Do you remember
Alice's Restaurant, Arlo Guthrie's anti-draft anthem? Remember the end describing the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement?
You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement.
We need to start the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Public Schools Massacre Movement.
Today I sent this e-mail to the Colorado Department of Education and the head of the Denver Public School "Assessment" department:
I do not wish my children to participate in CSAP [Colorado's outcome-based program] testing. We are opposed to the purposes behind the testing, believe the funds spent on testing are a waste of precious resources, and are of little use in assessing the competence of teachers, schools or students.
However, I am unable to determine from the information posted at the DPS [Denver Public Schools] website, or the Colorado Department of Education website, (1) exactly how to opt my children out from the CSAPS, and (2) when the tests will be administered so I can arrange for alternate activities on those days. My elder son is in 6th grade and enrolled at [__] Middle School. My younger son is in 3rd grade and enrolled in [a special education program] at [___] Elementary School.
To have parents fully informed, information on how not to participate in the testing should be made easily available. Thank you
Yes, we need to start a movement. We need to
stop playing by their rules.
The rationale behind having your children participate even if you don't support outcome-based testing is that their schools may lose funding or status because each missing score counts as a "zero" and brings down the overall score. Denver has upped the ante even further, because that zero score may cause your child's favorite teacher to miss out on bonuses and salary increases based upon their ability to deliver the "goods" on the outcome-based tests.
But the purpose behind outcome-based testing is to destroy your child's public school. It doesn't matter of we play the game now; like Las Vegas, the rules are rigged in favor of the house, and the requirements of No Child Left Behind can never be met. It is impossible to reach 100% competency in a public school setting which must educate every child, no matter how disabled, malnourished, or troubled.
Only a refusal to participate in outcome-based testing, a refusal to put our children through this farce of "accountability", will stop this malicious program designed to undermine the very education it is marketed as guaranteeing.
I urge you to call or write your local school officials, and tell them that your children will not be sitting for these tests, and telling them why. Our refusal to submit is our only weapon. If enough parents keep their children home, if the participation rate is cut by 5%, or 10% or (let me dream) 50%, we can destroy the credibility of the tests and stop the blight outcome-based testing is putting on our children's educations.