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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Wednesday, 13 March 2013 07:48 |
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Opting Out of High-Stakes Testing:
A Guide to Exercising Your Parental Rights (PDF)
TCAP/CSAP - Your legal rights as parents
What to do when your rights have been violated
Real opt out letters (Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3, Sample in Spanish)
Watch the Parents Rights bill debate
Q&A with Angela Engel
How to request your child’s test scores
Spread the word. Student Walkout during TCAP on March 14th, here in Denver!!! The student movement in Colorado has begun!!!!!!!!!
Students call for action: Walkout of the TCAP
March 14 at 11:00am
West steps of the Colorado State Capitol
___________________________
A note from the principal on TCAP
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 10:29 PM, Angela Engel wrote:
March 5, 2013
We are respectfully notifying _________ High School that Grace Engel will not be participating in the Colorado Student Assessment Program, TCAP.
We fully trust Grace’s teachers, and their assessment of our daughters educational progress and needs.
We support a meaningful education, one filled with passion, inquiry, research, discourse, higher-level thinking - all wonderful things that are cultivated by the excellent teachers in Littleton Public Schools - and those very things that High Stakes testing jeopardizes. When it comes to accountability, parents are the first line of defense and it is our job to advocate for our children, a quality education, and meaningful assessments.
Grace is prepared to complete alternative work in the library or apprentice in some career opportunities outside of school. We will provide for the alternatives based on your recommendation.
Respectfully,
Paul and Angela Engel,
PS - Please make this part of Grace’s permanent file.
Hello Mr. and Mrs. Engel,
I have received your letter opting Grace out of TCAP testing for the spring of 2013, and have forwarded it to assistant principal. He is the administrator who oversees TCAP testing for us. I respect your decision, but would like to express my disappointment in it as Grace is an outstanding student, and it would be wonderful to have her scores as a reflection of her learning in our school.
Thank you,
With all due respect, Ms. <Principal>,
TCAP is not a reflection of any student’s learning. Scores are more closely correlated to income and reinforce a severely inequitable education and economic system. Grace is quite an extraordinary human being and I am content with her experience at _____ High School. However, I must tell you that part of Grace’s academic success is having ownership over her education. From a young age she has been taught that her learning belongs to her. Any means to accountability that assumes either reward or responsibility for a student’s own success or failure, is flawed. I believe as an administrator you understand the injustice of high stakes testing. My wish is that you, as an education leader, would work to challenge the elements of the system that are so inherently wrong for children and their pursuit of a meaningful education; particularly given ________ High Schools position of esteem and privilege.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss the matter further,
Thank you for your passion around this topic. I do not disagree with many of your points, and I fully respect your decision.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 March 2013 07:50 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Wednesday, 16 January 2013 19:09 |
Last call for the Family Leadership Training Institute
The class starts on Saturday with a full day retreat and then classes meet one night per week. Dinner and childcare are included at no cost.
The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) is a first-of-its-kind family civics program. Program graduates spend more than 120 hours to develop skills needed to become effective leaders in their communities. Once recruited and accepted in to the program, participants attend a 20-week curriculum that integrates personal and child development, leadership training, civic literacy and civic participation skills. The curriculum includes four components: an initial retreat, two 10-week sessions that focus on knowledge about the change process, skill building, and tools of civic engagement; and a community project.
In only 20-weeks, Institute graduates make a significant impact within their communities. Through their community projects they demonstrate that when given civic and leadership
tools, families can guide public policy and decision making directly and indirectly through their actions and commitment to children, youth and the community. Please see http://coloradofamilyleadership.com./ for more information!
Arapahoe County Douglas FLTI will begin with a Retreat on January 19th. For more information, contact Ashleigh Kirk, 720-974-9634 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Parent Leadership Nationally:
NY - Suffolk County Long Island, and Greater Rochester
CT - 23 locations
ME - Sanford
RI - Woonsocket
CA - Stockton
CO - 7 locations
WY - Laramie, Albany and Hot Springs Counties
WRIR - The Wind River Indian Reservation - Wyoming
MI - Grand Rapids
VA - Alexandria
FL - Miami (multiple sites across the city)
LA - New Orleans
For more information contact: Patti Keckeisen:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
__________________________________
Education Conference
• Conference dates: February 19-21, 2013
• Location: Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City Beach, FL (Hotel rooms are suites with full kitchens and start at $99/night for a beachfront room.)
• Keynote Speaker - Harvey Alston (Learn more about Harvey at www.harveyalston.com)
• Pre-Conference "Educating for Safety, Effectiveness and Success" led by Dr. Anthony Dallmann-Jones, NAREN Director, held on Monday, February 18, 2013
• Post Conference "Mind Management for Teachers: Neuroscience, Self-Care and Life Success" led by Frank Kros of the Upside Down Organization held on Friday, February 22, 2013
• Returning Speakers from Previous Conferences: Angela Engel, Marcus Gentry, Frank Kros, Steve Parese, and Stephen Sroka!
Learn more here : 10th NAREN National Conference
________________________________________
 Featured Education Leader: Anthony Dallmann-Jones Ph.D:
Shadow Children — Understanding Education’s #1 Problem
2nd Edition By: Anthony Dallmann-Jones, PhD
2nd edition of the book, Shadow Children — Understanding Education’s #1 Problem. This book was written for anyone interested in the dynamic impact of families and schools upon at-risk youth. This book is an indispensable aid for teachers, parents, social workers, youth workers, school administrators, board members, and any and all educational stakeholders. If you wonder what needs to be done to keep kids in school, this book is for you. If you want to build a functional classroom, this book is for you. If you wonder why schools have had difficulty in reaching at-risk kids, this book is for you. If you want to understand your own family, this book is for you. If you want to understand at-risk children and gain insight into their issues, this book is especially for you.
