More Than a Score

by Jesse Hagopian

  My research continued. My sister and I had another conversation in which she told me about a Facebook group she had stumbled upon for upstate New York on which some members posted about having successfully opted out their children from the state assessments the previous year. We both agreed that if it were in fact true, we would follow suit. My next course of action was to speak with my principal and the school psychologist, as I had been working very closely with both of them on helping my son get his smile back. I informed them I discovered that in fact my son did not have to take this exam, and that I would be looking into the specific details on how we could successfully pull this off without harming my son, the teachers, or the school.

  I expressed very plainly that I felt it was unethical to evaluate the teachers based on my son’s test scores, and that I trusted our teachers to evaluate my son, not corporations, politicians, or testing companies. They fully supported my decision and pledged to honor my parental rights.

  I was relieved by the support of the school, yet something still just didn’t feel quite right. I had now ensured that my son would not have to participate in these tests, but as I heard my friends in the schoolyard discussing their fears over the looming April assessments, I knew it would not be right if I kept the information about how to opt out children from the test to myself. I began the careful process of talking to my close friends about what I learned and what I was planning to do. Some were not on board at first. Some thought I must have had some bad chili and was obviously delirious. No way could this be what is actually going on. I tried not to bombard or pressure them, but I showed them articles I had found. Articles like the one written by the Principal’s Group on how APPR was affecting the classrooms. A letter written by the Wantagh principal to his district parents on the harmful effects of high-stakes testing. Articles written by Carol Burris, an award-winning Long Island principal. Slowly my friends got on board. If they hadn’t, that may have been where this story ended. Instead, watching how fired up they became, I decided to go even further. My sister and I once again met to discuss my plan for making my own Facebook group, similar to the one we had seen from upstate New York. I needed a way to spread this information beyond just my own district, but I wanted the information to be specific to my community in Long Island.

  And thus the Facebook page “Long Island Opt Out Info” was born. Now came the really hard work. My friends were added. Their friends were added. Then friends of friends were added. Within the first week we were up to a few hundred. By the end of the second week we were close to a thousand. All the while, we (me, my sister, and other educators and parents who knew the relevant information) were continuing to research how we could successfully pull off a large-scale boycott of the upcoming tests. Much was learned from the parents in upstate New York who had already been through this process. I would frequently contact Eric Mihelbergel and Chris Cerrone, who ran the New York State group, for advice on the details of opting out. I was very careful not to post any information on the site unless we knew for sure that it was accurate. My sister and I pored over State Education Department documents, NCLB waiver documents, RttT information, Title 1 information and guidelines, assessment administration guidelines; everything and anything we could get our hands on that would allow us to accurately inform parents what their options were for shielding their children from these abusive tests.

  Around the time we hit about four thousand members, a few weeks before the test, some issues came up on the Facebook page. While most people were cordial, friendly, and respectful of opposing opinions, some were not. With that many people (strangers) involved, arguments can get out of hand. There was a clear divide between the people who believed that Common Core (CC) was the source of the problem, and those of us who believed excessive high-stakes testing tied to teacher evaluations was the source of the problem. Whenever someone would post something in reference to ending high-stakes testing, those in the CC camp would attack. I myself was verbally attacked for not putting CC at the top of my list of things I was fighting against. It was during this time that I considered throwing in the towel.

  I had also been speaking at PTA meetings and forums around the island, and while I found that I have a natural ability for public speaking, in those early days the stress before speaking was almost unbearable. I lost about ten pounds just in that first month, and I was already on the thin side. Sleep was not my friend, and pretty soon I looked a bit zombielike. I had to dig up my fifteen-year-old makeup concealer to cover up the lovely new dark circles under my eyes. I would panic before posting something for fear that it would turn out to be incorrect or that I would be criticized. I was not used to being in the “public eye” and even started being recognized in public places. It happened very fast and I was not quite prepared for it. When it all started, I didn’t have the slightest idea that it would get that big or go that far. Problems on the page continued even as we continued to grow. There was quite a bit of infighting, and I did not like the negative turn the page was taking. I had to make a decision whether or not I could handle all of this, whether I was willing to devote the required time to making it work, and whether I could make the page something I could be proud of.

  I decided to regain control over everything. I restated our mission publicly on the page, changed the settings of the page so that I could approve each and every post, and explained to everyone that I would ban people from the page who could not show respect to others. Again, these same people attacked, called it censorship, and some jumped ship and created their own Facebook pages. Those who continued on our opt-out page had a clear understanding of where I stood and what the goals of the group were, and we were able to focus on the task at hand: opting out of the state tests. The week leading up to the tests was a blur. Eighty percent of my day was spent fielding questions, calling school administrators, and managing the page. My children had the fortunate experience of eating takeout food every night for a week!

