tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post2031277110971549126..comments2023-10-28T01:44:19.115-05:00Comments on PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING: Why We Opted OutAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15509461960011694740noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-62916850588571530682014-04-24T21:27:05.884-05:002014-04-24T21:27:05.884-05:00More families should follow your lead. Well done. ...More families should follow your lead. Well done. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07211786986916453763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-55625762196501035952014-04-23T21:13:16.890-05:002014-04-23T21:13:16.890-05:00Pretty aggressive stand. Good for you. I wonder wh...Pretty aggressive stand. Good for you. I wonder what might happen if this grew to 25%, 35%, 50% of kids opting out. What would the state do? How would this affect state funding? Interesting.....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665978554006981845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-59139985599536784682014-04-23T07:50:45.495-05:002014-04-23T07:50:45.495-05:00Thank you for giving me some hope. My son complete...Thank you for giving me some hope. My son completely freaks out during MAP testing. Yesterday he ran away from school to avoid the test, which made a bad situation even worse. He is cowering at the thought of eventually returning to school and additional testing, and I am heartbroken from listening to him cry for three hours straight that "I tried Mommy, I really tried, and it wasn't good enough." Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12868869824173823823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-29829673326246983552014-04-22T17:59:14.727-05:002014-04-22T17:59:14.727-05:00Thanks for sharing this personal and difficult dec...Thanks for sharing this personal and difficult decision. My state, PA, has put in place state tests as graduation requirements that my daughter (9th grade) will be the 1st graduating class to endure. As you stated, it is the increased time and focus on test preparation that is so off putting. Prep for the biology test has meant that all labs will be done this spring after tests have been administered. They'll all be done out of sequence and have really ruined the flow of combining hands-on science with text and theory. It is sad for me, and sad for my daughter who likes biology and doesn't do particularly well on multiple choice tests.mvleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18125809707890031936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-70969437555975747602014-04-22T17:10:48.032-05:002014-04-22T17:10:48.032-05:00Well done sir. Very difficult decision for you and...Well done sir. Very difficult decision for you and your wife to make. I applaud you for taking this stand.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056730410640527823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-68720176817630770632014-04-22T12:56:50.704-05:002014-04-22T12:56:50.704-05:00Very brave of you, Bob. Very brave of you, Bob. Amy Peachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11435466880386762153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-8723998398670568432014-04-22T06:27:30.104-05:002014-04-22T06:27:30.104-05:00Mixed feelings about this. I don't care for t...Mixed feelings about this. I don't care for the idea of opting out. I'm not sure in the long run it's a realistic life lesson. I feel like a paradigm shift is necessary and adults need to not involve kids in their own anxiety over these tests. If the practice in embedded and authentic, kids won't know it's test prep. If the message is always about being the best you you can be, then scores are a non issue. Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17905577773320789464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-85948828243796290702014-04-22T00:36:31.705-05:002014-04-22T00:36:31.705-05:00Robert, you surely are not alone in what you speak...Robert, you surely are not alone in what you speak. I talk with teachers and parents daily who express the same concerns. Just wondering if the trend will ever reverse. Some parents who can afford to do so are pulling their children out of public schools and sending them to private schools to avoid the testing and the time spent on teaching to the test. Most parents, however, cannot afford to send their children to private schools, and many children want to remain in the neighborhood schools. I have also watched children such as your daughter who are stressed by the testing. The pressure is also building among teachers who fear testing will be tied to teacher evaluation. These teachers don't have the option to "test out." Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15467341120077033854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-45756549935983074422014-04-21T20:50:19.430-05:002014-04-21T20:50:19.430-05:00Thanks Beth. Your words matter. It feels good to h...Thanks Beth. Your words matter. It feels good to have PLN support in this difficult decision. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15509461960011694740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-47044919745437882592014-04-21T19:54:18.929-05:002014-04-21T19:54:18.929-05:00We have struggled with this question in our house ...We have struggled with this question in our house as well. My daughter is in 3rd grade and is in the middle of state testing. She has expressed some concern throughout the year about the tests. It seems like quite a bit of time has been dedicated to test prep in the form of online practice as well as worksheets. It is very difficult to watch her not get excited about much in school anymore. I applaud you for your decision and how you supported your daughter. Perhaps if more parents stood up for what they believed and weren't afraid to make waves it could perhaps change things. <br /><br />This editorial from a Nebraska paper don't lend much support to parents who considering opting out: http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_d58e8d20-e790-5252-96d2-6524b7a016f0.html#.U1PY5xbqrkM.twitterBethStillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17587864629271709058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-16695912458243975732014-04-21T14:59:33.745-05:002014-04-21T14:59:33.745-05:00I say good for you, parent Bob.
Up with love of ...I say good for you, parent Bob. <br />Up with love of learning.CKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03822739762706354721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3779735093359182402.post-39923279735451585312014-04-21T12:23:11.955-05:002014-04-21T12:23:11.955-05:00There are pros and cons to being an educator and a...There are pros and cons to being an educator and a parent. Some days it was hard to interpret a teacher's actions through the "teacher lens" and realize my child would struggle. However, having the knowledge of how things work in the system has been invaluable on many occasions. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02255316984056801323noreply@blogger.com