AzMERIT

This post appeared in Stop Common Core in California Facebook on May 6, 2016.  It was shared by California teacher, Dawn Nikisher Kelly, with her permission:  

(GW NOTE:  It may be of interest to know that, unlike Arizona, California law allows a parent or guardian to excuse a child from all or parts of the statewide assessment.  Not many parents do, however.  See 60615 of EDUCATION CODE SECTION 60604-60618.)  

Those of us in the anti-Common Core/AzMerit/High Stakes testing movement have long explained why teachers don’t speak out against the insane nationalization of our K-12 Education System.  Mostly, it’s because they don’t want to risk losing their jobs.  Even former teachers don’t speak out, for fear they will never work again in the public school system.  Ms. Debra Jo Borden, a former Arizona teacher, bravely went public in late April 2016 .  She is silent no more about the gagging of teachers, AzMerit, the data mining and psychoanalysis of our children, and much more.   Please read what she has to say: 

1) I disagree with the contracts teachers are required to sign that force them to remain silent.

2) I can be brave and I will speak up.

Among the horror stories of teachers and local school administrators who intimidate, lie to, and bully their students are stories like this one.  Rusdon Ray shared the following letter that his young son received from his teacher.  According to Mr. Ray, "This letter was written by his good teacher who clearly recognizes and is doing her best to combat the psychological damage to her students by too much high stakes testing in schools with tests such as the AZ Merit. You can feel the love and concern this teacher has for her 3rd grade students and her desire to help them even though teachers’ hands have been tied. Take a moment and read it." 

The Arizona Legislature has adjourned Sine Die.  The Fifty-Second Legislature, Second Regular Session ended May 7,  2016.  Unfortunately, the majority of legislators (including all Democrats) refused to respect parents’ rights in voting Nay to SB1455 (parental opt out) . Yet, in liberal left New York, young school children happily joined together to stiffen adult spines against statewide (nationalized) assessments.  

As stated in Part 1 and Part 2, even though Arizona legislators are ultimately to blame for causing the ugliness, humiliation, undue stress, and mental anguish experienced by parents and their children who dare to reject AzMERIT, it is the teachers, principals, and administrators who are inflicting the pain.  As you will see from these parent comments, some local school "leaders" seem to take delight in emotionally punishing children for their parents’ actions. Local school authorities are willing to suspend their own consciences and actually harm children under their care, all in the name of standardized testing.  The comments you will read below aren’t unusual.  They are representative of what’s happening all over Arizona.  These parents will never again trust the "public school system." 

See Also: Beautiful Letter from an Arizona Teacher to Her Students The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 2 Online Charter Schools Opt Out Movement should Flourish During Testing Season The Schools’ War On Arizona’s Children: Part 1 Dear Senators:

(Phoenix, State Capitol)—Senator Sylvia Allen today urged local school leaders and administrators to work with parents, be respectful and not retaliate against a student for choices that parent may make.

It is that time of year again when Arizona schools are administering the statewide assessment to our students, also known as AzMERIT.  Unfortunately, another legislative session is coming to an end where a parent’s right to make educational decisions for their children are not being recognized in our state laws. Senator Allen sponsored SB 1455, which would have allowed parents to opt their children out of the AzMERIT assessment. This year Congress reauthorized the federal education law that gave states the flexibility to develop their own opt-out policies, but Senator Allen was unable to get it through the legislative process this session.