SHADOW CHILDREN ~ Understanding Education's #1 Problem
Published by RLD Publications of Lancaster PA.
Available at the www.RLDPublications.com website OR
www.AtRiskEducation.Net look under "Resources - NAREN Store"
Specifically http://www.atriskeducation.net/shadow-children/
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Last Updated on Thursday, 17 January 2013 19:10 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Friday, 14 December 2012 19:11 |
The world is beginning to feel increasingly more dangerous. Today In a Conneticut Elementary School 26 were murdered, twenty of them children. Two months ago entire communities were wiped out by a natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy.
I want to collect my teenage daughters and never let them walk out the door again. I know that is not possible so I'm going to have a cup of tea and for a few moments pull the covers over my head. I'm going to think about how to respond to the inhumanity in this world with humanity, because I know this is the answer.
Speaking as a children's advocate we need to be smart on gun laws, we need to take care of our mentally ill, and we need to wrap all children in a loving, protective embrace because that is the only way that we can heal what ails us and stand against what frightens us.
_________
If you have young children, shield them from the horrors of the world. Turn off your televisions, radios, and internet, and close the newspaper. They are simply too young to understand.
If you have older children, cry, talk, listen, draw pictures, scream, sing songs, bake cookies, take walks, dance, play music, write, run and hug your way through today's tragedy. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 14 December 2012 19:27 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Tuesday, 06 November 2012 12:08 |
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November 6, 2012
Obama and Romney - both wrong on education
Throughout the presidential election, very little has been discussed about addressing the needs of children in this country. In fact the subject of education has come up only briefly. Governor Romney's education plan for vouchers and privatization had already failed at the higher education level, costing more and creating sub-standard colleges and ill-prepared graduates. President Obama's performance pay plan tied to "Race to the Top" funding had failed in research studies and models throughout the country, costing more, and creating sub-standard schools and ill-prepared graduates.
Both candidates endorse policies that standardize and centralize American schools. President Obama and Governor Romney have called for the adoption of a National Curriculum which is corporately driven. They consider standardized testing tools as a singular and valid measure of student's learning and teacher's success. While they claim to "love teachers" both advocate for sanctions and punishments as a solution to addressing the school struggles that are most strongly correlated to poverty.
While most of the political conversation has focused on issues outside of education and children, America's public school system holds the key to international relations, budget management, environmental protection, and social progress. The answers literally are great people because great people do great things and we simply need more of that.
I first started teaching as the standards movement was coming into fashion. My district had always operated with a curriculum, but in the early 90's a new education trend emerged with the goal of defining student performance outcomes called benchmarks and standards. Three years into teaching fourth graders I converted my classroom from an integrated project based approach to standards based. I was eager to demonstrate to parents, colleagues and administrators that I could get all of my students to demonstrate performance on the prescribed standards. Everything from curriculum, assignments, instruction, assessments, and even parent conferences were matched to these standards. At the end of the year, my students had a huge portfolio of work with the reading, writing, math and science standard attached to the top. Here it was...proof I had taught the standards and my students had performed them.
Something else happened too. I watched as my classroom went from a vibrant place of activity to a sterile room of boredom. If you walked in, you might think, "Wow, these kids are busy at work." They were busy at work but they weren't busy at learning. I noticed the curiosity and enthusiasm gradually drain along with their questions and inquiries. That next year high-stakes testing was introduced and the culture in my classroom shifted further to fear, uniformity and subjugation. I started asking myself, "What was happening here? Why wasn't this working? Had I done something wrong?" The answer hit me like a kick to the gut.
I – we – had stolen these children's learning. This version of reform had turned their education into an exercise in accounting. Standards had robbed them of finding the answers to their own questions and pursuing the ends to their own understanding.
When you step outside or inside, often you can feel the "deadness" in the world today. We are feeding this deadness in our classrooms with the wrong values and the wrong policies. Our challenge is to stop trying to bring life to the dead things and to breathe vitality into the living. Standards are dead, curiosity is alive. Tests are dead, imagination is alive. Accountability is dead, children are alive.
Real education is not regurgitating standards and shading bubbles. Real learning is reading books - the whole book; writing on topics that reflect individual interests, experiences, and ideas; answering problems that connect to actual things like solving and saving, budgeting and building; and experimenting with scientific principles where the answers differ and the results are dynamic. Quality education engenders a responsibility for one's own learning. It is not standardized but personalized and meaningful. Most importantly good education recognizes the unique differences in how children learn and honors their very brief childhood. As human beings we learn innately, joyfully, and for our own purpose. To impose outcomes and control performance is to hinder human development, cultivate dependency and kill the natural curiosity that lives in each of us.
Both President Obama and Governor Romney share the vision to shift control of teaching and learning to corporate education publishers and private hedge funders. Both are wrong. High-stakes standardized testing is a mistake, and decisions to expand tests, raise the stakes higher, and misuse these measurements as tools to punish and sanction teachers and students violates the intention of public education.
In a democracy the power must ultimately reside with the people. In last night's post election speeches both president Obama and Governor Romney shared one thing right-- we must work together. We must all work together to protect our children and those public institutions of learning where opportunity and freedom first begin.
