JOIN US! March 10 @ 6p.m. for Earth School's Forum on Current Education Policies and Testing

From the always awesome Jia Lee, star of MORE, Change the Stakes, chapter leader and parent at the Earth School on the lower east side and a Korean non-tiger mom.

Jia is one of the leaders of the NYC Opt-out movement at her school and in CTS. The goal is to get 100% of the parents there to opt-out and end testing child abuse.
 
The Earth School Parent-Teacher Advocacy is organizing a forum on high-stakes testing at the Earth School on Monday, March 10th at 6 p.m. A flyer is attached to this email with more details, and the letter below explains some of our latest thinking about the high-stakes testing issue.

Dear Earth School Community,

We truly appreciate your participation in the testing survey! (If you still need to complete it, just click here)

Some Earth School parents and teachers have been involved in the growing movement against high-stakes testing in NYC and the state. This Community Outreach ES email formed as a result of a Parent Advocacy Committee that formed through our Parent Association last year.

We are not anti-test, but we strongly oppose the double whammy situation we face in NYC, namely: the problematic new Common Core-aligned curriculum/tests, combined with the overblown significance attached to these tests because we live a city where standardized test scores can be used to determine grade promotion, influence admissions processes (something that fortunately seems to be changing), teacher and principal evaluations, and school progress reports.

We have the great fortune of having our children attend a nurturing school where, unlike most schools in the city, test prep has not taken over rich curriculum. In many ways, the ES educators and school community have shielded our students from having invaluable learning experiences stripped from their school day. However, the government’s current policies promote a learning environment that places disproportionate emphasis - academically and psychologically - on tests that are flawed at best, and damaging at worst. Furthermore, children living in poverty, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities are inordinately burdened by this system. We wish to turn this discussion from being about testing to one that is about education.

There's a lot of mythology and misinformation surrounding testing, and many families, ours included, have understandably felt overwhelmed and confused. It's important to know that YOU DO HAVE OPTIONS and YOU DO HAVE A VOICE in the matter. We hope that by attending this forum, you will get information and perspectives that will empower you make the best decision for your child, your family, and your community.

Hope to see you on March 10!