  By the first day of testing there were close to eight thousand members on the LI Opt-Out Facebook page. Hundreds of Long Island students refused to take the assessments that first day. The numbers for middle school students were much higher than the elementary school students, as seventh- and eighth-graders can easily speak up and refuse for themselves. After a successful first day of test refusal, word spread quickly. The second day saw a huge jump in the numbers of students opting out. When the ELA assessment was administered the following week, the numbers doubled. Although we had no way to confirm exactly how many opted out over those two weeks of testing, we did receive numbers for 12 out of our 122 Long Island districts. The number was well over 1,000 for those 12 districts alone. Reporters asked the state education department how many students opted out of the tests and they refused to comment for fear of revealing the mass resistance that was organized to the tests.

  While we were proud of this new movement, our work was far from over. Field tests were coming. Half of our Long Island schools were chosen as field test districts. Again we pushed for a massive boycott of the field tests in which the testing company Pearson uses our children as unpaid test subjects to design upcoming exams that they will then sell to school districts. We were successful once again. We had the same students who opted out of the state assessments opt out of the field tests, plus many additional students.

  This year’s testing was finally over. Or was it? I was informed that my sons were both going to be administered the final round of their local assessments, the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments—also known as the NWEA, the organization that produces the test. I did not yet know about these “local assessments” and had to work quickly to learn as much as possible to make an educated decision. The first thing I learned was that these assessments were also tied to their teachers’ evaluations. I asked the teachers if they felt that the MAP assessments were necessary to provide them with diagnostic information on my children and what they need. Although hesitant, to be completely honest, their response was clear. T
hese assessments would be of little value to my children.

  My husband and I then made the decision not to allow our children to take any local assessments that were used in a teacher’s evaluation. However, my younger son Jack was mistakenly given the test! The principal called me on the phone very upset and concerned that I would be furious. She explained that they caught the mistake in time to delete his scores from the system. I simply laughed and said, “No problem! His scores were deleted, I’m good!” It has always been important to me to make it clear to my administrators and teachers of my children’s school that I trust them and I am on their side. I believe that is why I have so many teachers participating on my Facebook site. They trust that I am 100 percent pro-teacher, and am fighting for them as much as I am fighting for my children and all the students they teach.

  As the end of the year approached, we had one more major event; the NYSUT (state teachers union) rally in Albany. Fifteen thousand educators, parents, and students came to Albany by bus, car, and train. It was an amazing event and it felt good to be surrounded by all the people I was fighting with and for. The highlight of the day was when Kevin Glynn, founder of Lace to the Top, and a person I greatly admire, said to me, “I’m not sure any of this would have happened without you.” I scanned the sea of educators and parents standing arm in arm. Although I’m not comfortable giving myself credit for what is occurring in New York, I couldn’t help feeling a bit of pride in all that had been accomplished in such a short few months.

  At this point I was feeling a bit tired. The spring had gone by so fast, and I was looking forward to spending some time with my family. It is very hard to justify spending so much time being distracted and physically away from them but I knew at the same time I was doing it for them as well. It was a difficult time for them also. My older son Tyler was struggling with the feelings that it was his “fault” that I was now so busy and stressed all of the time. At one point he said to me, “Mom, I’ll just take the tests,” after hearing me on the phone talking to someone about the tremendous pressure I was under.

  I have had to frequently sit down and explain to each of them what I was doing and why I was doing it. At the same time that I am explaining things to them, I am also trying to shield them. Their picture was in the paper a couple of times and we were also interviewed on camera. Both times I had a tough time deciding whether or not to even show them. My older son does not like attention, and I am always concerned that he will not feel comfortable with the role that he has been thrown into without his consent.

  Luckily, as we have moved through this process, they have been taking it all in stride. My younger son was recently asked in his second-grade class to write what he is thankful for. In it he wrote, “I am thankful that my Mom feeds me and opted me out of the first grade tests.” My first reaction was, “Is that all they see me as now?” My second reaction was relief that they understand that I am doing this for them. I admit that there are times when I doubt myself and feel that I am neglecting the very thing I am trying to help: my children. But I try and remember that this gift I am trying to give them may shape their very development as the human beings. Being part of an education system that allows them to thrive and grow to their full potential has to be worth the evenings away from them, the hours I spend administrating my Facebook page, and the constant phone calls I have to make to organize the movement. My husband, who works long hours in Manhattan, has felt the same pangs of neglect. He tries to support what I am doing as best he can, but due to his work schedule, has not been able to attend the lectures, meetings, and events I am involved in. This has definitely caused a divide, and a detachment in our relationship. I give him a tremendous amount of credit for enduring the never-ending discussions and my focus on all of this. I think the spouses of the movement leaders should start a support group called Spouses Who Play Second Fiddle to High-Stakes Testing!