Featured Education Leader: Jaisal Noor
Jaisal Noor is a New York City based reporter for the New York Indypendent Newspaper, Free Speech Radio News and Community News Production Institute.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8757
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 November 2012 09:04 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Monday, 29 October 2012 22:48 |
October 30, 2012
A Test of Leadership - watch this video
This past legislative session I worked with Representative Judy Solano to introduce House Bill 12-1091. The bill reduced high stakes testing to the minimum federal requirements and re-directed the $7million dollars in savings to the Colorado Preschool Program. If you don't think your vote counts, please watch this short video of the committee hearing. There are nearly 1,100 registered lobbyists in the state of Colorado an average representative of most states. You - parents, teachers, and grandparents - are the only voices for our children. Colorado is in position to turn over the Co House of Representatives and if we do 3,000 low-income children may get to attend preschool. Make sure you are carrying the voices of children to your government representatives during this critical election period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP7uI_cPNXQ
HB12-1091- Read the full bill here
Read the Preschool Fact Sheet
Read the Preschool Press Release
Colorado, Wyoming, Connecticut and Florida Leadership Opportunity:
For the past three years, I've been a facilitator for the Family Leadership Training Institute. I've had the privilege of working with exceptional people from diverse backgrounds. The group meets one evening a week for 20 weeks of empowerment, inspiration and connection. Childcare and meals are provided.
Colorado FAMILY LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (FLTI)
Taking applications now at www.ColoradoFamilyLeadership.com and click on 'Now Accepting Applications!'
Applications due November 30, 2012
Interviews scheduled in December 2012
Classes start in January 2013 in the following counties:
Adams (monolingual Spanish only), Arapahoe/Douglas, Eagle, Larimer, Mesa, Montezuma/Dolores
Denver/Aurora (near Children's hospital)
The Colorado Family Leadership Training Institute began in Colorado in 2009. Applications for the Class of 2013 are now being accepted. It is time to spread the news and encourage others to apply for this excellent training opportunity for parents, family members, and other community members interested in making a difference for children, youth, and families.
Who should apply? Parents, teen parents, grandparents, other family members, young adults, foster parents, community members and others who wish to improve the lives of children and families in communities.
The FLTI curriculum is a proven curriculum that inspires trains and empowers individuals to become effective leaders and change agents on behalf of children, youth, and families. This opportunity is only offered to 25 participants in each of the participating counties. Applicants are screened and selected based on their availability and readiness. Consideration is also given to how their participation will enhance diversity, strength, and learning for the group as a whole. FLTI course is offered free of charge! In return, you commit your time and a written community project that reflects your passion.
The 20 week FLTI curriculum is based on the premise that the family is a child’s first and most important teacher. Family members are also the best advocates for children and communities. Community leaders including parents, youth, and family members, can be effective when they speak out on issues and inform policymakers, the media, and the community, about the needs of their members. FLTI offers stimulating educational sessions to boost leadership skills of participants in addressing areas of concern such as accessible child healthcare, the education achievement gap, neighborhood safety, and the significance of parental involvement. Together, class participants will emerge as strong leaders and advocates for all children and their families.
Featured Education Leader: Every Child Matters
The Pending Threat of Congressional Actions to Children’s Safety Net Programs
Since the beginning of the 112th Congress in January of 2011, members have introduced several proposals pertaining to the health, education, and safety of children. Some have become law. Others have not. They could be enacted later this year or early next year depending on other action Congress and the Administration take. The first section of this report summarizes the automatic cuts, known inside the Beltway as “sequestration,” that will become law unless Congress reverses them before the end of the year. We describe in the second section cuts the House passed earlier this year which would replace the automatic cuts in January with yet deeper cuts in children’s programs. Finally, in section three, we examine the budget the House passed in April that the Senate rejected, which would also have made deep cuts in many children’s programs. These proposed reductions are very much a possibility in the budget debates that will resume in November. They would take the country in the wrong direction. Extensive documentation shows that key investments in proven health, education, and social programs are lagging. In the face of exploding child poverty rates, Congress should be proposing investments that benefit children, not cuts, like those described below, which would harm them.
Read the full report here: |
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Last Updated on Monday, 29 October 2012 23:19 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Thursday, 18 October 2012 19:33 |
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October 18, 2012
The deep roots of corporatization in education
I'd like to share with you an important article from the magazine Rethinking Schools, regarding the organization, Stand for Children. When this organization first came to Colorado, I did some research of my own. As a twenty-year children's advocate, I've come to understand that foundations and organizations often aren't who they say they are. It's important to look beyond the web graphics and the catch phrases to reveal agendas. As part of my personal internal investigation of Stand for Children, I interviewed for a job position. A couple of weeks later a phone interview was conducted. The interviewer, a national staff member, was a recent college graduate and according to her biography, the extent of her education experience was a couple of summers working with children with disabilities. Her questions, however, revealed the strategic plan behind the organization. They wanted to know with which organizations I was affiliated; how many personal contacts I had in my community; and who were the leaders in my network. The final part of the interview was a role play. I was given the scenario of a community meeting where no one had shown up and I had the task of comforting and further encouraging the host. At the end of the interview, I asked some questions of my own. My application was for a leadership position. According to the interviewer, I would have a three-month entry pay trial with Stand, and based on my "performance," I could then be considered for a higher position. "What are the performance criteria?" I asked. She answered, "It is based on your ability to organize in your community and grow Stand for Children members."
Stand for Children doesn't stand for children; they leverage children. While appearing as a community-based organization, they use deceptive and misleading tactics to gather contacts, promote particular candidates and forward a profit driven legislative agenda. In the name of children they use money to gain the power and control. Look closely below at their policy agenda and then follow the video links to learn more for yourself.
Five education leaders in the Colorado Legislature have been targeted by Stand for Children.
Please join this fundraising celebration to support real children's advocates
Sunday, October 21st 5-7 pm
Home of Jeannie and Steve Kaplan
818 Marion St. Denver
RSVP to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Read the 2011 Policy Agenda here
"We must support parents in choosing the school that best meets their children's needs by using a common…set of standards and assessments to determine student learning and school performance."
Click here to watch Jonah Edelman, Co-founder of Stand for Children, in his own words:
Click here to watch the truth about Stand for Children
For or Against Children?
