My speech from the 3/5 BOE meeting

A few months ago I was in my family room watching a school board meeting on tv like I always did, but this time I listened to a librarian speak, a special ed teacher speak, and countless classroom teachers speak to the school board about the state of our schools. What was happening IN our schools. I was shocked. I was a parent who just knew the superintendent and the school board was making sure my children were getting the best education they could get and I never in a million years thought they were doing anything to harm my children because of money or political gain. My eyes were opened. I have done a lot of research and I am appalled at what is not only happening in Knox County but across the state of TN and across our country.

Along the way I have met some incredible people, teachers who care so much about their students they are risking their careers, parents who have spent countless hours doing research and because of that research have gotten our state representatives to step back and say, "wait, this isn't right for our state".

I am tired of some of our local media and the KCS PR team spinning what these teachers have been saying as "teachers don't want to be evaluated or that teachers don’t want high standards". This isn't new to you. Educators have spoken to you about their concerns, not just evaluations, for years and nothing has changed.

I have spoken multiple times about my daughter and my concerns about the obscene amount of high stakes testing she has been put through. About her anxiety about going to school. I was thrilled when test anxiety issues were finally brought up at one of your meetings, only to hear it may be teachers and parents fault. Excuse me? I am extremely offended by that.

I have repeatedly stated that it is against TN law to put children below grade 3 through any state mandated tests. K-2 students are taking some form of a standardized test 15 plus times this year. Some parents have asked how if this is a TN state law.  They become district mandated. Knox County has gone above and beyond what the state has suggested for testing and we keep piling more on.

The TN department of education website states the k-2 assessment, formally known as sat 10 is optional. I don't want my daughter taking it and it's not because I am a "difficult 2nd grade parent" at her school, it's because I see no educational benefit of putting her through 4 days of testing just to show she is below average when her report card says she is right on target. When I was told I couldn't refuse this test for her, I would have to keep her home from school, I asked for that in writing and I encouraged other parents to do the same. I have yet to receive this is writing. Now, others have received an email stating, we are not encouraging parents to keep their kids home however the only children exempt from this test are students who are not present the days of testing. I  do find it odd that parents can opt out of immunizations, sex ed, reading any book they find objectionable, but NOT out of a standardized test.

Thank you Dr. McIntyre for suggesting our county shouldn't participate in the PARCC Field test. Another high stakes test that is strictly practice. Here is my question, did you suggest that because you actually care about what is happening to our students or was it because you know our schools are no where near prepared to administer this test? Teachers in Chicago are voting to spend instructional time TEACHING instead of passing out another bubble sheet. If you want the best for our children, why are you not following that example and publicly advocating for the same in Knox Co?

My 5th grader recently took the writing assessment because once again, I couldn't opt him out. How many students were offered keyboarding classes before they had to type their answers? I know the students at his school weren't taught basic typing. Here is my question about this assessment, before they could even start it they had to answer 10 survey questions. I asked to see those questions when my son told me about them and I was told, "the questions were non controversial  and these questions have been asked for years  ". You made 5th graders take a survey without parental consent! And, you have done this for years? The questions WERE mild, 8 of the 10 questions were about how often the students writes, reads and how often they do it on a computer. But then there were 2 questions that I would like an answer about. Do you have computer access in your home and do you have internet access in your home.  What educational purpose were those questions asked for? Before my words get twisted I want to make it very clear, I want to know why my son was asked those questions before a writing assessment. Who received that data? I understand when a teacher asks those questions at the beginning of a school year so he or she can learn whose parents they can email. I want to know where THIS data went. Who received THIS data, Bill Gates maybe? This is one more example where the school district is not communicating with parents and it is not clear if they are making decisions for students' education or to benefit private companies.

Teachers are being bullied by reading coaches and principals. Teachers standing up and saying no, I don’t want to use anymore high stakes tests for our students when we can get the assessment results we need by being allowed to teach. I want my children happy in school and I want my childrens teachers to be able to do their jobs.

A little bit of hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous. This is a line from The Hunger Games. I think that is the EXACT philosophy that the Knox County Schools administration has taken, let’s give the teachers a little hope and they will back off. I don’t feel any hope. I don’t feel like I have been heard at any of the school board meetings I have spoken at, or when my emails go unanswered by this administration.

I am a parent and I support our teachers and I am against high stakes testing.