Back-to-School Activism

[Jedoyon@aol.com]

Dear Activists, Educators, and Educator Activists,

Welcome back to school!  My twins, Carmen and Sam, start 10th grade at 
Spanaway Lake High School tomorrow.  Time flies.

I'll try to keep this short, but I want to update everyone on a few items 
having to do with WASL and share news of my campaign to become state 
superintendent.  It's hard to believe that primary is only one year away.  

Mothers Against WASL continues to call for boycott of all state WASL testing. 
 I sent out a press release last week, which I will paste below.  I had the 
opportunity to be on the Dave Ross show, KIRO radio, last Friday.  There were 
many callers in response to the subject.  Looking over the "refusal" numbers on 
the superintendent's website reveals that more students than ever opted out 
in every subject and every grade level.  Good work!!!  

Continued boycott becomes more important with the imposition of the 
unrealistic, intrusive and abusive, federal "No Child Left Behind" (drag them all 
through the misery!) act.  It is also important to emphasize that WASL itself is 
bad news, not just NCLB.  Neither the state nor the federal government should 
use high-stakes testing on our children or our schools.  The state continues to 
tell 70% of 4th, 7th and 10th graders that they are substandard in at least 
one subject tested.  And we've spent well over $100,000,000 to do this.  On the 
alternative state test, even more dismal passing numbers are recorded.  The 
state board's committee on the Certificate of Mastery and WASL passage 
requirement came back with a very mixed review, see: 
http://www.sbe.wa.gov/reports/CoM%20Final%20Report.htm for full report.

In encouraging boycott, it is not our goal to hurt our schools.  It is our 
goal to save them and our children and our communities from the travesty of 
high-stakes testing.  High-stakes testing does not equal accountability.  
Accountability begins at the top with those who control funding.  See: Barnes & 
Noble.com - Not With Our Kids You Don't! Ten Strategies to Save Our Schools for 
details.  My book was recognized in the Top 100 educational products for 2003 by 
District Administration magazine.  
http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?id=417  Pretty cool, huh?!

During the summer, we have been planning for the next year of intense 
campaigning for the office of Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  
My campaign manager is Raul de la Rosa, who retired from the office of 
superintendent in 2000, after 27 years there.  At the time of his retirement, Mr. de 
la Rosa was in charge of Washington's Title 1 Migrant Programs.  He also ran 
for the office of superintendent himself in 1996.  My treasurer is Roger Nye, 
who is a local businessman here in Spanaway.  Mr. Nye runs a finance business 
and has served on school district committees with me.  I am very fortunate to 
have filled these important campaign roles with two extremely competent 
individuals.

If I have mailed buttons to you in the past three years, you will be 
receiving a campaign mailing from me within the next month.  If you are not interested 
in my campaign for state superintendent, please feel free to disregard this 
mailing or pass it on to someone you think might be interested.  As a 
grassroots candidate, I am obligated to seek help in every direction, because I will 
need it.  If you are on the email list but know I don't have your mailing 
address, please let me know if you would like to receive a campaign mailing.  I 
don't want to leave anyone out!  I also have occupation-specific campaign buttons 
now, so let me know if you are interested in helping spread the word as a 
"Teacher, Parent, Principal, School Board Member, District Superintendent, 
Counselor, etc... for Juanita" each on a catchy school zone sign background ;-)  
Thank you in advance for at least thinking about helping in this OSPI or bust 
campaign.

One more link, until next time...  I was inspired to write after attending 
the Partnership for Learning presentation for school administrators.  You may 
also be interested in the other articles on this site of "News and Resources for 
Thoughtful Educators," http://valetc.com/

As always, feel free to email or call, if you have questions or suggestions 
or if you want the heck off this list.  I have a tiny little sticker that I got 
when I was a kid, which has survived a long time and is now on one of my 
kitchen cupboards, "Hill, dip, bump, good luck!"  Seems a fitting slogan for the 
next year of challenges.  But, hey, I always liked roller coasters.

In solid solidarity,
Juanita Doyon
Mothers Against WASL
The test stops here!
253/846-0823
Jedoyon@aol.com
www.rereformed.com 

-------------------------------------------------------------

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRASSROOTS TEST RESISTANCE FORCE MOTHERS AGAINST WASL CALLS FOR STATEWIDE 
BOYCOTT OF TEST AND RESISTANCE TO FEDERAL NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW

Contacts: Juanita Doyon, organizer, Mothers Against WASL, Spanaway
               253/846-0823
               Rachel DeBellis, parent member, Mothers Against WASL, 
Marysville
               360/708-9323
               Michelle Derus, parent member, Mothers Against WASL, Lake 
Stevens
               425/397-7287
               Patricia Bailey, teacher member, Mothers Against WASL, Seattle
               home: 206/242-5156 work: 206/252-9700
 
Date:     August 26, 2003
 
Upon the release of 2003 Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores,
MOTHERS AGAINST WASL CALLS FOR CONTINUED STATEWIDE BOYCOTT OF WASL TESTING 
AND FOR RESISTANCE TO FEDERAL NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW
 
Mothers Against WASL calls on all parents to study the issue of high-stakes
testing, review the WASL test, become aware of the multiple controversies
surrounding this assessment and file an opt out form with their child's
school and district, stating that their child is not to participate in any
form of WASL, be it the 4th, 7th, or 10th grade test or a trial or "mini"
WASL in other grades.
 
Mothers Against WASL supports teachers and encourages them to use their right
of free speech to share their expert opinions on high-stakes testing in
general and the WASL specifically with parents and community members and work
to support the positions taken by The Washington Education Association in
their effort to introduce common sense into the system as follows.  Mothers
Against WASL joins WEA in calling for these changes:
 
1. Delink the 10th grade WASL from high school graduation requirements.
2. Support the parent or guardian's right to exempt children from the
WASL without penalty to their schools.
3. Conduct a thorough, objective external study to reevaluate the WASL.
 
Mothers Against WASL agrees with Positions 2 and 3 of the final report of the 
State Board of Education’s Certificate of Mastery study committee, in their 
findings that “While a test may give reliable scores for a unique group of 
students, it must be proven to give reliable scores for all students if it is 
going to be used to make high stakes decisions about all students.”
http://www.sbe.wa.gov/reports/CoM%20Final%20Report.htm  
 
Mothers Against WASL supports local school boards and administrators and
encourages them to use their right of free speech to share their expert
opinions on high stakes testing in general and the WASL specifically with
parents and community members and work to support the positions taken by the
American Association of School Administrators, the American Educational
Research Association, the National Association of School Psychologists and
others, against the use of high-stakes testing.
 
Mothers Against WASL calls on all local adults to resist, refuse and revolt 
against the federal take over of OUR local schools in the implementation of No 
Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act legislation.
 
In addition, Mothers Against WASL calls on the Washington legislature to 
 
1. Speak against the implementation of federal curriculum and testing 
mandated 
by the No Child Left Behind law.
 
2. Halt the use of the WASL until it is proven valid and reliable.  
 
3. Allow all past WASL scores to be expunged from student records upon
parental request.  
 
Mothers Against WASL is an Internet-based growing force of parents,
teachers, administrators and community members throughout the state of
Washington.