The Problematic History of Stand for Children
Fall 2011
By Ken Libby and Paul Sanchez
Stand has seen an enormous influx of corporate cash. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began by offering a relatively modest two-year grant of $80,000 in 2005. In 2007, Stand for Children received a $682,565 grant. In 2009, the point at which Stand’s drastically different political agenda became obvious, Gates awarded a $971,280 grant to support “common policy priorities” and in 2010, a $3,476,300 grant.
Though the Gates Foundation remains the biggest donor to Stand for Children, other players in the world of corporate education reform have also begun to see Stand as an effective vehicle to push their agenda.
New Profit Inc. has funded Stand since 2008—to the tune of $1,458,500. According to its website, New Profit is a “national venture philanthropy fund that seeks to harness America’s spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship to help solve the country’s biggest social problems.”
The Walton Family Foundation made a 2010 grant of $1,378,527. Several other major funders are tied to Bain Capital, a private equity and venture capital firm founded by Mitt Romney.
In a similar time frame, Stand’s National Board of Directors has seen dramatic changes. Lauene Powell Jobs joined the board of Stand for Children in 2006. She also serves on the board of Teach for America. Both Powell Jobs and Julie Mikuta, who joined the Stand board in 2007, are integrally involved with the NewSchools Venture Fund. NewSchools is a venture philanthropy firm, started by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and financed by many of the same donors who give to Stand for Children—Bill Gates, the Walton Family—as well as Eli Broad and Gap founder Donald Fisher. NewSchools Venture Fund pours money into charter schools and “human capital” projects with the aim of using market models and corporate management to drastically reshape the education system.
In 2010, Emma Bloomberg, daughter of billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, became the newest member of Stand’s national board. Emma Bloomberg is a program officer at the Robin Hood Foundation, another venture philanthropy organization, whose board of directors is dominated by corporate titans like General Electric CEO Jeffery Immelt and JP Morgan CEO Jes Staley.
Read the full article here
____________________
Featured Education Leader: David Sirota
http://www.davidsirota.com/
The only game in town:
An unlikely comeback for dying newspapers
By David (David J.) Sirota
On August 6, 2010, the New York Times published a front-page dispatch with the headline exotic deals put denver schools deeper in debt. The article, by Pulitzer Prize winner Gretchen Morgenson, examined how education officials in Colorado’s largest city used a routine pension-refinancing negotiation to cut a sweetheart deal with major financial institutions. As the Times reported, the accord made millions for, among others, JPMorgan Chase and the Royal Bank of Canada. In the process, it locked the school system into ballooning, usurious interest rates, thereby endangering the district’s long-term financial stability. Ultimately, the scheme became a key exhibit at an SEC hearing on the perils of municipal finance.
By David (David J.) Sirota |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 October 2012 20:46 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Tuesday, 09 October 2012 12:44 |
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Featured education leader and important book - this one is for Kids too!
The Education of Sam Sanders by T.S. Poetter
Review by Conny Jensen:
 This book had me captivated from the very beginning! This story needs to be read by parents, teachers, by everyone with a care or concern about public education, but especially by school board members, state legislators, politicians and all who support the practice of high-stakes standardized testing and in doing so are condoning the implementation of rigid curriculum that is harmful to children and disrespectful to teachers.
A lot of damage is already done. Schools are now even depriving kindergarten children of all play; an important developmental need that helps grow a healthy brain and would really contribute to improved learning ability in later grades.
Instead children receive large doses of teacher directed (and often mind numbing scripted) instruction during which they cannot ask questions or make remarks. I have seen this in practice in several K grades and it broke my heart!!
Our public schools should not treat children as if they are invisible, but if we do not collectively oppose such unconscionable practices now, schools may actually become like the one chillingly portrayed in The Education of Sam Sanders where teachers become mere score keepers and learning is mere memorization of facts coming via the state's computers, instead of generated from student interest and learning outcomes internalized through engaging projects.
Read more
The following comes from the book. We all need to ask ourselves if this is what we want to subject our kids to when we send them to school! I'd rather have my kid be a Sam Sanders who refuses to take the tests!
"All that students had been learning in his class would come out now; the test would show what the students knew. He stared down at his terminal showing how the students were doing on the questions as they progressed through the test. He saw them doing well, miserably, as their right and wrong answers tabulated in a continuous fashion right before his eyes.
The scores go directly to the state computer; the state closely monitored each test site by computer and by camera. He could not coach the students in any way, shape, or form; he couldn't give them any sorts of cues or prompts. ..All the while he knew the the computer wouldn't tabulate a score for Sam, and that Sam's "0" would count against the class, and against him."
Colorado Events
Oct. 10th 6:30-7:30 pm
Learn how to Opt your child out of high-stakes testing:
Please join us for an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 10th from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Highlands Ranch Library located at 9292 Ridgeline Blvd. City: Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Education experts and caring parents, Angela Engel and Peggy Robertson will present information at 6:30 and 7:00 with time for questions after each session.
Angela Engel - angelaengel.com and uniting4kids.com
Peggy Robertson - unitedoptout.com and pegwithpen.com
Learn more about the damaging pressure, inequalities, and outrageous costs of high-stakes standardized testing, learn what TCAP doesn’t tell you.http://www.facebook.com/events/424059054323880/?notif_t=plan_user_joined
October 15th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
“Teach” Movie Screening and discussion
Join parents, teachers, and community members to watch an enlightening movie that documents the effects of NLCB on teaching and education reform. Also, hear how teachers around the country have tried to make their voices heard. Discuss ways to improve education for all of our students. Sponsored by Club 30 of the DCTA.- Montview Presbyterian Church- 1980 Dahlia St. Denver, CO 80220
Click for invitation here
Watch the film trailr here
October 22nd, 2-4:30 pm
“Race to Nowhere” Film screening and Conversation
The student led event will be very informative. Alex Kacsh will facilitate a conversation afterwards about public education.
