9486 in the collection
A Parent's Letter
NOTE: Each year during the WASL season, Mothers Against WASL/Parent Empowerment Network (PEN) hears from and helps many parents with issues surrounding their decision to opt their students out of WASL testing. While most districts, schools and teachers are cooperative and respectful of parental decisions, some educators take offense at students and parents who choose not to take part in WASL. For this reason, PEN has provided a WASL opt out packet for parents to use, including an anti-coercion letter and a form to encourage schools to provide appropriate alternative activities during WASL time.
The following email, sent by a parent, on the first day of WASL 2008, in response to the actions of one teacher, is provided as an example of the unfortunate effect WASL obsession sometimes has on the parent/teacher relationship.
(names removed to protect family identity)
To a third grade teacher:
I have spent the weekend trying to decide what I want my child to do during WASL testing.
I had thought, (before I received your phone message) that it would be best to have my child come in after lunch when testing was completed for the day, so he/she could still get his/her "regular" school day instruction. I still hope this will be in his/her best interest.
After I received your phone message informing me that you had asked my child if (s)he "wants to take the WASL test," I have to tell you, I am wondering whether sending him/her to school at all during WASL testing is a good idea.
Honestly, it had never even occurred to me that you would take it upon yourself to attempt to override my decision to opt my son/daughter out of WASL testing by discussing the matter with him/her directly. Consider for a moment what would happen if a parent opted his or her child out of sex education materials. Having a signed opt out form in your possession in such an instance, would you find it appropriate to ask the child if he or she would like to take part in this instruction? I suspect you would find such an action unethical and a breach of the parent's trust, as I find your action regarding the WASL now.
I am extremely unhappy that you would even attempt to overrule our family's decision and try to circumvent my authority by suggesting to my child that he/she could take the WASL test, after you and I had exhausted all discussion on the subject. I do not appreciate your putting my 9-year-old child "on the spot" and questioning him/her on this matter. You have now made my child feel that his/her not taking the test is making you "sad." Please let me be completely clear; once you and I had discussed the WASL at length and I had informed you, in writing, that my child was not to take the test, there should have been no further discussion of the matter with me, let alone my child.
Clearly, you have misinterpreted my politeness and wiliness to listen to your thoughts on the subject of the WASL as some sort of parenting weakness. Your high level of concern and agitation with my removal of my child from WASL testing was clear when you stated that I was doing him/her a "great disservice" and "harming him/her" by not having him/her take the WASL. Your statement that I was "scared" to have my child take the test because I was "worried" that he/she would do poorly was not only erroneous but also out of line.
Your seeming desperation and obsession with this WASL test was so puzzling to me that I called my advisers (Parent Empowerment Network (PEN)) and asked if you would get into trouble if my child did not take the test. They assured me that you would not. Your response to my decision had made me feel that I was alone in my decision to remove my child from testing, but the folks at PEN have assured me I am not alone in my decision or in my beliefs about the WASL and its harmful effects. They have shared several items with me and assisted me in discovering that there were five 3rd graders opted out of WASL in the school district last year. You may be interested in the following column by WEA president Mary Lindquist, who seems to agree with my stand that WASL has become an expensive obsession in this state. PEN is also developing materials, with the assistance of their attorney, which will hopefully convince school districts that the use of WASL for identification of "gifted and talented" students is educational malpractice.
I appreciate your dedication to your students, and I believe you believe the actions you have taken in attempting to dissuade me from my opt out decision are in the best interest of my child, however, I am now asking that you never mention the WASL to my child again. Be assured, I have discussed my decision with my child fully, and that is all the discussion that is necessary to bring him/her to the understanding that opting out will not have a negative impact on his/her personal or educational wellbeing.
Since you have let me know that the afternoon sessions will be WASL free, I will be bringing my child to school just after lunch each day.
Sincerely,
a parent
Enclosure:
12 years of high stakes
Mary Lindquist
A colleague of mine was known for walking into the staff lunchroom this time of year, merrily singing the Christmas carol, "Good King Wenceslas." However, she changed the words to "here we go a WASLing." We all understood that beneath her apparent good humor lay real concern about the loss of instructional time, the pressure on the students and the anxiety generated by high-stakes testing.
Almost a year ago today, WEA's Representative Assembly overwhelming approved a new business item directing WEA to determine the real cost of the WASL. That study is now complete. Add up the annual cost to the state, the districts and our schools, and the total cost is an eye-popping $113 million.
That is almost enough to restore the entire 3 percent COLA we lost in 2003-05. With $113 million we could hire 1,600 new teachers and make an impact in lowering class sizes at a couple specific grade levels or content areas. How would you spend $113 million?
Since 1996, Terry Bergeson could have used her role as the chief school official to advocate for our public schools � improve school funding, raise educator salaries and lower class size. Instead, she focused on testing and more testing. Meanwhile we've slipped to 45th in the nation in per-pupil expenditures, 46th in average class size, and K-12's share of the state budget has decreased by nearly 10 percent since 1981-83. Our teachers make, on average, $12,000 less than their West Coast counterparts.
Few question that high standards are important for our students. But is a single high-stakes test the only way to ensure high standards? And at what cost to a well-rounded education?
This year's graduating class will not include some students who failed to pass the WASL. Whether they come back next fall as fifth-year seniors remains to be seen. Of the 81,000-plus students in the class of 2008, only 62,000 are scheduled to graduate based on current data from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Those students who dropped out or were pushed out of our schools will cost our society down the road.
Are our students better off today than they were 12 years ago when Bergeson was first elected? Are we? It's time to take an honest look at her record.
— A Washington parent
letter and essay
2008-04-15
http://www.mothersagainstwasl.org/
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
[1] 2 3 4 5 6 Next >> Last >>
