OPT OUT NEWS: Parents want truth not confusion... Protesters at South Shore 'Fine Arts Academy' on March 18 bring the facts about PARCC and Opt Out to the school after disinformation had been provided by school administrators...
Parents received the truth today at South Shore Fine Arts Academy, a Chicago elementary school, on March 18, 2015, as a dozen people showed up at the school to provide teachers, parents, and children with the facts about the PARCC and Opt Out rights. This action took place despite the attempts by administrators at the school to spread misinformation about the rights of families to opt children out of the PARCC tests.
Chicago teachers (and CORE co-chair) Sarah Chambers explains Opt Out rights to a parent at South Shore Fine Arts Academy elementary school on March 18, 2015, as the child looks on. Chambers was one of a dozen Opt Out supporters who showed up to provide information at the school after city Opt Out leaders learned that the school's administration had been lying to parents and teachers about their rights. Substance photo by David Vance.The PARCC tests are currently being done in Chicago's public schools. Members of CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators), More Than a Score, and others handed out flyers and Opt Out forms to the families leaving for the day. The information provided to people included a detailed letter from a Chicago principal challenging the false claims that individual schools would "lose money" if their children opted out.
Many of the parents told the protesters that they couldn't believe that CPS would force their children to do ten hours of testing when the children could be doing educational work, especially at a school that was supposedly dedicated to the fine arts.
Protesters (including this reporter) encouraged parents (who were signing the Opt Out forms) to make sure their child had two or three reading books for the testing days. Their child will have hours to read while other students are testing.
The school LSC also had a short discussion on the PARCC issue. "Would the school lose money if the students opted out?"
A group photo of the protesters who brought the truth about the PARCC tests and Opt Out rights to the "South Shore Fine Arts" elementary school on March 18, 2015. Note that the sign on the school (on the brick wall) had removed the original name of the schools (Enrico Fermi Elementary School) after CPS closed the schools and added to the insult to the area's history by removing the name of Fermi from the building. Substance photo by David Vance.I presented the "Open Letter" to Barbara Byrd Bennett written by the Blaine Elementary Principal Troy LaRaviere, which debunked the claim that individual schools would "lose money" if their students opted out. The Blaine Principal, Troy LaRaviere, addressed the false statements and hypocrisy in the Barbara Byrd Bennett demand that all CPS students grades three through eight be subjected to PARCC testing. The LSC Chair was interested in more information.
I also took a minute at the South Shore LSC meeting to describe how students at nearby JN Thorp were told they could not opt out. I was able to help at least 17 students who wanted to opt out but felt afraid to say they �refuse.� I brought reading books to the school entrance (the sidewalk) and they (mostly 8th graders) checked out E.B.White, Roald Dahl and other fun books. They could read instead of mindless testing. I also handed out buttons that read, "Teachers Want to Teach" to the dozen activists who came to South Shore Fine Arts. Members of More than a Score and Caucus of Rank and file Educators deserve credit for making education their cause.
The Opt Out truth squads are circulating around Chicago at schools where principals have been particularly nasty in trying to deny the rights of children, parents and teachers to Opt Out during the current round of PARCC tests. On Thursday, March 19, the truth squad will be at Otis Elementary School on the other side of town.