  My parents have been an incredibly strong support system throughout. My father was concerned in the beginning about the opposition I would face, and worried about my safety given the people I was up against. The pride I see in their faces and the faces of the rest of my family is another driving force for me. Without all their support and patience I could not have taken on a task this consuming and massive. I would count this balance between my family and this movement as my greatest struggle.

  At the beginning of the summer the movement activity was relatively quiet. The membership on the page continued to grow, but at a much slower pace. The page itself became easier to manage. The members who wanted to see a greater focus on the Common Core and the political aspects of the reform movement formed their own pages. I was finally feeling settled and more in control of my Facebook page. At the end of July, there was a meeting, which turned out to be the tipping point in the New York State fight. Eric Mihelbergel and Chris Cerrone, who in the beginning of this struggle taught me everything I needed to know about the logistics behind refusing or “opting out” of the state assessments, had come up with the idea to have all the various leaders of the opt-out movement from around New York meet in Syracuse to discuss planning and strategy. It was at this meeting that we decided to form a group whose sole purpose was to unite the various organizations throughout the state that were fighting the corporate education reformers. The website and organization New York State Allies for Public Education was launched in August 2013. This group includes the most amazing individuals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. We have our own closed Facebook page to discuss strategy, events, and press releases. As of November 2013, we had more than forty organizations that have signed on to be allies. This is a very important step in this fight. When a plan is formulated, it is now distributed to every organization under the “umbrella,” and in turn to all of its members, which collectively number in the thousands. An added benefit to me as a member of this amazing group of leaders is that I am now part of a support system in which I know that these colleagues all have my back. I can share ideas with them and get a better understanding of the issues. Many have areas of expertise that they bring and share. We are in a fight to save public education, and it can get ugly. This group of individuals keeps above the fray and conducts itself of a manner in which we can all be proud and stand behind.

  As we headed toward the 2013–14 school year and a renewed fight to protect our children from the abuses of standardized testing, I knew I needed to delegate responsibilities or I would drown in my to-do list. I decided to ask for volunteers to represent the 122 districts of Long Island, or, as I called them, “liaisons.” I was able to enlist a group of about ninety volunteers to serve this purpose. These parents (some of whom are teachers in other districts) request information from their superintendents about the assessments used in a given district and what the refusal (opting-out) policies are. The liaisons attend board of education meetings and fight for resolutions against high-stakes testing, data sharing, and fair refusal policies, are responsible for spreading the word in their districts, and, most important, organize forums for me and others to come and speak to members of the community about education reform.

  These forums and organizing meetings have taken place from one end of Long Island to the other, and have drawn crowds of between fifty and one hundred people. Local legislators have been participating in these as well. Some have scheduled the forums themselves, and some are invited to speak. Event halls have donated their spaces, or we have gathered in local libraries. It is a marvel to watch as each week these educational forums are scheduled, come together, and advance the movement for authentic assessment in a truly grassroots effort.

  Inexplicably, the New York Parent Teacher Association (NYPTA) has been deafeningly silent about our new movement against standardized testing, and its refusal to take a stand on the primary issue motivating parents to become active in their schools created a major obstacle when we first tried to organize parents across Long Island’s districts. The NYPTA has missed out on playing a crucial role in this fight, and if th
ey do not quickly shift to join our movement, they surely risk becoming irrelevant to parents on one of the most critical issues facing our education system today. Many local PTAs have now begun to step out in front of the statewide organization to take action and show support for their parents and teachers.

  As a wholly volunteer effort without major institutional support, we knew we faced the challenge of gaining visibility for our efforts to attract new recruits to our opt-out movement. New parent recruits rose to this challenge and designed and ordered hundreds of lawn signs, similar to election signs, that read, “Parents, Refuse the NYS Assessments,” complete with our Facebook name and our ally’s website, www.nysape.org. They also created a magnetic bumper sticker. These publicity tools are very important components in spreading the word to people who may not be on Facebook or may live in a district that is less aware of the havoc that these reforms are causing in our schools.

  I have learned a great deal about myself over the last six months. In March, the thought of public speaking sent me into a severe anxiety attack. I now stand up in front of a hundred parents and educators without much more than a few butterflies. Much of that is simply practice. But a lot has to do with the confidence I have gained in myself and the message I bring.

  There hasn’t been a single moment when I have had to ask myself, “Am I doing the right thing?” I know it is the right thing with every fiber of my body. Every single story I hear of a child who has lost her ability to believe in herself, or even worse has declined into mentally and physically self-abusive behaviors, I resolve to fight harder. Every time I hear of a teacher who has lost his love of teaching, I resolve to fight harder. It is important to fight hard, but how you choose to fight is just as important. The success of this movement in New York is based on the well-developed, multifaceted strategies we employ. Critical to our success has been our ability to work as a team, rejecting the political infighting and mudslinging that can be so destructive, instead respecting each other and the job each has done. We fight with intelligence and truth. This is our power. This is our weapon.