OPT OUT NEWS: Parents at more than 74 Chicago elementary schools have opted their children out of the ISAT tests by the evening before the testing program, which begins March 4, 2014
Parents at at least 74 Chicago elementary schools (out of roughly 500) have requested that their children be opted out of the ISAT (Illinois State Achievement Tests) testing program as of March 3, 2014. The update on the number of schools where opt outs have been verified was provided by the Chicago Teachers Union on the even of the testing cycle, which is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2014 and extend through March 14. The number of individual children who will be opting out of the test exceeds 1,000 (including the two sons of this reporters, whose elementary age sons attend O.A. Thorp Elementary School).
Cassie Creswell of "More Than A Score" (Chicago) spoke about the Opt Out movement at the press conference at Chicago's Drummond Montessori Elementary School on February 28, 2014. Substance photo by Sharon Schmidt.The Opt Out of the ISAT campaign is distinct from the Boycott Campaign, in which teachers are refusing to administer the ISAT tests. So far, two elementary schools (Saucdeo and Drummond) have announced that their teachers have voted not to administer the tests, while individual teachers at dozens of other schools have confirmed to Substance that they will not administer the tests, usually for what amounts to "conscientious objection."
The explosion of the Chicago Opt Out movement comes despite orders from CPS administrators -- usually "Chief Officers" of the school system's 13 so-called "Networks" (which are what Chicago's sub-districts are currently called -- to principals demanding that the principals bully the parents and children into rescinding opt out forms which have been submitted by the parents. The ISAT program only applies to elementary children, and none of those who have asked to opt out is older than 14 years old to Substance's knowledge. Opt Out is a right of parents.
The pressure on parents to rescind opt out letters has been growing since the movement to Opt Out has grown. Principals have also threatened teachers who have encouraged parents to opt out their children. The threats have included unpaid days off and other sanctions. In some cases, principals have told teachers they will be arrested if they leaflet parents on the public sidewalks outside their schools, even though the teachers are distributing the materials on their own time.
More than 40,000 Opt Out leaflets have been distributed by members of the Caucus Of Rank and file Educators (CORE), since the Opt Out movement began a few weeks ago. Many parents and teachers have also gotten the leaflets duplicated at their own expense. A CORE fundraising benefit at Chicago's Second City helped raise the money to pay for the leaflets that have been helping to build the movement.
The list (alphabetized) as of the end of the school day on March 3, 2014 was the following. The ISAT is only given in the elementary schools, but some high schools (listed at the bottom of the list) have "academic centers" which serve seventh and eight graders.
COMPLETE LIST ALPHA AS OF FIVE PM:
Addams Elementary School
Alcott Elementary School
Azuela Elementary School
Belding Elementary School
Bell Elementary School
Blaine Elementary School
Burley Elementary School
Burr Elementary School
Byrne Elementary School
Chopin Elementary School
Clay Elementary School
Clissold Elementary School
Coonley Elementary School
Dever Elementary
Disney II Elementary Magnet School
Drummond Montessori
Eberhart Elementary School
Ebinger Elementary School
Edison Regional Gifted Center
Franklin Fine Arts Center
Garvey Elementary School
Gallistel Language Academy
Galileo Elementary School
Goethe Elementary School
Grimes Elementary School
Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy
Hefferan Elementary School
Inter-American Elementary Magnet School
Jamieson Elementary School
Jungman Elementary School
LaSalle Language Academy
Leland Elementary School
McPherson Elementary School
Manierre Elementary School
Mayer Magnet School
Mitchell Elementary School
Mireles Academy
Mount Greenwood Elementary School
Morrill Math & Science School
Murphy Elementary School
Murray School
Ninos Heros School
Nettelhorst Elementary School
Ogden Elementary School
Otis Elementary School
Pasteur Elementary School
Peirce Elementary School
Peterson Elementary School
Prescott Elementary School
Pritzker Elementary School
Ravenswood Elementary School
Ray Elementary School
Ruiz Elementary School
Salazar Bilingual Center
Saucedo Scholastic Academy
Sauganash Elementary School
Sheridan Math & Science Academy
Smyser Elementary School
Stone Scholastic Academy
South Loop Elementary School
Suder Montessori Magnet School
Sutherland Elementary School
Taylor Elementary School
Telpochcalli Elementary School
Thorp (James N.) Elementary School
Thorp (O. A.) Scholastic Academy Elementary
Waters Elementary School
Young (Ella Flagg) Elementary School
Zapata Academy Elementary School
HIGH SCHOOLS WITH 7TH, 8TH GRADE CLASSES
Kenwood Academy High School(7th, 8th grade program)
Lane Technical High School (7th, 8th grade program)
Lindblom Math & Science Academy (7th, 8th grade program)
Taft High School (7th, 8th grade program)
Whitney M Young Magnet High School (7th, 8th grade program)
The Opt Out movement is also being built by several community and parent groups, including More Than A Score, PURE, Parents 4 Teachers, Raise Your Hand, and other groups too numerous to list. Parents and teachers expect the Opt Out movement to expand after thousands of children see their fellow students opting out when the testing program begins on March 4, 2014. Website URLs. More Than A Score: http://morethanascorechicago.org/. PURE:
CTU PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON MARCH 3, 2014:
ISAT BOYCOTT SPREADS TO 74 SCHOOLS... Parents choose education over indoctrination by opting their children out
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin. March 3, 2014 312/329-6250
CHICAGO - Despite repeated threats and miscommunication from the school district, parents at 74 Chicago Public Schools are opting their children out of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Teachers at two schools, Saucedo and Drummond, said they intend to boycott the low-stakes test when it is to be formerly administered on Tuesday. (Source: More Than A Score: http://morethanascorechicago.org/).
