The only way to change the system is to unite our voices.

Responsive Information: 

The State of Texas Student Assessment costs for 2010-2011 school year is $90,665,041.00 and the total amount will be paid to Pearson.  The amount for the State of Texas Student Assessment contract for 2010-2015 is $468,392,617.00 and again, the total amount will be paid to Pearson.

Please note that you have another open request with the Student Assessment Division, PIR 14681 (Brown), which is currently being processed and for which we will provide a written response to you on or before February 10, 2011.  If you have other requests with the TEA, they have not been assigned to the Student Assessment Division, and you may choose to confirm the status of those requests by writing to pir@tea.state.tx.us.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss PIR 14637 (Brown) further, please contact me at (512) 463-9536 or by email at pir@tea.state.tx.us.

Sincerely,

Jennifer J Eaton
TEA Public Information Coordinator
Enclosure:
Original Request, below
 

This is my response received from Texas Education Agrncy in 2011 following a public information request on the expense of state mandated testing in TX. One superintendent posted on Texasisd.com that 15,000 teachers’ salaries were sacrificed on the altar of state testing with this expense. Texas State Rep. Dan Flynn filed an amendment on HB 2491 calling for a 2 year moratorium on state testing so the monies could be spent to hire and retain quality teachers. I was told the Senate chairwoman of the Education Committee struck it from the bill. Obviously she was more concerned about Pearson than TX teachers.

I challenge the assertion that Pearson is doing anything to improve education. In large part, today’s students struggle with critical thinking and problem solving skills, and their writing abilities have suffered greatly under the tyranny of the test. I’m all for a free market system where companies make profits, but not when that profit comes at the expense of generations of students in the public education system.

Although I am glad that there is accountability on the forefront on closing the learning and performance discrepancies among diverse demographic/socioeconomic groups of students, the gradual increase in accountability is unobtainable, most especially with the drastic cuts in funding (and of course what funding is left now partially gets distributed to these for-profit organizations!) Schools with higher poverty/minority rates are feeling the consequences/punishments required by NCLB and those with lower poverty/minority rates will avoid consequences for a little longer.

These companies are LITERALLY buying our politicians and eagerly provide much monetary backing for our politicians to create mandates and additional legalities that promote the use of their companies in public education.

If the public does NOT get a handle on what is going on (with these powerhouse organizations and the skewed information on school choice) the public school system is about to implode and the progress made toward the desegregation of schools is about to diminish.

Be vocal. Stand up for our children and for the future of our country! Education IS the hope for our future!

http://jasonstanford.org/2012/03/staar-chamber/#comment-1960