High School Juniors in Delaware Are Getting Tested Beyond The Point of Insanity!!!!

A friend put this up on Facebook, and this testing is getting out of control.  Yes, Mark Murphy, kids go to school to test.  But they also go to school to learn, and to become students wanting to learn.  How can students learn if all they do is test?  If I were a parent of a Delaware junior, the first test I would opt them out of is the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which is exactly what this parent did.  AP exams and SATs are much more important than this farce of an assessment.  This sample schedule of what juniors have to face is going to be the breaking point for many parents.  Shame on you DOE, State Board, Mark Murphy and Governor Markell for making this the central highlight of your education reform movement in Delaware!

4/13 – 5/29 – Component V Post Tests (Given at teachers’ discretion)

4/15 – In-School SAT

4/16 – 5/1 – Review and Preparation for AP Exams

5/4 – 5/15 – AP Exams

5/18 – Smarter Balanced Math CAT (Computer Adaptive Test)

5/19 – Smarter Balanced ELA CAT (Computer Adaptive Test)

5/20 – Smarter Balanced ELA PT (Performance Task)

5/26 – Smarter Balanced Math PT day 1 (Performance Task)

5/27 – Smarter Balanced Math PT day 2 (Performance Task)

5/28 – US History DCAS (End of Course)

5/29 – DCAS/Smarter Balanced Make-ups

6/1 – 6/4 – Underclassmen Final Exams (9th – 11th)

6/5 – Underclassmen Make-up Final Exams

Delaware Parents: If you want your child to go to school to be tested, then by all means, don’t opt them out.  But if you want your child to be a student that is excited to learn and not be tested like a guinea pig, then please, opt your child out NOW!  Secretary Murphy doesn’t care about parents, students, teachers or anything but his corporate education reform movement.  His love affair of all things standardized has marginalized YOUR child’s education.  The best way to stop this is to OPT OUT NOW!!!!!

Family Foundations Academy & Their Conditions For Probation & News That Will Make JA Flip Out!

At the Delaware State Board of Education meeting last month, Family Foundations Academy was placed on probation by the State Board.  While this seems like an easy feat to accomplish, I can’t help but remember that the Board President, Charles McDowell and the Head of School, Dr. Lamont Browne, both wrote a letter of complaint about the possibility of the school being put on probation.  They felt their new relationship with the school was built on a solid, forgive the pun, foundation.  However, they did not like the idea of having to use an independent auditor.  I have to wonder why that would be given the financial abuse that happened under the previous heads of the school.

Read all about FFA’s conditions for their probation, but stick around after, because there is a little bonus tidbit afterwards!

Apparently, one of the former heads at FFA has reached out to a neighboring school district and is looking to volunteer their time.  But this school district requires a background check for volunteers.  This individual passed the background check, despite all the financial wrongdoings at FFA.  That settlement agreement must have really wiped the slate clean for NOTHING to show up on a background check.  Congrats Tennell!

Subject: Criminal Background Report 

Good Afternoon – 

The following Criminal Background Reports have come back and the individuals are cleared to volunteer by the State of DE, the FBI, and Kelli Racca:

 ·         Alfaro-Quiros, Jennifer

·         Brewington, Tennell

·         Wescott, Rashad  Rm. 317

While the name of the school isn’t listed, I’m sure they will be “Keene” to have her!

Family Voices Hosting Workshop for Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum in Sussex & Kent Counties

This information, sent to me by a Good Samaritan, is awesome!  I would definitely register for this if you have a child on the Autism Spectrum.  Parents of special needs children need all the help and support they can get.  Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware have been lacking in this kind of support over the years, but things have been on the upswing the past few years.

Kent and Sussex Parents:
 Are you a parent of a child with ASD?
Please share your invaluable experience!
Come out to our 1 day Parent to Parent Workshop!
Become a Certified Support Parent

The Delaware Family Voices P2P and Autism Delaware have partnered together to offer the Parent to Parent program specifically to families whose children have Autism Spectrum disorder.

Delaware Family Voices is the official Delaware Parent to Parent (P2P) State Chapter and alliance member of Parent-to-Parent USA.

P2P USA has been providing emotional support to families of children with special needs, most notably through the one-to-one matching of parents seeking support with an experienced, trained “Support Parent”.
Become part of a national support network!

Delaware Family Voices P2P provides the training for parents of children of any age, with any special health care need.  This training will be specific to ASD. 

HYPERLINK “http://delawarefamilytofamily.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/introducing-the-delaware-parent-partners-program/2012septp2pusaimage/”

If you would like to train to become a Support Parent and share your knowledge, experiences, and support with someone newer to this journey, please register for this specialized training.

Lunch and light breakfast will be provided during the training

                         Wednesday April 15, 2015   9 A.M.-3 P.M.
The ASD-P2P Training will be one-day training.
                          Autism Delaware Office
      17517 Nassau Commons Blvd. Unit #1    Lewes, DE 19958

Registration is required as materials are sent out in advance and space is limited.

Childcare reimbursement is available upon request.

Please contact Ann Philips (302) 669-3031 or annp@defv.org Thank you.

Mark Murphy Says Parents Aren’t Allowed To Opt Out, Think Again Genius

Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy appeared on The Delaware Way with host Larry Mendte over the weekend.  The subject was standardized testing.  When Mendte asked Murphy point blank if parents were allowed to opt their children out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment, Murphy said “Absolutely not.”

I’m not sure what world Murphy is living in, but his own DOE has publicly stated there is nothing they can do about it.  There is no law prohibiting or allowing it, so parents can, have and will opt their children out.  I would strongly suggest Mark Murphy gets a reality check.  The Smarter Balanced Assessment is a joke, and parents are realizing this more and more every day.  I really hope House Bill 50 passes the House and Senate, and it puts Governor Markell in a position of either approving it and following the will of his constituents, or denying it and looking like a complete fool.

In the meantime, watch Murphy in all his grinning glory.