and the page that inspired me:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Parents-Opt-Out-of-State-Tests/121316371311714
For more information, here are some excellent sites:
Education Historian Diane Ravitch is a gem, please go to her website and blog http://dianeravitch.netVAM discussion http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/26/kevin-welner-why-legislators-adopt-vam-formulas-they-dont-understand/
- More VAM http://dianeravitch.net/2014/04/08/texas-superintendent-asks-for-help-in-stopping-failed-vam/
- http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/26/kevin-welner-why-legislators-adopt-vam-formulas-they-dont-understand/
- Texas Parents Educational Rights - excellent source of info and letters http://www.txedrights.net
- Why opt out https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/08-1
- Campaign of America's Future http://ourfuture.org/20140320/extremists-in-the-education-debatehttp://ourfuture.org/20140306/more-of-the-same-wont-end-conflict-over-standardized-testing
- Education Opportunity Network http://educationopportunitynetwork.org
- http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/options-in-the-standoff-over-test-based-education-policy/
- Fairtest http://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
- http://fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-march-5-11-2014
- Massachusetts Statement About Testing http://matestingstatement.wordpress.com/statement/Myth of public school failure http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/education-uprising/the-myth-behind-public-school-failure
- National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing http://timeoutfromtesting.org/nationalresolution/org-signon#org-signon-form
- Opt Out of State Standardized Tests http://optoutofstandardizedtests.wikispaces.com/Texas+TX
- http://optoutofstandardizedtests.wikispaces.com
- TEDx talk about Standard Testing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otlmKZeNi-U
- Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas http://www.transformtexas.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/workinprogress.pdf
- TX Association of School Administrators http://www.tasanet.org/cms/lib07/TX01923126/Centricity/Domain/111/concept-paper.pdf
- http://www.tasanet.org/cms/lib07/TX01923126/Centricity/Domain/111/sampleresolution.pdf
- United Opt Out http://unitedoptout.com
- Lufkin Texas Administrator announces the district's new direction - take the STAAR test, ditch the prep and hype http://lufkindailynews.com/news/community/article_9bc0a3ea-fc4e-11e1-a137-001a4bcf887a.html
- Parents & kids https://www.facebook.com/pages/Parents-Kids-Against-Standardized-Testing/117479641627357
- Standardized movie http://vimeo.com/ondemand/standardized
- Charter schools in FL http://edushyster.com/?p=4623
- Washington state http://kuow.org/post/washington-teachers-union-supports-families-opting-out-state-testing#.U0SZb8FB-KI.facebook
Blogs and Opinions:
- GT issues http://simoneryals.blogspot.com/2014/02/im-one-of-worst-teachers-in-my-state.html
- Actual Common Core Math Problem - watch this bright girl show how they want her to find the solutionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YLlX61o8fg
- http://preaprez.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/karen-lewis-standardized-testing-and-the-eugenics-movement/
- http://russonreading.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-education-reformers-cant-do-and.html
- http://mattbruenig.com/2013/09/21/education-and-poverty-again/
- Lovely talk by OK parent Melissa Wilkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4SigOgVh6k
- http://www.cagle.com/2014/03/dont-look-now-but-education-spring-is-arriving/
- Discussion of Pearson lobbyist Bill Hammond http://jasonstanford.org/?p=662
- Texas AFT http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/
- Norm-referenced and criterion-refernced tests - a discussion of the difference http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2013/08/ny-state-tests-misguided-mixing-of.html
- http://www.publicschoolshakedown.org/prime-one-simple-sentence-can-opt-your-child-out-of-tests
- Washington Post 'Sorry' letter http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/08/dear-public-school-teachers-we-are-sorry/?utm_content=bufferd83ae&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
- http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/sarahlahm/i-am-pro-child-and-i-opt-out
- http://www.edusanity.com/2014/04/08/why-we-chose-to-opt-out/
- http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2014/04/i-am-middle-class-my-kids-test-well-and.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_Labor_Amendment
- If teacher pay depends on student performance (soon!), isn't that child labor. I wish people would raise this issue more. http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/texas-child-labor-law.html
- First Amendment and free speech information (do teachers have the right to speak up)
- http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/madison/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/FirstReport.PublicEmployees.pdf
- Texas Education Law Chapter 39 http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.39.htm
- Texas Education Code General Provisions http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/pdf/ED.1.pdf
- http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/pdf/ED.7.pdf
- http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/pdf/ED.11.pdf
- Contact Governor Perry http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/
- Parents' rights issues http://www.parentalrights.org/index.asp?SEC=%7B3051ABFF-B614-46E4-A2FB-0561A425335A%7D
- Austin ISD's position http://www.austinisd.org/announcements/can-parents-have-students-opt-out-staar
Articles:
- Dallas Morning News
- http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20140325-trickle-of-texas-parents-choosing-to-opt-children-out-of-state-testing.ece?ssimg=1547115#ssStory1547116
- Dallas Morning News http://res.dallasnews.com/interactives/2014_March/standardized_tests/part1/
- Dallas Morning News http://educationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/are-texas-parents-allowed-to-opt-their-kids-out-of-staar-tests-a-waco-couple-is-trying.html
- US News http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/03/17/how-common-core-standards-kill-creative-teaching
- Waco parents the Masseys http://www.kcentv.com/story/25073761/waco-couple-takes-stand-against-standardized-testing?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9984865#.UzJQhwDiyO8.facebook
- Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/?tid=pm_pop
- New York activists discuss the movement (video) http://video.pix11.com/Opting-out-of-standardized-tests-25755159#.U0wnkNzWkij
- NBC http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/27/18534023-enough-facing-backlash-from-parents-texas-cuts-back-on-student-testing
- NY Times and the Common Core http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/opinion/the-problem-with-the-common-core.html?rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article&_r=1