Register here
Oriental Theater
4335 W. 44th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80212
Learn more on Facebook
November 30th, 5:30 pm
Thank you and a Gratitude Party
Park Lane
460 S. Marion Pkwy,
Denver CO 80209
Please mark your calendars for a celebration to recognize Colorado's Education Leaders. Friday, November 30th 5:30 pm. Special guest and honoree, Representative Judy Solano.
I don't say "thank you" enough and I want to recognize the volunteers that work with me to dignify the lives and learning of children.
Lisa Alonge Morgan, Conny Jensen, Patrick Anderson, Betsy Angert, Nina Bishop, Toni Tucker, Jane Diamond, Joel Lachance, Yosuke Carter, Peg Robertson, Don Perl, Robert and Nancy Wirsing, and Don Glines.
If you would like to bring an appetizer or bottle of wine to contribute, please contact me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
__________________
Billboard campaign underway - please mail your contributions to:
(No amount is too small)
The Coalition for Better Education
2424 22nd Avenue
Greeley, Co 80631
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 October 2012 13:59 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Thursday, 27 September 2012 11:37 |
One thousand spells are cast upon the earth. Named, they are broken. That is the power of consciousness.
On June 1, 1999 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) sided with Debra Gaudette after the Connecticut State Department of Education refused to provide her daughter's test answers on the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT). The USDE agreed that Connecticut State Department of Education violated Mrs. Gaudette's parental rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in denying her access to the test information.
When his daughter was denied her diploma, Martin Swaden of Edina, Minnesota asked to see his daughter's answers from the test used to determine who graduates from high school. Initially the state refused this father's request. Swaden persisted threatening to sue the school district; Mr. Swaden is an attorney. When he was given the test and his daughter's answer sheet and sat in a room with state officials, he found his daughter had accurately answered six questions that National Computer Systems, NCS, had scored wrong. Had they scored her correctly it would have been enough to raise her above the cut score determined for graduation. "When it was all over, the state determined that errors by NCS had caused 47,000 Minnesota students to get lower scores than they deserved, 8,000 to fail when they should have passed, and 525 seniors to be unjustly denied diplomas."
Below is a sample letter that you can submit to see your child's test, answers, and scores.
Copies of this letter should be sent to the following:
School district Superintendent
State Department of Education
Each Member of the Local School Board
Date
I am writing in regards to the state standardized test, (test name). The high-stakes test was administered on ________(date) at ________ (school name and address). During the time the test was administered, my child__________ (your child's name), was in the ______________(grade and teacher).
As a concerned and informed parent who believes in my right to direct my child's education, I am writing to request my child's test answer booklet, answer guide, and the pre-established criterion that was used to score the state standardized test. As well as any and all information you may have on my child directly relating to______(test name).
Supreme Court ruling regarding parental rights and the Freedom of Information Act supports this request. Additional precedence was established by the United States Department of Education on June 1, 1999. The USDE sided with Debra Gaudette, a mother from Connecticut, ruling actual parts of a standardized test, then called the Connecticut Mastery Test, were in fact part of her child's "education record" and were to be released for her review under the requirements of FERPA ACT.
According to the FERPA regulations these items must be released within 45 days of this request dated ______________ (date of letter). I am concerned that these test results may direct my child's future educational opportunities. Thank you for your prompt reply.
Thank you,
Name
Address
Phone
Email
What if Parents and Teachers call for publishing of tests http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-parents-and-teachers-call-for.html
Harvard Education Letter; Opt out Movement Gains Steam http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/548#home
NY Television Network Features Parents Opting Out http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/167080/13/Opting-Out-Of-Standardized-Tests
Classes have just started here at the University of Northern Colorado and of course there is always that excitement in the air - and new hope - as students fill the campus and the classrooms. And we are off and running with this year's billboard campaign. Yesterday I signed a contract with CBS Outdoor advertising for two billboards to go up after the first week of January 2013 and to run for a month. The billboards will once again alert parents that they have the right to exempt their children from the fraud of TCAP testing (formerly CSAP). One of the billboards will be on I-25 between Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The second one will be on the Western slope near Montrose. We have seen a remarkable increase in the number of parents exempting their children. If you look at our website at www.thecbe.org you will see that in 2010 there were 324 parent refusals while in 2011 there were 1,427. The word is going forth. But here is the hard part: We have an account in Weld Schools Credit Union of $600. The boards will cost $1,800. We need to raise $1200. So here I am soliciting funds for these boards. Anything you can send - anything at all will be wonderful and will go directly to our account and will be used to pay for the cost of the boards. We have no administrative costs. I'll attach the photo of one of the boards from last year so you can see what it will look like this year.
You can put a check in the mail to:
The Coalition for Better Education
2424 22nd Avenue
Greeley, Co 80631.
OPT OUT GROUPS UNITING:
www.unitedoptout.com
www.thecbe.org
www.fairtest.org
www.paretnsacrossamerica.org
www.bartlebyproject.org
www.susanohanian.org
www.buildbetterschools.com
www.angelaengel.com
www.Uniting4Kids.com
www.timeoutfromtesting.org
http://pwceducationreform.wordpress.com/prince-william-county-pwc-prince-william-county-schools-pwcs-education-virginia/ |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Friday, 21 September 2012 09:01 |
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September 27, 2012
Please make sure you are registered to vote. Colorado residents can register online at GoVoteColorado.com. October 9th is the last day to register.
The only voice children have when it comes to policies and budget priorities, is yours. Do not be silent.
Thank you and a Gratitude Party
I don't say "thank you" enough and I want to recognize the volunteers that work with me to dignify the lives and learning of children.
