blog : Opting Out of NCLB Testing

03/25/2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-d-slekar/teachers-this-one-is-for-_b_839658.html

I am grateful for this post by Timothy Slekar. As a mother of a son with special needs, I have been particularly haunted by the standardized testing. In Illinois, students are required to take the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. For two weeks my son didn’t have homework, because of testing. The school schedule was modified, because of testing. As an educator, this troubles me. But my worries were greater as a mom.

When I attended my son’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan) last fall, we discussed the ISAT testing. The only allowable accommodation for my son was additional time. For my son’s disability, that isn’t really an accommodation. More appropriate ones would be for a teacher to read the test to him or give frequent breaks. I let go of that argument since there were other, I felt more pressing, concerns.

Three weeks ago, my little man went to school and participated in two weeks of ISAT testing. Every day, for those two weeks, I was bothered by the system in which I felt we were trapped. I brushed off the testing as “invalid” and ” a necessary evil”. It didn’t dawn on me until I read Slekar’s post that I could say, “NO!”

Enough of the bad testing.

Enough of non educators imposing Walmart like reforms.

Enough of feeling like a powerless parent.

Like Skelar, I love my son’s school and teachers. My protest is in support of them and my son.

Next year, my son will NOT take the ISAT.

April 2015 : 2 posts
March 2015 : 0 posts
February 2015 : 0 posts
January 2015 : 0 posts
December 2014 : 1 post
November 2014 : 4 posts
October 2014 : 5 posts
April 2015 : 2 posts
March 2015 : 0 posts
February 2015 : 0 posts
January 2015 : 0 posts
December 2014 : 1 post
November 2014 : 4 posts
April 2015 : 2 posts
March 2015 : 0 posts
February 2015 : 0 posts
January 2015 : 0 posts
December 2014 : 1 post
November 2014 : 4 posts
October 2014 : 5 posts
September 2014 : 7 posts
August 2014 : 3 posts
July 2014 : 0 posts
June 2014 : 2 posts
May 2014 : 0 posts
April 2014 : 1 post
March 2014 : 1 post
February 2014 : 0 posts
January 2014 : 2 posts
December 2013 : 0 posts
November 2013 : 6 posts
October 2013 : 0 posts
September 2013 : 1 post
August 2013 : 0 posts
July 2013 : 5 posts
June 2013 : 5 posts
May 2013 : 6 posts
April 2013 : 2 posts
March 2013 : 9 posts
February 2013 : 5 posts
January 2013 : 8 posts
December 2012 : 2 posts
November 2012 : 12 posts
October 2012 : 6 posts
September 2012 : 3 posts
August 2012 : 0 posts
July 2012 : 4 posts
June 2012 : 3 posts
May 2012 : 3 posts
April 2012 : 8 posts
March 2012 : 4 posts
February 2012 : 3 posts
January 2012 : 8 posts
December 2011 : 0 posts
November 2011 : 7 posts
October 2011 : 5 posts
September 2011 : 2 posts
August 2011 : 1 posts
July 2011 : 15 posts
June 2011 : 16 posts
May 2011 : 0 posts
April 2011 : 2 posts
March 2011 : 8 posts
February 2011 : 3 posts
January 2011 : 7 posts
December 2010 : 3 posts
November 2010 : 12 posts
October 2010 : 10 posts
September 2010 : 10 posts
August 2010 : 0 posts