A Week of Action for Less Testing, More Learning!

Citizens for Public Schools invites you to join us and the members of other education, labor and community groups across the Commonwealth for a Week of Action for Less Testing, More Learning! 

The week of June 8, 2015, we have the opportunity to raise our voices and send a clear, strong message: It's time to reclaim our public schools from testing overkill, stop enriching testing companies at the expense of our real educational needs, and make sure our education resources go to giving every student a whole child education.

The Week of Action is being organized by a newly formed statewide coalition called the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance. CPS is a member, along with Jobs with Justice, the Greater Boston Labor Council, Mass Alliance, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Boston Teachers Union, and other labor and community groups.

The week's focal point comes on Thursday, June 11, with the state Legislature's Education Committee hearing at the State House on a series of testing bills, including several that CPS is supporting. For bill summaries and more information, click here. 

If you can testify, let us know (at lesstestingmorelearning@gmail.com). Even if you can't come, you can still make a cellphone video or put your story in writing and we will get it to the legislators.

The week offers a number of ways to participate and add your voice to what we hope will be a crescendo that will reach and influence state legislators and education officials to understand that enough is enough. We need less testing, more learning! 

• Monday, June 8, is "Less Testing, More Learning" sticker day.Teachers, students and parents will be wearing "Less Testing, More Learning" stickers. If you have one, be sure to put your Less Testing, More Learning bumper sticker on by then, make a "Less Testing, More Learning" lapel pin for the day and stay tuned for information about how to get campaign stickers.
   
• Tuesday, June 9: Contact Your Legislator Day. Visit, call, email and explain why, including from you and your students' or children's personal experiences, we need less testing, more learning and no high stakes. The personal experiences of parents, students and educators provide crucial information. (If you don't know the name and contact information for your legislators, clickhere.)
   
• Wednesday, June 10: Social Media Day and PARCC hearing day: Use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to get out the word. If you can, attend the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education hearing on PARCC testing at Bridgewater State University and speak in public comment about how high-stakes testing harms children and schools.
   
• Thursday, June 11: Public Speak-Out Day. Attend the Education Committee hearing at the State House if possible. Later that same day, come to the Boston Education Justice Alliance "Schools Our Communities Deserve" campaign launch at Madison Park High School, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Click here for more information. (Stay tuned for more information about regional events that day and evening.) 
   
• Friday, June 12: Union Solidarity Day. Union members will be wearing union colors to work as a show of union pride and solidarity. 

We are also organizing grassroots lobbying teams of people across the state to make the case for our supported bills with their legislators. 

Let us know if you would like to join one of these groups by emailinglesstestingmorelearning@gmail.com.

Thanks for all of your support!

Best regards,

 

Ann O'Halloran, President

Lisa Guisbond, Executive Director

Citizens for Public Schools