Via robo calls and other scare tactics, CPS officials are telling parents that that if too many parents have their children opt out, the district faces losing state and federal funding. Catalyst Chicago, an independent publication dedicated to education, says: "Loss of such funding is unprecedented and at most it could trigger reallocating funds, but even that is highly unlikely...."
Students are not legally obligated to take the ISAT and parents have the legal right to "direct the upbringing and education of their children."
Disney II Elementary Magnet School
Chopin School
Burley Elementary School
Pritzker School
Manierre Elementary School
Garvey Elementary School
Ray Elementary School
Addams Elementary School
Saucedo Scholastic Academy
Grimes School
Mount Greenwood Elementary School
Drummond Montessori
Mayer Magnet School
Nettelhorst Elementary School
Thorp (OA) Scholastic Academy
Coonley Elementary School
Belding Elementary School
Bell Elementary School
Ogden Elementary School
Franklin Fine Arts Center
Blaine Elementary School
Burr Elementary School
Byrne Elementary School
Clissold Elementary School
Galileo Elementary School
Goethe Elementary School
Inter-American Elementary Magnet School
Kenwood Academy High School
Lane Technical High School
Morrill Math & Science School
Mitchell Elementary School
Sheridan Math & Science Academy
Stone Scholastic Academy
Telpochcalli Elementary School
Taft High School
Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Otis Elementary School
Ella Flagg Young Elementary School
Hefferan Elementary School
Alcott Elementary School
Smyser Elementary School
Waters School
Ravenswood Elementary School
Gallistel Language Academy
South Loop Elementary School
Suder Montessori Magnet School
Clay Elementary School
Jungman Elementary School
Leland Elementary School
Thorp (James) Elementary School
Taylor Elementary School
Ruiz Elementary School
Azuela Elementary School
Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy
Mireles Academy
Ninos Heros School
Zapata Academy
Murphy Elementary School
Peirce Public School
Jamieson Elementary School
Pasteur Elementary School
Edison Regional Gifted Center
Lindblom Math & Science Academy
Murray School
Peterson Elementary School
Salazar Bilingual Center
Sauganash Elementary School
Sutherland Elementary School
Ebinger Elementary School
Eberhart Elementary School
Prescott Elementary School
McPherson Elementary School
Dever Elementary
LaSalle Language Academy
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Comments:
By: lesli vazquez
opt out letter
how can i get an opt out letter????
By: George N. Schmidt
Opt Out letter available from More Than A Score
A sample Opt Out letter is available from More Than A Score. You can read it and write one of your own, or you can download the More Than A Score form letter at their website.
By: Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT
Opt Out
Best wishes from Louisiana parents and educators who have not yet found the courage to follow your example. While our tests are high stakes, they will not be enforced for the next two years because of the CCSS unknowns. This opens the opportunity for parents to make their opposition to high stakes standardized testing known. In solidarity!
By: Ed Hershey
Add Healey?
A Lindblom student got her parents to opt out her sister, who attends Healey Elementary. Does that add one to the list?
By: Kim Scipes
ISAT Opt-out
Interesting to note that this movement has FINALLY gotten some mainstream media attention: both Tribune in print edition, and Sun-Times in electronic version give FRONT PAGE story about the opt-out movement. Judging by their lack of prominent coverage--when even covered--of this issue before today, it seems that the 1% just didn't want anyone to know.... Hee her. Things look like they may get even ore interesting over the next week and a half!