the year.