The Lee County School Board voted to take a stand and opt out.

I didn’t think there would be a vote tonight. I imagined the Board would listen to concerned parents, teachers and students and then make up some excuse as to why we would have to continue the madness and unsustainability of high-stakes testing. I figured they would do what most elected officials do: pretend to listen to the people and then make the decision that was easiest to implement.

Suddenly, the Board chair, Tom Scott, read from the Constitution and made it clear he worked for the people. Then he motioned for a vote on the issue to opt out of all state mandated tests as an entire district. His motion was to opt out of all Florida mandated assessments immediately.

I looked over at my husband with my eyes wide and mouthed the words, “Holy crap!”

A couple of the Board members tried to stall saying, “We need a plan in place.”

The superintendent tried everything to stop the motion – saying things like, “I caution the Board not to do this.” And, “There may be consequences.”

But the Board had heard from a room full of fed up parents, students and teachers tired of being used in the game of testing, money and so called accountability.

A little girl read a speech she prepared on her own about how the test told her she couldn’t read. She said, “How am I supposed to get better when I never get to see the results of my tests?” And, “The first time I took the test I failed; the second time I took the same test I was in the top 10% percent of my grade.”

One woman, in particular, told the Board as she fought back tears, “Don’t tell me these tests aren’t about money! While my son was recovering from a life threatening heart surgery, the district sent a representative into his hospital room to administer a state test.” Her microphone was turned off after a min, the time allotted for all speakers this evening.

The place went nuts. People were yelling, “Shame on you! Turn her microphone back on! Let her speak!”

Several students spoke, quite eloquently, about the fact that they are on the verge of being denied a high school diploma based on their test scores even thought they have all As and Bs in their classes and have met all the requirements for graduation.

I spoke too, saying, “Blindly following bad education policy is not leadership. We are asking that you show leadership and redefine what success is. Is it one test score or a body of work that a student accomplishes over time? We are not anti-assessment. We believe in teacher developed tests and formative assessments that inform instruction. But we are against high-stakes tests that hurt teachers and students. And we ask that if you decide not to opt out as a district, that you not stand in our way as we, the citizens, opt out of these tests on our own.”

It was standing room only at that point and people were yelling at the Board to take action. Every time a Board member would stall and try to back down from the vote, the crowd would yell back at them, holding them immediately accountable. The Board was not going to be let off the hook on this one.

It came down to the vote. Two Board members, Don Armstrong and Tom Scott, were ready to opt out as a district. Two others, Jeanne Dozier and Cathleen Morgan were pushing back, saying we needed more time to implement a different plan. The crowd wasn’t buying it and demanded a vote.

One Board member, Mary Fischer, was on the fence. I could tell she was terrified and wanted to make the right decision. I was afraid she wouldn’t have the courage to side with the two wanting to opt out.

Just when I thought we had lost the fight, the Board passed the motion to opt out of all state mandated testing, with a 3-2 vote.

The room erupted in cheers and disbelief. I was shocked

I immediately thought of all the education activists all over the country who spend their free time reading state statue, educating the public on this issue and pushing us all to question these detrimental education practices. It is because of all of them, this has happened here in Lee County.

Tonight the Board refused to impose any more bad policy that fails our students.

They decided to listen to all the research that says these tests are not an accurate measure of what a student knows.

They decided to be student centered rather than system centered.

Being part of a grassroots movement can be lonely work, but once and a while there is a victory that keeps the wave going. Tonight, was a small tsunami – a revolution that gave others permission to push back against bad policy. Tonight was a catalyst to set in motion a domino effect all over the state. Palm Beach County, Florida has already started the discussion in their community. Now that one group has had the courage to stand up, others will inevitably follow. What are you willing to stand up for?

#BoycottFLTests