CPS threatens to discipline teachers who won’t give students ISAT test.

[madfloridian]

Barbara Byrd Bennett is not a happy camper lately.


Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief executive officer for Chicago Public Schools, speaks during Wednesday's Chicago Board of Education meeting. | Chandler West/For Sun-Times Media

CPS threatens to discipline teachers who won’t give students ISAT

Chicago Public Schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett has threatened to discipline any teacher who refuses to administer an annual state achievement test next week, according to a letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

The letter, sent out Thursday to principals, claims teachers could face the harshest repercussion from boycotting the test — losing their state education certification.

On test day, teachers will be ordered to leave the school building if they refuse to administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, according to the letter.

....“Barbara Byrd-Bennett and CPS are afraid of us speaking up — of us voicing our opinion on how these tests are unjust,” said Sarah Chambers, a special education teacher at Saucedo. “We already discussed the potential repercussions and we know that what we are doing is right.”

Silent3 has a post about the hundreds of students who are refusing to take the test. I would say Barbara Byrd Bennett has her hands full.

Hundreds of CPS students refuse to take annual test

Holding signs that read “Our children are more than a score!,” the group encouraged parents to not have their children take the test...

“We think this is a great time for parents and students to say we are demanding more from our public schools than testing,” said Creswell, of More than a Score, an organization of parents, teachers, students and community members frustrated by CPS testing.

Wonder if Bennett is going to threaten the students as well.

[El_Johns]

1. kr

[madfloridian]

2. Thanks.

Recs on education posts hard to come by.

[madfloridian]

3. Seattle teachers refusing to give tests also.

Seattle Teachers Vow to Boycott a New Standardized Test

Seattle-area high-school teachers made national headlines when they launched a boycott last year of standardized testing—refusing to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. Teachers argued the exam wasted classroom time because it didn't affect student grades and wasn't aligned to what they were teaching.

As if punishing truant pupils, Seattle Public Schools superintendent José Banda threatened the teachers with a 10-day suspension. But when several schools joined the boycott, Banda backed off and killed a requirement that high schools administer the test. The teachers, after a tense standoff, had won their first fight against testing.

Now the teachers are emboldened.

Next school year, the district looks likely to battle teachers again over standardized tests—this time with even higher stakes. Common Core, a set of new education standards backed by the Obama administration, is being rolled out in 45 states. In several of them, including Washington, it's coming packaged with tests called Smarter Balanced Assessments that will hit Seattle classrooms next fall.

[jsr]

9. "But when several schools joined the boycott, Banda backed off"

That's how things get done!

[madfloridian]

10. Exactly.

Trouble is teachers tend to be appeasing by nature. Can't blame them since the "bad teacher" propaganda has worked so brilliantly.

[Mnemosyne]

4. Hopefully this refusal spreads nation wide. nt

[madfloridian]

6. Parents opting out also. Guess they will be punished as well?

Something has to stop this testing madness. It is not meant to help children, it is meant to fail schools.

[Mnemosyne]

11. Will parental opt-outs be cause for withdrawal/cuts to funding? I trust nothing anymore; those

pushing the testing and charter schools are a heinous bunch.

Sorry I was so slow to reply, dang tablet I was using decided only reading was allowed. Now have my daughter's notebook.

Thanks for keeping this info out there. I am learning much here.

[jsr]

8. +1

[Mnemosyne]

12. The sooner, the better... nt

[Michigan-Arizona]

5. K&R

What you do is so important, please never give up on keeping us up to date on education issue's..... I can only imagine how frustrating it must get.... Thank you

[madfloridian]

7. Thank you.

It does get discouraging. This is an example of why teachers can't fight back. They get spanked when they do. Maybe the parents and students will have to bring the change.