Lisa Alonge Morgan, Conny Jensen, Patrick Anderson, Betsy Angert, Nina Bishop, Toni Tucker, Jane Diamond, Joel Lachance, Yosuke Carter, Peg Robertson, Erik Sutton, Don Perl, Felix Ojeda, Robert and Nancy Wirsing, and Don Glines.
Please mark your calendars for a celebration to recognize Colorado's Education Leaders. Friday, November 30th 5:30 pm. Special guest and honoree, Representative Judy Solano. Details to follow. If you would like to bring an appetizer or bottle of wine to contribute, please contact me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Flash mob at the kids rally, Saturday September29th
Also, if you have kids and families that might be interested in do the flash mob at the Colorado Capitol for the step up for kids rally next Sat. Sen http://www.facebook.com/events/409089419154905/?ref=notif¬if_t=plan_user_joined
Learn about Opting your child out of TCAP, October 10th from 6-8 pm
Join us at the Highlands Ranch Library 9292 South Ridgeline Boulevard Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 on October 10th from 6 - 8 p.m. Parents and students are invited to come and gather information about opting out of TCAP.
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A Parents Experience on a School Accountability Team by Angela Engel
As a children’s advocate and education innovator, I’ve been a strong proponent of school decision-making at the local level. So much so in fact, I designed the Colorado Resolution to oppose No Child Left Behind and put an end to federally centralized control over neighborhood schools. The bill had bipartisan sponsorship and was passed in the senate 27-3. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the House Education Committee before Speaker McNulty blocked it from moving to the House floor for a final vote.
So last year, I decided to put my time where my mouth is and join the “School Accountability Team” at the Littleton middle school where my two daughters attended. School Accountability Teams, SATs, are comprised of parents, teachers, students, and administrators. We met once a month from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Our particular team had three parents, three teachers, the principal and two students. One representative then serves on the District Accountability Team. This was a role I shared with another parent, alternating each month for the two-hour district meeting.
My expectation of the team was that we would make decisions and explore solutions to various challenges with the input of parents, teachers and students. Instead the SAT served as function for reporting, not problem solving.
Read the full article here in Ed News Colorado
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Book Release and Featured Education Leaders:
The book Educational Courage: Resisiting the Ambush of Public Education has just been released. It is a must have for the growing library of literature raising a voice of protest to the market forces' invasion - and take over - of public education and the very concepts that bring communities together. Organized by Nancy Schniedewind and Mara Sapon-Shevin and including Juanita Doyon, Alfie Kohn and Curtis Acosta are many others. Published by Beacon Press the book costs $19.00. Whatever can be done to promote the book will be excellent work for the cause.
Here's a sample of the few of the chapters:
There is No Rubric for Imagination:
Organizing against a Charter School Gone Corporate - Nate Walker
"No": The Power of Refusal - Doug Christensen and Chris W. Gallagher
You Can't Be Driven by Fear: A Portrait of Public School - Tom Roderick
"Just Parents" Challenge Mayor Daley - Julie Woestehoff
Another World Is Possible/Another Education Is Necessary - Bill Ayers
Order Education Courage here and learn more
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Last Updated on Thursday, 27 September 2012 11:52 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Wednesday, 05 September 2012 19:33 |
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In this newsletter:
Educational events - I recognize the majority of you are not from Colorado. Please consider bringing these films to your community.
Free webinars - How to use the law to advocate for your children.
Featured education leader - Peggy Robertson, shaking things up in the suburbs and throughout the nation.
Education Events Schedule for Colorado:
American Teacher Film Screening
When: Thursday, September 6, 6 pm - 8 pm
Location: Armstrong Hall at Colorado College, 14 Cache la Poudre, Colorado Springs CO
Cost: Free
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzvD9v7CbEE
Research has shown that top performing school systems in the world share one thing in common: top-performing teachers. Join us for this feature length film that chronicles the stories of four teachers living and working in disparate urban and rural areas of the country. By following these teachers as they reach different milestones throughout their career, American Teacher tells a deeper story of the teaching profession in America.
If you are interested in attending, please email Amber Cote
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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The Finland Phenomenon Film Screening
When: September 22nd at 2 p.m.
Location: Highlands Ranch Library, 9292 Ridgeline Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcC2l8zioIw
“The Finland Phenomenon,” a movie about Finland’s highly successful educational system.
This one hour movie will be followed by a panel discussion featuring some of Colorado's premier educators.
Sponsored by SOS Colorado in partnership with the Finlandia Foundation of Colorado:
Due to limited parking, please park on the available side streets.
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Outdoor Dance Party & Uniting4Kids Fundraiser
Street Pachanga Schedule
Saturday, September 8th at 11 am
South High School, 1700 East Louisiana Avenue, Denver, CO
Parking lot on the corner of E. Louisiana and South Franklin St.
Cost $10, Kids are free
Saturday, September 22nd at 10am (note earlier time)
El Parral Mexican Restaurant, 6875 South Broadway, Littleton
Corner of Broadway and 1 block S. of Sterne Pkwy
Cost $10, Kids are free
Saturday, October 6th at 11 am
La Rumba, West 9th Avenue, Denver, CO
Parking lot on 9th Avenue, 1 block west of Broadway
Cost $10, Kids are free
We will move the Pachanga party inside La Rumba for inclement weather
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Su Teatro announces La Carpa Aztlan presents the play "I Don't Speak English Only" as its 2012 Season Opener, September 20-October 14, running Thursday-Saturday.
Su Teatro will revive a nearly 20 year old signature work in celebration of the company’s 40thAnniversary and as a timely kick off to their third season at the Denver Civic Theatre.
“I Don't Speak English Only!” is a broad comic farce that satirizes the conservative culture war attacks on Latino communities.
