Re: boycott -- RESIST

["Gerald W. Bracey" <gbracey@EROLS.COM>]

Great call.  Back to the anti-Vietnam days.  But I still haven't heard
anything more from your lawyer about testifying.


----- Original Message -----
From: George N. Schmidt <Csubstance@AOL.COM>
To: <ARN-L@listsrva.cua.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 7:36 PM
Subject: Re: boycott -- RESIST


> September 27, 1999
>
> Hello All,
>
> I think it's time for someone to initiate a "Call to resist illegitimate
> authority" (some people here will hear a historical echo) pledging
teachers
> and students to boycott the tests and parents and professors (and anyone
> else) to support them. Those who sign the pledge will state clearly what
they
> intend to do, and then they will do it.
>
> The initial stages will be in the form of a petition and pledges, each
aimed
> locally toward whichever test we're talking about, but nationally
publicized
> and coordianted. It's time that money and mouth met on this one, and there
is
> enough time to organize people in time for the next major testing season.
> There is also enough evidence (NYC, Chicago, the recent stuff Roxey
posted,
> the material coming out during the Texas lawsuit) for women and men of
good
> will to make their case.
>
> I suspect that the teachers have to be the key, and it will remain
difficult
> as long as the cowards and politicians who run the AFT and NEA can double
> talk around these things. However, some things require certain risks.
We're
> certainly aware of that here, and I doubt that anyone will face
termination
> for taking a principled and articulate stand, as I have here. (Update: I
am
> still suspended without pay from my teaching job and spending more time
than
> I like with lawyers, but it's worth it because it's easier to hold your
head
> up when you read about the NYC 8,600 or the other child victims of this
stuff
> when you're out here...).
>
> If people begin building now, by Spring testing season there should be
enough
> in place to coordinate publicity in a splashy kind of way. We might even
call
> it something like a "National Mobilization Against Child Abuse" or (if
people
> feel that denigrates the term) a "National Mobilization Against Abusive
> Testing". The first objective might be to demand a "National Moratorium"
on
> standardized testing until there can be widespread examination of the
> consequences and all the other things we've been discussing here.
>
> People are going to need something more interesting to do next Spring than
> hear the pre-convention rhetoric of the Republicans and Democrats. It
might
> even give teachers something to discuss at the NEA and AFT conventions in
> July 2000. Lots of people from here should be able to get elected delegate
to
> those.
>
> I would also urge people to continue to out their test items locally by
any
> means necessary. Although we are still paying the price here for having
done
> that, the freedom is wondrous to breathe.
>
> Whenever it gets discouraging it's easy enough to reread some other press
> cases from U.S. history and smile about these things.
>
> Sincerely,
> George N. Schmidt
> Editor, Substance
> 5132 W. Berteau
> Chicago, IL 60641
> 773-725-7502
>
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