Email exchange

I picked up the following exchange at ARN today, the Fairtest list. I will have more to say about this a bit later.

Its just not the disabled students that are being penalized. Its the students who are sitting in the middle of the road. My daughter is one of them who is straddling the fence. She has taken the exit exam 8 times and has been evaluated 3 times and they still don't see the need to help her. She is suppose to graduate this school year. Maybe now since her last testing with a outside source,indicated to us just yesterday that she thinks about killing herself often, and feels stupid at school, will finally get there dam attention. This exit exam does nothing for these kids but put them more behind in what they need to be studying. Not to mention the peer pressure of the teenagers. I took my daughter's test to the school yesterday so that they can compare their test with the Dr's. test. I am waiting to hear what they have to say. And believe me I am not stopping if I don't get the answers I want. I will go all the way to Washington, call the radio stations and even TV. My daughter is not alone in this fight and I am willing to fight for all the children out there who have been humiliated by this so call"No Child Left Behind". What is so funny I am the President of our High School PTA.

Lynn
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Lynn,

As the president of your PTA, you might want to consider showing this film on NCLB to

your fellow PTA moms and maybe even some interested teachers. Have you informed them of your daughter's plight? Have you informed her teachers? It sounds like you are not getting support from the school and/or their hands are tied. Maybe you need a lawyer like Brown got for his daughter back in the 1950's. However, with our shiny new Supreme Court appointments, I wouldn't bank on getting any justice there. This fight is going to have to happen at the grassroots level, or it isn't going to happen at all.

The DVD is only $19.99, here's the site:

http://www.boondogglefilms.net/projects.php

I am using the film for a research project in one of my graduate courses. There is a PTA mom interviewed in the film as well as many other voices, including the voices of students and teachers on this whole testing issue and NCLB. The kids in the film are younger than your daughter, but the message is the same and if you sit down and watch it with her, it might actually help her in some way.

Good luck and I hope she gets exempt from the stupid test and that she graduates with her class.

Keep us posted.

Judy