We Need Your Help to Fight Back

From ISTA's Executive Director, Brenda Pike:

September 26, 2012 Corporate special interest groups and Wall Street millionaires are funding Tony Bennett's campaign.[1]  These ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers and powerful corporate insiders are pouring money into Indiana to fund Bennett's public school takeover and privatization agenda. We need to ask ourselves "why"? Why would Alice Walton, the Arkansas Wal-Mart heiress, give $200,000 to Tony Bennett? Why would a series of hedge fund managers from Chicago and New York City donate upwards of $100,000? What about the "Hoosiers" for Economic Growth's $25,000 contribution to Bennett?  Look deeper.  Much of that group's money comes from Michigander Betsy (of the Amway fortune) DeVos' school voucher group. Follow the money.  It's coming from long-time voucher supporters and public school takeover advocates.  It's coming from anti-union interests and unbridled charter school expansionists.  And way too much is coming from out-of-state. We need your help to fight back quickly.   Let's get Glenda Ritz on the air! To take Glenda's message directly to Indiana's voters, an additional $200,000 must be raised by Friday, October 5th.   It won't be difficult for Hoosiers to see what's going on here, but it takes funds to ensure that they know.  Time is of the essence! Please donate $100, $50, $25 or whatever amount you can manage right now to help purchase TV air time for Glenda Ritz. Use this link to rush your donation so we can fight the powerful out-of-state interests that have gone overboard to influence this office. Your help is needed now more than ever. Thank you. Sincerely, Sincerely,  Dr. Brenda Pike, ISTA Executive Director [1] The "top 10" out-state-contributors to Tony Bennett, all of which have connections to promoting vouchers, takeovers, public school restructure, and/or anti-union political agendas -Alice L. Walton, Bentonville, Arkansas, $200,000, 7/19/12; Michael Bloomberg, NYC, $40,000, 6/29/12; Elizabeth White, Chicago, $25,000, 8/31/12; Anne Griffin, Chicago, $25,000, 7/12/12; Daniel Loeb, NYC, $25,000, 2/14/12; Eli Broad, Los Angeles, $25,000, 9/12/12; Roger Hertog, NYC, $25,000, 5/21/12; Paul Singer, NYC, $10,000, 4/10/12; Bruce White, Chicago, $10,000, 8/17/12; William Oberndorf, Mills Valley, CA  $10,000, 5/21/12.   For the complete list of Bennett's "large contribution" funders, go to http://campaignfinance.in.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/CommitteeDetail.aspx?OrgId=5608

The Cost of Testing in Indiana

The Cost of Testing information below is from the Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education (NEIFPE). Their Mission Statement reads...

We are citizens, teachers, administrators, and parents united by our support for public education and by concerns for its future. Recent federal and state reform measures have created an over-emphasis on testing and have turned over public education to private interests. We believe that these reforms threaten the well-being of our children and jeopardize their futures. Our goal is to inform ourselves and to start community discussion about the impact of these measures on our public schools and, more importantly, on our children.

Cost of Testing

The Costs of

High Stakes Testing

What Informed Citizens 

Need to Know about

Standardized Testing in

Our Public Schools

Tests in Indiana

I-READ 3 – mandatory test for all third graders
I-READ K-2 – reading test not mandatory at present
I-STEP+ - language arts math, social studies and/or science tests mandatory for grades 3-8
English 10 ECA – mandatory test for all high school students to graduate
Algebra 1 ECA – mandatory test for all high school students to graduate
Biology 1 ECA – mandatory test for all high school students to graduate
ISTAR and IMAST - tests that replace ISTEP for special needs students
LAS – Links – test for English Language Learners
mCLASS – K-2 assessments in literacy and math
NWEA and Acuity – tests that measure reading, math, and language on the computer several times a year
SRI or AR – reading tests that check comprehension
DRA – developmental reading assessment for K-5
DIBELS – one-on-one assessment to monitor early reading progress
PALS – proficiency aligned learning skills matching state standards
NAEP - test given to a random sample in grades 4, 8 and 12

Check with your child’s school to learn which assessments are given and how much time is dedicated to them.


Cost of Testing

The Indiana Department of Education estimates the cost of testing to be $46,229,751 for the 2012-2013 school year.
This $46,229,751 could be used to:

• repair buildings and infrastructure of schools
• pay the salaries and benefits of at least a thousand teachers
• purchase laptop computers and iPads for most students

Time for Testing

Elementary educators estimate they spend about six weeks of the 36 week school year on test preparation and administration. Tests focus on reading and math, leaving little time for the following:

• Social Studies and Civics
• Art and Music
• Science and Physical Education

What will be the cost of testing in time and money when the 2014-2015 implementation of the Common Core Standards adds additional tests?
For more information about the Common Core, visit Indiana's Common Core Standards: Indiana Department of Education

As parents, educators, and concerned citizens, we think there are a number of questions that should be considered about high stakes testing.

• What do we want children to learn? What do they really need to know?
• Is standardized testing the most effective way to measure student learning?
• What teaching methods are developmentally appropriate to promote learning?
• Should we teach children how to learn, how to think, and how to question?
• Do current policies encourage the education of every child?
• What are the Common Core Standards and how much testing will be involved?
• What are the implications of these standards for your child?
• Should standardized test results be used to evaluate teachers?
• How much money is being spent on standardized tests?

What can you do?

• Attend PTA/PTO meetings
• Enlist PTA/PTO members in a discussion on proposed school reform issues
• Attend local school board meetings
• Write to local and state school board members and to state legislators to express your concerns about school reform legislation
• Follow candidates for public office and let them know your concerns
• “Like” NEIFPE on facebook and follow our blog
• Join Indiana Coalition for Public Education and Hoosiers for Public Education
• VOTE! Register at https://indianavoters.in.gov/

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Click HERE to download a copy of this pamphlet.

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September 13 Meeting

The ISTA-Retired chapter of Allen County will meet on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 at noon at Chop's Steak and Seafood at 6421 W. Jefferson Blvd., Ft. Wayne, IN. Craig Blume, ISTA Staff member, will be our speaker. There will also be an introduction of some of the political candidates.

We hope to see everyone on Thurs., Sept. 13th. Please come and bring your spouse and/or a friend.

Please RSVP by Sept. 10th to Dorthy Epple or call her at 436-2326 and leave a message.