Elizabeth Do Just Says No

When Elizabeth Do decided to study for an AP exam rather than take California's STAR test, she apparently set off a round of reprisals by school officials to punish her for doing what is the lawful right of every parent and child in the U. S. (see story here).

While the NEA, state departments of education, human rights organizations, and educational associations work the courts and the back rooms looking for a way to modify Bush's plan for corporatizing or christianizing the public schools, there are a handful of students like John Wood in Ohio, Mia Kang and Kimberly Marciniak in Texas, and sixth grader, Macario Guajardo in San Antonio, who have stood up and just said no the testing fixation that is stuidifying America's children. These students have made clear statements by their actions that should inspire us now to act to end the madness.

I am proposing, then, the creation of a new effort: Rebuilding Excellent Performance and Equity in America's Local Schools (REPEALS).

REPEALS will work as an coalition-building, activist, grassroots organization, 1) to build local and regional support systems for the repeal of No Child Left Behind and other laws or policies that threaten public education, 2) to share and encourage lawful tactics and strategies that will disrupt the egregious violations to human dignity that are promoted by the NCLB Law, 3) to develop, collect, and disseminate curriculum, assessment, and instructional options based on what students and parents need to know and understand for ethical and democratic citizenship, career success, personal fulfillment, and continuous learning for life.

If you would have ideas, money, time, stories of resistance, or interest for the REPEALS agenda, send email here: repeals@yahoo.com

Let's see what we can do to end the current orgy of tabulation that stands in the way of our children's true learning requirements.

Jim Horn