Got a story about how NCLB has affected you or yours? Send stories of responses, horror stories, or actions taken against NCLB to: rscath@execpc.com

Read Scott-Coe Interview of Richard Rodriguez

Write Your Legislator

Sample Letter (Click Here)

Write the School Superintendent

Michael Bennet
Superintendent, Denver Public Schools
900 Grant Street
Denver, Colorado 80203

Schools Ignore Research about Recess

In response to the Good News Item Atlanta Schools Bring Back Recess Conny Jensen describes what's going on in Greeley Colorado.

by Conny Jensen

It is good news that the kids have 20 minutes of recess, which is much better than what Greeley, Colorado kids get. They are lucky if they get 10 minutes right before or after they have lunch! Since this activity is tied into the lunch break it cannot be really called recess.

Research by Anthony Pellegrini, who wrote the book Recess: Its Role in Education and Development, suggests that kids actually need breaks during long blocks of concentration, such as are forced on the kids in Greeley who have daily literacy blocks of 90 minutes straight, even in kindergarten! Read more of Jensen

Is the Standards Movement Good For Teachers?

Before this testing phenomenon I found numbers of teachers actively seeking out colleagues in informal study groups to develop teaching that would best serve their students. In Michigan they started with the state curriculum which clearly stated standards and benchmarks and worked from there to determine how best to support their students toward those goals. Read more of this commentary

School vs. Jail by

Laura Manuel

As everyone knows, District 6 has decided to cut back on recess and has gym about twice a week (or less) for most students. Given that, I thought it appropriate to share a few comparisons about schools compared to Weld County Jail.
Recess: In school, students can get more than 20 minutes only by giving up lunch. In jail, inmates have a right to exercise, and using indoor or outdoor gyms get a minimum of 2-3 hours a week. In fact, the jail tries to do an hour a day but due to the combined factors of overcrowding and short staffing, sometimes can not. It is part of U.S. law that inmates have a right to exercise…not doing so is apparently ‘cruel or unusual’. In addition, the new jail will be built with open air sections so that inmates can use these from their housing units. These short breaks are supposed to make them easier to work with, too. Advantage: Jail. Read more of editorial

Many in District 6 are also concerned about the restriction of recess and the regimented instruction schedule. Read one teacher's comments below.

The lack of recess time is really the tip of the ice berg. The much
bigger issue is the common schedule which is promoting standardized
education (everybody looks the same) rather than standards based
education. The notion that by having every child on the same page
in the same book with no deviation from a poorly designed schedule
is nuts!!! Read more

Editorial Action

As a parent and one who works closely with educators, I know too well the negative implications of CSAP testing. The tests are not an accurate representation of our children's true potential and progress. There are many aspects to learning and children learn at different speeds and in different ways, i.e., kinesthetically, auditorially, visually, etc. Read More of Mary Hendrick's letter

The above letter to the editor was originally printed in the Rocky Mountain News on Monday, January 23, 2006.

A Few Questions for District 6
Laura Manuel

As you know, the Coalition for Better Education purchased bus bench advertising for a second year in a row. This year, we also purchased 5 locations in Greeley. The signs were taken down and we were told that our message was not fit for bus benches here by someone in the employ of the City of Greeley (Greeley Tribune, 1-21-06). Happily, they also recognized their error and our signs may be restored.
What we are supporting is parental choice in their children’s education. We want parents to understand that if they agree the CSAP is not a proper educational tool that they may take action. We hope that the school district realizes that they do not own the children entrusted to their care and do not actually have the final say in their education. Read more of Manuel Editorial

Editorial by Donato Perl

The above hyperlink is to an English translation of an editorial that was originally in Spanish in La Tribuna.

Study Faults High-Stakes Testing

Authors cite low rate of improvement, effect on minorities

Dallas Morning News 9-20-05 by Terence Stutz

Austin-High-stakes testing in Texas and across the nation has had little impact on student achievement and is disproportionately targeting minority students--as evidenced by increased retention and dropout rates in many states--according to a study by researchers in Texas and Arizona. Read more of Stutz article

Don Perl wrote an editorial stating the CBE's position on CSAP and assessment. He sent it to the Durango Herald on March 2, 2006. We don't know as yet if it will be published. Read Position Paper