I would like to put forth a proposal. What could the Lee County School Board do to make everyone happy or at least happier? I have an idea.
Patricia Levesque, CEO of Tallahassee-based Foundation for Excellence in Education, Jeb Bush’s group, put out a long statement expressing “deep disappointment” in “abandoning” the tests. She mentioned accountability and resources and then she said something quite astonishing. She accused Lee County of administering “160 tests over and above state required assessments.”
Whoa! Rewind that tape! That is a lot of testing!
This is the time for Superintendent Graham to call for a task force of parents and teachers to delete the unnecessary tests! It will take some work, but here is your opening, parents! Insist upon it! You don’t have to be at the meeting Tuesday morning, although it might help to put this on the table. Politely visit the Superintendent and demand this “plan” she spoke of during last Wednesday’s meeting. I think she may be amenable to working with parents who want total opt out, to come to some consensus. You may not get rid of all the tests, but some is better than none. For now.
In fact, parents in every district should request a task force on testing that includes teachers and parents. And school boards supportive of their constituents should not deny them this request. This is one way for parents to get back their school boards and their schools…maybe.
To be honest, it is rather out of the ordinary to not have any tests. There were all kinds of concerns about graduation requirements, loss of grants, and this could hurt students in some very real ways. But getting a task force of parents together to push for eliminating the 160 tests that Levesque mentioned is, in my books, a win! School districts across Florida should determine what unnecessary tests they have in their schools as well. Florida could set a good example, for a change, for other states.
Parents must push for negotiating. If you attempt to get all testing removed, you will most likely fail, because losing school funding is serious business and the superintendent and school board members know this. But if you can get your foot in the door and remove some testing you will be making progress.
Now, if you cannot find the tests Levesque is talking about (some have stated on FB that they are required tests), and there is no true solution, petition against the testing and the state laws concerning tests that you decide are totally unnecessary and harmful to children, but leave the tests that would seriously impact student success, especially where college is concerned, and find out if there is an honest lawyer you can obtain who will be able to do some pro bono work. Try doing this with the superintendent and the school board. Use those words—“160 tests above what the state asks for” to make the state accountable.
And, maybe that petition could be state-wide. Remember, there will always be elections that concern politicians. I think there are enough anti-testing parents and teachers to begin to make a dent across the country.
Last, call Arne. To hear him now he is very much against testing. And since it took him so long, long enough to use tests to shutter hundreds of perfectly good public schools, and fire good veteran teachers across the country, I think he owes parents and their children. This is the time to make him put his money where his mouth is. Make him back you up with his words.
Seriously, parents need to hold the superintendent to her word about a plan. School boards are supposed to reflect the needs of the local community. This has very much been in the news recently with the PDK/Gallup Poll showing that the country wants more involvement in their public schools. School boards should be participatory. They are supposed to involve debate. Don’t just personally opt your children out, do that too, but see if you can get rid of some of the most harmful and redundant testing for starters. And begin the discussion with those who have the real power to make the changes necessary. Take your seat at the table!
No matter what, I wish Lee County’s students a productive and happy school year and parents some peace when it comes to testing. Good luck!
It’s amazing Mrs. Levesque does not see the irony in her statement.
And I think it should be used to point to inaccuracy or to get rid of tests. Thanks, Jupiter.
I strongly suspect that Ms. Levesque considers the unnecessary tests to be those that do not directly or indirectly profit Pearson.
Hi Holly, That’s an interesting point. Thank you.
As someone who is intimately knowledgeable about what is transpiring, your article misses the point of what occurred.
Without actually doing your own research, you quote two people who have disenfranchised public education here in FL to help write your own prescription for testing issues. It seems ironic at best.
Furthermore, it’s not really about reducing the testing. It’s about the high-stakes attached to the tests that state mandated. Vastly different point that you is missed entirely.
Hi Kal,
I am not in favor of high-stakes testing. I have encouraged opting out of harmful tests that penalize children, close schools, and unfairly blame teachers.
But the push to get rid of all standardized testing, is, in my opinion, probably not going to work in Lee County. It looks as if they are going to get the school board member to rescind her vote.
I also think Superintendent Graham’s point about the importance of some of the tests rings true. Do you really want seniors to miss out on Bright Futures Scholarships?
My suggestion to push for a task force of parents to work with the superintendent, board and possibly teachers would get parents a foot in the door. Then you could push back further on the test policies and tests you find harmful.
If you are not allowed to do that, or you don’t see progress I’d try to get a lawyer and petition state-wide to get rid of the harmful testing or make policy changes about the use of tests.
Best wishes.
It seems as for someone who used to teach in FL, you misunderstand Levesque’s opinion of public education. Please do your research on who and what she works for. The 160 number came from no where. Using her argument, that would rid all students of any assessment of any kind except the state mandated ones. We have successfully had the district reduce the number of district assessments over the last 2 years. It is also very clear that you do not understand FL educational policies. Our local delegation in Lee (and most of FL) has voted part & parcel for every single test we have mandated for the state. I, and others, have lobbied in Tallahassee. They do not care. It is part of a larger agenda to rid the state of public education.
Your website makes you appear as if you are heavily involved in public education activism, but I have to say that your blog today misses the point entirely. I have to doubt anyone that praises Levesque & Arne Duncan in a blog post as being for public education. Or, if that person is for public education, then they are woefully undereducated in what is occurring both in FL & nationally. Please read Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error.
Kal,
I certainly did not mean to imply that I was praising Levesque or Duncan! I said that you should use their words to make a case.
I am looking at Lee County from the outside and from what I read. From where I sit, getting rid of all the tests sounds radical. But it sounds like you have done good work in getting rid of some of the worst already.
I said, you need a task force to get your Super and board to get rid of the tests that are the worst. I’d hate to see parents go home empty from all this. It sounds like they are going to rescind the vote.
But I also said, if you couldn’t do this, it sounds like you can’t, to get a lawyer pro bono to make a state case. I am curious as to why this hasn’t been done. Are the fees too exorbitant? I have known this to, sadly, be the case for parents of students with special needs who try to go it alone.
But there is power in numbers, and certainly there must be a lawyer in Florida who would love to take on a case like this. Or are you doing this already?
I have my own book out called Misguided Education Reform: Debating the Impact on Students and I have a new book in production concerning the Loss of Public Schools. If you would like to review my new manuscript let me know and I will send it to you. I’d love your perspective on it.
I hope I’ve cleared up the misunderstanding. I’m on your side, Kal.