Set in the not too distant future, the play presents a world where books are banned, Latino historical figures are " disappeared" from school books and children are punished for expressing positive cultural identity. Su Teatro decided to revive the play, because unfortunately, the attack on Latinos dedicated to creating bilingual and bicultural communities is still so relevant. “What many thought were crazy ideas by a fringe component of the political spectrum are now found in the mainstream of governmental policy,” Su Teatro Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia said.
All performances of La Carpa Aztlan presents "I Don't Speak English Only!" will be at Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center (the Denver Civic Theatre) 721 Santa Fe Drive. Curtain is at 7:30. There will be one Sunday matinee performance October 14 @ 3pm. Tickets are $20 general admission; $18 for Students and Seniors and may be purchased at (303) 296-0219. Group rates available.
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Free Webinars: "How to use Title IX to advocate for student's needs
In celebration of Title IX's 40th anniversary, we are excited to invite you to two webinars. These webinars are designed to help advocates, coaches and school personnel learn more about Title IX.
These webinars are free, but participants must register separately for each in advance.
Join us this Thursday for How to Use the Civil Rights Data Collection Online Tool to Check Your School's Record on Title IX Issues hosted by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education.
Thursday, September 6 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Featuring:
• Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education
• Lara S. Kaufmann, Senior Counsel & Director of Education Policy for At-Risk Students, National Women’s Law Center
• Erin Prangley, Associate Director of Government Relations, American Association of University Women
This free training, provided by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, will walk participants through how to access the online Civil Rights Data Collection. The Civil Rights Data Collection for K-12 public schools is a free online resource for parents, teachers and others who want to know more about the civil rights and equity conditions at individual school and district levels. Data includes enrollment, expenditures, teacher qualifications, access to college-prep and AP courses, participation in athletics and gifted programs, school climate and discipline, sexual harassment and bullying, and more — and is cross-tabulated by race, gender, disability and other categories.
What You Need To Know About Title IX and Athletics: A Webinar For Coaches, Parents, and School Officials
Tuesday, September 11 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
This free training for coaches, parents, school officials, and students will include important information on the following:
• General overview of Title IX as it applies to sports
• Tips for recognizing Title IX problems
• Opportunity to ask questions
Don't miss these opportunities to learn more about this important civil rights law, which requires schools to provide equal opportunities and protections to boys and girls both in the classroom and on the playing field.
Get the facts — register today for one or both of these free Title IX trainings.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 September 2012 23:17 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Wednesday, 07 March 2012 14:17 |
CSAP/TCAP Opting Out Information
In 2011 there were 1,427 parent refusals for CSAP, 2,754 tests not completed.
In 2010 there were 324 parental refusals for CSAP, 696 tests not completed.
Parent refusals have increased every year since high-stakes testing began.
Opting Out of High-Stakes Testing:
A Guide to Exercising Your Parental Rights (PDF)
TCAP/CSAP - Your legal rights as parents
Real opt out letters (Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3, Sample in Spanish)
Watch the Parents Rights bill debate
Read the Parental Right bill
Q&A with Angela Engel
TCAP refusal letter
We are respectfully notifying Powell Middle School that Grace Engel and Sophie Engel will not be participating in the state-wide assessment program, TCAP. They have alternative work and are prepared to complete their studies in the media center.
We fully trust Grace and Sophie's teachers and their assessment of our daughters' educational needs and progress. As parents, we support a meaningful education, one filled with passion, inquiry, discourse, imagination, and critical thinking - all wonderful things cultivated by excellent teachers- and those very things that high-stakes testing jeopardizes. When it comes to accountability, parents are the first line of defense and it is our responsibility to advocated for our children, a quality education, and meaningful learning opportunities.
Respectfully,
Angela and Paul Engel
Take Action
• Join our constituent lobbyist group
• Add your name to the growing number of parents opting out
• Opt in – Ask to see your child’s graded standardized test
Parents, if you have experienced educational malpractice or attempts to coerce, cajole and outright bully parents into high stakes standardized testing, or if your children have experienced any name-calling or intimidation, one of our stalwarts, Nina Bishop, is collecting the information so that the ACLU has a good idea of what so many of our parents and their children are enduring in our schools under the misnomer of education reform.
Please get in touch with Nina and share your story. The ACLU requires that all documentation be sent via traditional mail. Here is the pertinent information:
Nina Bishop
3065 Windward Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
Our Partners
• Uniting4Kids
• The Coalition for Better Education
• United Opt Out
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Preschool not a priority for some legislators -HB 1091
Read Representative Judy Solano's thank you letter to supporters:
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From: State Rep. Judy Solano [mailto:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 8:29 AM
Subject: A Letter to Thank My 1091 Supporters
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State Representative
JUDY SOLANO
200 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol: 303-866-2918
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Committee Membership
Ranking Member:
Education
Member:
Appropriations
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COLORADO
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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Teachers or Bureaucrats?
Today, I sent out letters of gratitude to 20 parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens who took time out of their lives to speak for my bill, HB 12-1091. I admire their dedication to quality education and their refusal to accept the status quo that is being pressed on them by bureaucrats. These men and women showcase the activism that is needed to keep education from relying even more on ineffective, standardized testing.
These citizens standing up for children were challenged by bureaucrats standing up for their own jobs. The opposition stressed the need for data, growth models, and seemingly infinite information on students. Parents and teachers stressed the need to return to the proven fundamentals of education.
One such fundamental, early-childhood education, has been neglected in favor of more testing. Studies have overwhelmingly shown the value of early-childhood education. Children who receive quality preschool and full day kindergarten have consistently and significantly outperformed children who did not receive the same education opportunities.
