New Seattle Test Boycott Erupts: Nathan Hale High School votes to refuse to administer a Common Core test

Today, I found out from my good friend Doug Edelstein that his school community decided to collectively refuse to administer the new Common Core test, the SBAC, to 11th graders. Doug teaches at, and graduated from, Nathan Hale (in fact, my step-dad was a classmate of his).  The Nathan Hale Senate--a body made up of the …

Continue reading New Seattle Test Boycott Erupts: Nathan Hale High School votes to refuse to administer a Common Core test

10 Reasons to Refuse the PARCC Test for Your Child: Maryland parent on opting out of high-stakes testing

TakePart.com ran an article by Joseph Williams titled, “Boycotters Might Be Winning the Battle Over Standardized Testing.” In that article he writes: “In districts across the nation, from Florida to Alaska, the grassroots push for a rollback in high-stakes testing has gained momentum, and a broad coalition of parents, teachers, and advocates are poised to …

Continue reading 10 Reasons to Refuse the PARCC Test for Your Child: Maryland parent on opting out of high-stakes testing

Top Ten Acts of Test Resistance in 2014–The greatest year of revolt against high-stakes testing in U.S. history

The year 2014 marked the greatest year of revolt against high-stakes testing in U.S. history. Across the country, students are walking out, parents are opting their children out, and teachers are refusing to administer these detrimental exams—often taking great personal and professional risk to defy the corporate education reformers...Here then are my picks for the top ten most powerful acts of resistance to high-stakes, standardize testing in 2014. I hope to add your action to my list next year!

Black Student Union: “This is our time to speak”–Are the education reformers listening?

Seattle Times runs front page profile of Garfield High School Black Student Union’s leadership in the Black Lives Matter movement: “We are fighting for our lives.” Two weeks ago Dan Beekman of the Seattle Times, a Garfield High School graduate himself, returned to the Bulldog house in search of a story about the Black Lives …

Continue reading Black Student Union: “This is our time to speak”–Are the education reformers listening?

“Voices of a People’s History,” 10th anniversary edition features testing resistance & MAP Boycott!

Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove’s updated primary source companion to A People’s History of the United States includes Amber Kudla’s anti-standardized testing graduation speech and Jesse Hagopian’s reflection on the Seattle MAP test boycott. Since its publication in 2004, Voices of a People’s History of the United States has played a vital role in my …

Continue reading “Voices of a People’s History,” 10th anniversary edition features testing resistance & MAP Boycott!