Moving from Defense to Offense in the Battle against the Test Machine
Friends! I am a coach as much as a teacher and my coach's instinct tells me it is time to move from defense to offense in the battle to push back the Test Machine and Save our Public Schools.
1. Take it to the streets. Participate in every march and demonstration against Corporate Education Reform taking place in your communit...y. For me, this means joining the protest against Education Nation at the NY Public library on Sunday. It also means mobilizing for the teachers March on Washington on July 28.
2. Support all forms of Test Resistance from Opting Out to returning Test Scores. As teachers, we may not be able to do this directly, but as parents and grandparents, we have the legal right to do so.
3. Bombard those responsible for Teacher and Child Abuse with tweets and emails letting them know you are watching them and holding them personally responsible for these destructive policies. For me, this means tweeting Arne Duncan, and John King, our star education commissioner, Every Single Day until they are forced out of office
4. Attend every public hearing you can in your area where education policy is being debated and make your voice heard! It can be a sponsored by city council, a state legislature or a local school board, make sure you are there and bring other BATS!
5. Identify and support Anti-Testing, Anti-Common Core and Pro-Teacher candidates, irrespective of Party affiliation, and work to get them elected. This, along with with the four tactics listed above, will send a powerful message to elected officials that support for Corporate Education Reform may hurt your career more than help it
And while you are doing these things keep talking- to friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members.
We can stop the Madness! Yes, we really can.
Friends! I am a coach as much as a teacher and my coach's instinct tells me it is time to move from defense to offense in the battle to push back the Test Machine and Save our Public Schools.
1. Take it to the streets. Participate in every march and demonstration against Corporate Education Reform taking place in your communit...y. For me, this means joining the protest against Education Nation at the NY Public library on Sunday. It also means mobilizing for the teachers March on Washington on July 28.
2. Support all forms of Test Resistance from Opting Out to returning Test Scores. As teachers, we may not be able to do this directly, but as parents and grandparents, we have the legal right to do so.
3. Bombard those responsible for Teacher and Child Abuse with tweets and emails letting them know you are watching them and holding them personally responsible for these destructive policies. For me, this means tweeting Arne Duncan, and John King, our star education commissioner, Every Single Day until they are forced out of office
4. Attend every public hearing you can in your area where education policy is being debated and make your voice heard! It can be a sponsored by city council, a state legislature or a local school board, make sure you are there and bring other BATS!
5. Identify and support Anti-Testing, Anti-Common Core and Pro-Teacher candidates, irrespective of Party affiliation, and work to get them elected. This, along with with the four tactics listed above, will send a powerful message to elected officials that support for Corporate Education Reform may hurt your career more than help it
And while you are doing these things keep talking- to friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members.
We can stop the Madness! Yes, we really can.
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