Not only is academic achievement heightened in students who went to preschool, but kids are more likely to stay in school, go to college and have a job later in life. Preschool also dramatically decreases the likelihood of unwanted pregnancy, being imprisoned, and receiving welfare. Adults who had access to quality early childhood education generate more tax revenue due to better job opportunities.
It is unfortunate that the Republicans on the State Affairs Committee decided to side with bureaucrats rather than schoolchildren. The State of Colorado will continue to fund ineffective, redundant and costly CSAP/TCAP testing while allowing an immensely successful program to go underfunded. There are more than 3,500 at-risk children in Colorado who qualify for the Colorado Preschool Program but will not be able to attend because of budget constraints.
I find it unconscionable that American children are being denied an opportunity to achieve their full potential because we would rather fund growth models and data collection.
A decade of CSAP testing has not produced a decline in the dropout rate or a closing of the achievement gap. Focusing on quality early-childhood education is a proven way to fix these issues. We cannot afford to have a generation of workers who have dropped out of high school. We cannot afford a generation of workers who are not proficient in math or writing. Our economy needs smart, innovative workers who can compete in a global marketplace.
When I was a teacher, education was about making connections, inspiring children and guiding them toward their goals and aspirations. Teachers are equally passionate about making sure students achieve their highest educational potential. However, education is devolving into a pattern of test preparation and number crunching. Authentic learning cannot occur when the sole focus is on increased test scores.
The true winners of standardized testing are testing corporations and for-profit management corporations. Tax dollars are drained into the coffers of corporations and have led to record profits and little accountability.
It is my hope that the passion and dedication on display from students and teachers will continue to showcase this issue. CSAP testing is not the answer to a lagging educational system. We have to give kids the opportunity to succeed before we can reasonably expect to test their proficiency.
It is time for policymakers to understand that there is much more to education than penciling in a bubble.
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Peace Jam event this Saturday
Great group of people and wonderful opportunity for young people to engage in world change.
Colorado Mini-Jam
Date: Saturday, March 10th
Time: 10am to 5pm
Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center
2836 Welton Street
Denver, Colorado 80205
(please bring your lunch)
Co-hosted by: YES!, PeaceJam
Foundation and The Patchwork School
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 March 2012 12:05 |
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Written by AngelaEngel.com
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Monday, 27 February 2012 15:39 |
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February 27, 2012
A question of preschool or tests
Watch the video here:
Thursday, HB1091 "The Preschool Bill" was debated in the Colorado State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee.
Here are the facts:
HB1091 "The Preschool Bill" takes the public money that exceeds the federal testing mandates of No Child Left Behind and invests it in the Colorado Preschool Program.
For the past 10 years Colorado has over spent on average $6,467,319.00 every year. The annual cost to provide an at-risk child preschool is $2,817. If passed, this bill would allow 2,295 MORE 4-year-olds the opportunity to attend preschool. According to a recent report by the Colorado Department of Education, nearly 8,000 identified at risk children were unable to attend preschool due to a lack of funding.
Education bills are ordinarily heard in the Education Committee, House bill assignments are at the discretion of the Speaker, Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch).
The State, Veterans, & Military Affairs committee is comprised of 9 members:
4 Democrats - 3 women, 1 man; two are Hispanic and two who are white.
5 Republicans - 5 men, white
More than 50 students, parents, teachers, and citizens, many who had taken a day off of work, waited three hours to hear the testimony.
21 people signed up to provide testimony in support the preschool bill, 4 signed up to oppose.
The Vice-Chairman, Representative Coram (R), notified the audience that there would be one hour allocated for the bill.
Two Republican Committee Members asked questions of the bill sponsor, Representative Judy Solano (D - Brighton). This is standard protocol AFTER public testimony is heard and before the vote is taken.
After 1/3 of the hour had been consumed by questioning from Representative Mark Waller (R), Rep. Coram announced that there would be 20 minutes given to supporting testimony and 20 minutes given for opposing testimony. Rep. Solano explained that there were only 4 to oppose and 21 to support and requested each person be given 3 minutes to provide public input. That request was denied. Someone shouted from the audience, "Why won't you listen to the voices of parents and teachers?"
6 people rushed through the statements they had carefully prepared for this day: 1 preschool Administrator, 1 representing homeless children from Catholic Charities, 2 educators, and 2 students.
The proponents argued that the half billion spent on testing had not improved a single outcome. Preschool, an evidenced based intervention, has a proven record of effectiveness in raising student achievement and improving outcomes for children.
3 people provided opposing testimony: 2 corporate executives and 1 social studies teacher. Twice the executives reminded the committee, "Their companies donate a lot of money to education." The men argued the importance of Social Studies and the need for more testing in that area. Social Studies is NOT currently tested. Last year the State Board of Education, (all white), had voted to expand state standardized test to add more hours to test Social Studies. CSAP, renamed TCAP requires students undergo timed testing for an average of 12 hours every year.
Throughout this entire process, eleven little children from the Threats Daycare, Aurora, sat patiently in the first two rows coloring and twirling small American flags.
Their little round faces went unrecognized. It was as if they were invisible. The conversations were about tests - not about children. Seeing this, Representative Solano invited the 3 and 4 year olds to stand up. Under the instruction of their teacher, Mr. Scott, they counted to ten in five languages. These children want so badly to learn and succeed, not according to a test or a state standard, but in accordance with their own hopes and dreams.
The question of whether Colorado's most vulnerable children will be given test sheets or preschool will be answered this Wednesday, February 29th starting at 1:30. The Preschool Bill, HB1091 was carried over. The hearing will continue in Room 0112 at the Colorado State Capitol. The decision is in the hands of the Republican majority in the State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee. Stay tuned…and better yet…show up and watch for yourself.
When: Wednesday February 29th at 1:30
Where: Colorado State Capitol, Rm 0112 |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 10:05 |
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